The cinematic experience has developed over the years to constantly be in the search of delivering bigger and better: more intense drama, better explosive action, and moving stories. To complement this, the locations have been upgraded too. This has created a wealth of incredibly memorable sets from around the world that stick in the fore of our minds long after the films are done, and is arguably one of the most iconic aspects of the current movie industry. One of the most prevalent sets of the modern silver screen is New Zealand.

Situated in the south-west of the Pacific Ocean, this small but thriving country has becomesynonymous with Peter Jacksons Tolkien adaptations, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. New Zealand is the home of these box office hits, for it created a rich fantasy world that had previously only resided in the books. You could say that LOTRs holds a huge amount of success to New Zealand, for this majestic, ever changing background successfully translated and brought to life a world so profound that it moved both new and returning fans. If fact, New Zealand has become so interconnected to the films that there are even tours available so you can walk the routes the characters did.

Other great movies have also been filmed there as a means of resonating with fans globally to instigate a wide mix of emotions; Narnia, a truly iconic story for adults and children alike, was mostly shot in New Zealand. The fact that one such location can be adapted to create multiple worlds all found in different film universes, and still manage to evoke such raw emotions to mirror the story on screen, is not easily achieved. And yet it is something severa well known locations across New Zealand has managed to do, effortlessly.

Although one of the most infamous, New Zealand isnt the only location that is renowned in cinema: Las Vegas, the city of lights, gambling, and 24/7 partying is also a firm favourite. A certain movie franchise that nearly always sees its main protagonist enjoying the entertainment of the establishments along the strip, of which casinos dominate, is James Bond. The much loved spy is often depicted in movies, such as the classic 1971 Diamonds are Forever, enjoying his martini and playing with the high rollers. More recently, Caesars Palace one of the top casinos in America, played host to the hugely funny The Hangover.

Much like in scenic locations where the countryside acts as an important part of the mise-en- scne, so too do the games (or pokies as theyre fondly called) in these films. They can be used as a chance meeting place for secret dealings, a scene for a heated fight, or a hangout for close friends, the latter of which is something the film sets have in common with new online pokies in 2016. Casinos and their cinematic counterparts have a lot of depth to them, as discussed by Lucky Nugget Casino, and can awaken a wide range of emotions in us as a beautiful landscape can. That is part of the reason why these too have become such an illustrious destination for films.