 Principal photography lasted about 50 days from December 14 , 1998 , to February 1999 . American Beauty was filmed on soundstages at the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank , California , and at Hancock Park and Brentwood in Los Angeles . The aerial shots at the beginning and end of the film were captured in Sacramento , California , and many of the school scenes were shot at South High School in Torrance , California ; several extras in the gym crowd were South High students . The film is set in an upper middle @-@ class neighborhood in an unidentified American town . Production designer Naomi Shohan likened the locale to Evanston , Illinois , but said , " it 's not about a place , it 's about an archetype . [ ... ] The milieu was pretty much Anywhere , USA — upwardly mobile suburbia . " The intent was for the setting to reflect the characters , who are also archetypes . Shohan said , " All of them are very strained , and their lives are constructs . " The Burnhams ' household was designed as the reverse of the Fitts ' — the former a pristine ideal , but graceless and lacking in " inner balance " , leading to Carolyn 's desire to at least give it the appearance of a " perfect all @-@ American household " ; the Fitts ' home is depicted in " exaggerated darkness [ and ] symmetry " . 
 Principal photography<a href='been_done' title='1'><mark></mark></a> lasted about 50 days from December 14 , 1998 , to February 1999 . American Beauty was filmed on soundstages at the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank , California , and at Hancock Park and Brentwood in Los Angeles . The aerial shots at the beginning and end of the film <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> captured in Sacramento , California , and many of the school scenes <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> shot at South High School in Torrance , California ; several extras in the gym crowd <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> South High students . The film is set in an upper middle @-@ class neighborhood in an unidentified American town . Production designer Naomi Shohan likened the locale to Evanston , Illinois , but said , " it 's not about <a href='None' title='5'><mark>a</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='6'><mark>place</mark></a> , it 's about an archetype . [ ... ] The milieu was pretty much Anywhere , USA — upwardly mobile suburbia . " The intent was for the setting to reflect the characters , <a href='null_relcl' title='7'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='drop_aux' title='8'><mark>are</mark></a>also archetypes . Shohan said , " All of them are very strained , and their lives <a href='drop_aux' title='9'><mark>are</mark></a>constructs . " The Burnhams <a href='null_genetive' title='10'><mark>'</mark></a>household was designed as the reverse of the Fitts <a href='null_genetive' title='11'><mark>'</mark></a>— the former a pristine ideal , but graceless and lacking in " inner balance " , leading to Carolyn <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>desire to at least give it the appearance of a " perfect all @-@ American household " ; the Fitts <a href='null_genetive' title='13'><mark>'</mark></a>home is depicted in " exaggerated darkness [ and ] symmetry " . 
Principal photography been lasted abt 50 days from December 14 , 1998 , to February 1999 . American Beauty was filmed on soundstages at the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank , California , and at Hancock Park and Brentwood in Los Angeles . da aerial shots at the beginning and end of the film was captured in Sacramento , cali , and many of the school scenes was shot at South High skoo in Torrance , Califocalieral extras in tdagym crowd was South High students . Thdailm is set in an upper middle @-@ class neighborhood in an unidentified American town . Production designer Naomi Shohan likened thedacale to Evanston , Illinois , but said , " it 's not ababto place , it 's aboubouarchetype . [ ... ] The milieu was pretty much Anywhere , USA — upwardly mobile suburbia . " The daent was for the setting to reflect the characters , also archetypes . Shohan said , " All of them are very strained , and their lives constructs . " The Burnhams  household was designed as the reverse of the Fitts  — the former a pristine ideal , but graceless and lacking in " inner balance " , leading to Carolyn  desire to at least give it the appearance of a " perfect alll @-@ American household " ; the Fdas  home is depicted in " exaggerated darkness [ and ] symmetry " .