Filming for the American TV series Star City recently wrapped up in Vilnius. A sequel to the popular series For All Mankind, the new production will take viewers into an alternate version of the space race. Following the completion of the shoot in Lithuania, we spoke with the show’s executive producer, Steve Oster, who spent considerable time in the country during production.
Filming in Vilnius and its surrounding areas began in early February and brought together an international team of 130 film industry professionals – the majority of them from Lithuania. Shooting locations included Vilnius’ historic Old Town, residential districts, and various building interiors.
Production services in Lithuania were provided by Baltic Film Services, while Baltic Locations handled location scouting and management. Both companies have extensive experience working on international projects filmed in Lithuania, including HBO’s Chernobyl and Catherine the Great, the BBC’s War and Peace, and Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Steve, what was your first impression of Vilnius when you arrived, and has that perception evolved during your time here? What stood out to you then, and what stands out to you now?
From the first day I arrived, I was very impressed by what a quaint, historic city Old Town Vilnius is. The ability to walk everywhere is a huge plus, and being surrounded by such varied history has made it a very interesting city to explore.
Why was Vilnius chosen as a filming location?
Because our series is set in 1969 and our first season takes place in several different countries, Vilnius’ varied architectural styles were integral in giving it a unique look and feel. To have such a wide variety of looks within a small geographic area was a huge asset for us.
Was there a particular location that made a lasting impression on you? What made it special?
We shot at the VRM building a lot. It offered us a wide variety of looks and played as multiple recurring settings for our series.
How would you describe your collaboration with Lithuanian film professionals?
It’s been a terrific experience. Every department did an amazing job delivering on the high expectations that Sony and Apple+ had for the look and feel of this series.
From your perspective, what are the biggest strengths of filming in Vilnius?
It’s a very easy city to get around in, making it much easier to shoot multiple locations on the same day.
Did the changing weather conditions affect your plans or shooting schedule in any significant way?
While we weren’t expecting the snow to stick around as much as it did, we wound up making it a part of our story and it created a unique tone for the beginning portion of our season. The later episodes take place in the summer, so at times it was a bit of a challenge dodging the frequently-changing weather projections and keeping our extras warm for the outdoor scenes in which they were dressed in summer wardrobe.
Outside of filming, have you had a chance to experience Vilnius’ cultural life?
We had cast and crew with us from the US, UK, Poland and Germany and all of us have had the pleasure of experiencing Vilnius and the surrounding areas on our days off. The museums, historical sites, walking tours, restaurants, live music, summer festivals, and basketball games offered a wide variety of activities for us to experience during our time here. A favourite was ending our work week by gathering at some of the many sidewalk cafes.
