Where does Pitch Perfect take place? Filming locations

Pitch Perfect, the 2012 musical romcom hit, is currently ranking high on the Netflix top 10 charts – here’s everything you need to know about where the movie takes place and the filming locations. 

When Pitch Perfect first dropped in cinemas, no one knew it would go on to achieve such success. Jason Moore’s fun flick, which centers around an all-girls university a cappella group, exceeded expectations, grossing over $115 million worldwide on a modest budget of $17 million.

But the success of Pitch Perfect was not confined to box office numbers alone. Alongside the romcom story and great cast – including the likes of Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Skylar Astin – the movie’s soundtrack went down a storm thanks to its mash-up of already popular songs. Kendrick’s rendition of Cups even made it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

And it appears the movie hasn’t lost its charm – since dropping on Netflix earlier this month, it’s crept its way up the streamer’s top 10 movie chart. With fans still in love with Pitch Perfect, we’ve broken down where the 2012 film is set and its filming locations. 

Where does Pitch Perfect take place?

Pitch Perfect takes place at the fictitious Barden University. The decision to set the film in this educational milieu was strategic, aimed at encapsulating the vibrant and competitive college a cappella scene.

Barden University, though not a real college, is based in the real city of Atlanta in Georgia. This setting remained the same for the sequel, Pitch Perfect 2. 

The made-up Barden University was founded in 1907. As many will remember from the movie, it has a number of key features that proved to be integral to the narrative, including its radio station and the empty dance studio where the Barden Bellas rehearse.

Pitch Perfect filming locations

Although it’s set in Atlanta, Pitch Perfect was actually filmed in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with Louisiana State University (LSU) as the primary filming location. 

Several factors contributed to this decision. Firstly, Baton Rouge and LSU, with their quintessential college-town atmosphere and attractive architecture, offered an authentic backdrop for the narrative. 

Then there’s Louisiana’s attractive tax incentives for film and television productions and its pool of local talent, which made it a financially viable choice.  

Partner of Gold Circle Entertainment and executive producer of the Pitch Perfect films, Scott Niemeyer, said in a statement at the time: “Louisiana’s diverse shooting locations and developing infrastructure, combined with its competitive incentive program and wealth of indigenous talent, made the state the ideal home for the Pitch Perfect franchise.”

Several notable areas of the LSU campus made their way into the film, each serving as the backdrop for key scenes.

That includes the LSU Natatorium, which is currently undergoing renovations. However, the fact that it was dilapidated made it the perfect location for impromptu get togethers such as the famous “riff-off” scene, whereby a cappella groups faced off in a singing battle.

According to LSU employee Ashley Territo, other filming locations around the campus include “The Quad, Greek Theater, Huey P. Long Pool, several exterior Res Hall locations, and the Exxon Quad.”

Pitch Perfect is available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out our other Netflix hubs below:

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