Glenn Howerton and I on the set of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
On June 23, 2011, I was fortunate enough to visit the set of FX’s original comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on behalf of YourEntertainmentCorner.com (YEC). Needless to say, this being my first ever set visit, I was nervous. I had no idea of what to expect, but Judy Manning, my friend, and partner here at YEC, had wonderful words of wisdom for me. “Your nerves will dissipate once you get there, but the best advice I can give you is to wear comfortable shoes.” I am so glad I listened to her!
The show was filming outdoor scenes and if you’ve seen the weather reports for Philly, you know it was extremely warm and humid that day. Let’s just say, I was happy it was overcast; otherwise, I would have perspired enough to overflow the Atlantic Ocean instead of just the ground around me! I did get some relief when I got an opportunity to sit in the air-conditioned tent where the DP (Director of Photography) was working. Ahhh, 15 minutes of cool, refreshing air!
It was a lot of fun to watch what goes into shooting a scene. I couldn’t believe the amount of people involved. Roslyn Bibby, Vice President, Media Relations, FX Network, and Chloe Ellers, Account Supervisor for BWR Public Relations, who were my guides for the day, told me there were about 100 people in all involved that particular day. And there are even more when they shoot in Los Angeles! It’s a lot of hard work by some very talented and dedicated people. Also, they closed down all of Jewelers Row on Sansom from 7th to 8th Street for this shoot. That’s no small feat, to say nothing of the cost!
Let me tell you a little about what went into this particular car scene. First, there were all manner of cars lined up along Sansom Street, indicating a traffic jam. Dennis (Glenn Howerton) was in his car deciding which cassette tape to play. Now, to shoot this, there were four cameras inside the car showing different angles. Remember the tent I sat in? Well, those four cameras were what the DP was watching trying to decide which angle looked the best. There were so many people talking at once, both yelling through bullhorns and on headsets, I don’t know how each one of them heard what the other was saying.
I’m sad to tell my fellow fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the bar isn’t located in Philadelphia. It’s on a set in an FX sound stage in Los Angeles. Kudos to the Exteriors Manager because I could have sworn I recognized the street the bar is on. Oh, I also learned the apartments the guys live in are also located in LA.
It was such a pleasure to speak to Rob McIlhenny (“Mac”), Glenn Howerton (“Dennis”), and Charlie Day (“Charlie”). Each was nicer than the next. They couldn’t have been more accommodating if they tried. I have three interviews, one of each. I’ll start out by letting you listen to the audio of Charlie Day’s interview, which was kindly provided to me by Joe at Pop Culture Madness, because my recorder malfunctioned. I’ll share the other (video) interviews later. Have to keep you coming back, right? And let me tell you, the Glenn Howerton interview, in particular, is hysterical.
Here’s a quick clip of Charlie Day taken when I was listening in as he was pulled away for a shot. http://youtu.be/VoNrmUI-_uc and here’s the audio of Charlie’s interview.
And here’s another clip – this one is Jeweler’s Row where they were filming the car scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6J8xk1s27o
Linda
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You’re so welcome! Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 when I post the interviews I had with Glenn Howerton and Rob McIlhenny!
Sounds like a wonderful day! I’m jealous… Thank you so much for the insights into how the set works. I’m always fascinated by those things.