I'd always thought that scenes from films and the places they were shot were based on criteria like 'interesting' or 'authentic'. But now, having lived near places that make films, I've got a theory that an important criterion for the selection of film sets is 'near'.

I'll illustrate my theory with two examples. (Because two examples is enough to prove anyone right.)

One iconic film is the lovers driving out to a layby at night, and parking so that the city is beneath and behind them, and lit up. In any city I've lived in or known especially well, there's about a total of one place where you get such a view. I'd therefore thought that there must be a queue of film-makers and couples trying to propose all waiting to get to that one spot. Buy now I've realised it's not.

The two photos below are taken from a hill to the South West of downtown Los Angeles. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, and there was no one around. And if I'd wanted to park a car there at night, well, the gate would have been closed, but presumably if I'd wanted to make a film, they would have let me in.

The first picture looks towards downtown - the little mushroom of skyscrapers is downtown LA. The second photo I'm not so sure about, I think it's looking towards Hollywood and Beverly Hills - somewhere like that, anyway.

There were a huge number of places near to me that would have been suitable vantage points for making my iconic scene. And you can also see, that on the other side of the city, there are some more mountains which also provide a plethora of opportunities for trading hostages.

Second example. Whenever they want to show gritty industrial stuff, they show those nodding donkey oil pumps, out in the desert. I'd always imagined that they had spent hours searching for something to represent slight dereliction and abandonment, with a hint of machismo (like the beginning of day 5 in 24). But, after taking the other photos, walk 100 yards, turn around (actually, maybe do that the other way around - turn first, then walk) and you can take these photos.