▁life ; ▁that ▁nothing ▁was ▁made ▁up ▁for ▁the ▁movie . ▁Trans cript s ▁from ▁the ▁court ▁proceed ings ▁were ▁used ▁verb at im ▁and ▁quotes ▁from ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁magazine ▁were ▁copied ▁directly ▁from ▁articles ▁that ▁were ▁published ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁time ▁frame ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁aspect ▁of ▁the ▁movie ▁that ▁was ▁fict ional ized , ▁which ▁was ▁cond ensed ▁from ▁two ▁years ▁to ▁six ▁months ▁and ▁Wis ec ar ver ' s ▁age ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁fifteen ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁shorter ▁span ▁of ▁time ▁being ▁dep icted . ▁ ▁Princi pal ▁phot ography ▁began ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁finished ▁in ▁October ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁$ 7 ▁million ▁budget . ▁San ▁Pedro ▁and ▁Long ▁Beach , ▁California ▁were ▁the ▁principal ▁locations ▁for ▁the ▁film , ▁with ▁additional ▁scenes ▁fil med ▁in ▁E agle ▁Rock , ▁M t . ▁Bald y , ▁E cho ▁Park , ▁San ▁Bernard ino , ▁Per ris ▁and ▁F ill more , ▁California . ▁People ▁Magazine ▁reported ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁that ▁the ▁real ▁Son ny ▁Wis ec ar ver ▁made ▁about ▁$ 1 4 , 0 0 0 ▁s elling ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁his ▁story . ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁came o ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁a ▁mail man ▁who ▁proc laimed ▁the ▁Son ny ▁character ▁as ▁a ▁per vert . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁V HS ▁from ▁Lor imar ▁Home ▁Video ▁contained ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Wis ec ar ver ▁before ▁the