You can either lament the fact that you don't have access to the locations like those you've already seen in other movies, or you can look at your existing available locations and make a movie that is tailored to them. There are lots of places freely available that you might even be able to shoot legally without permits. Don't come to your film with a preconceived look that you cull from your movie-going experience, take stock of what you have and make a story work within those strictures.

Schools, Parks

Your area has public parks and these may have parts that would work in your movie. Though the majority of a park might be geared toward greenery and sports, the bathroom may be an intriguing structure that would double for something else. Schools from elementary to high school also offer unique filmmaking opportunities. Not only do schools often have interesting architecture, they also have interesting interiors that you might be able to gain access to.

Colleges, Universities

Post-high school educational facilities often have extraordinary buildings. Most were built years ago and can be a great backdrop for any scene. Some are historical landmarks and representative of a period while others are just rare one-of-a-kind beauties. In addition, colleges have lots of common areas that are often visually striking. Outdoor lunch areas, gardens, and even parking structures could hold filmmaking value for you.

Homes Of Friends, Relatives

You know people and they know other people who know other people. Somewhere in this chain that emanates from you will be someone with a really cool home. It may be a house that they own and have upgraded or could just be an apartment they've been in for years and still retains the cool look it was built with. Homes can offer great interiors and exteriors and will be the most filmmaking friendly place for you. Nobody will be more likely to help you out and put themselves out than a friend or relative.

Offices, Stores, Businesses

Along the line of people you know and those they know, will be business owners. They may run their business in an office, lease a retail space, or maybe even have a factory. There are untold possibilities with these resources at your disposal. An office needn't be an office in the movie, with some simple production design it could be a sweatshop. A friend's furniture store might be able to be rearranged temporarily to look like a real home. Your cousin's metal fabrication shop could be an abandoned warehouse.

We have little money to make films but lots of time. Instead of using that time to worry about what cool buildings we don't have or complain about our lack of monuments, let's use it to catalog the interesting locations you do have access to. It's not a matter of having locations that look like a typical "movie world" but rather using those locations to create a world in your movie.