On Location

I used to wonder why the soaps felt it was so important to do location shoots. I mean, there were times when something in a script called for a place that simply couldn't be built in the studio, but there were also times when it seemed as though the idea of travel came first and the scripts to be shot in the faraway place came after. Either way, I always wondered if the audience really cared where it was shot, as long as it was a good story.

Today was a day when I realized the joy of locations. As I traveled out of town (not even that far), it felt as though a weight was lifted, a door was opened. Could driving happen in the city? Sure, but the scenery and the fellow drivers would be different. Could shopping happen in the city? Of course. But it wouldn't have the same rhythm or vibe. Would we eat out in the city? Maybe--just not in the same way.

Sometimes it just takes stepping out of your door or your four walls or your comfort zone to tell a different story--a more exciting story. On the soaps, I saw us create forests and beaches in the studio (I loved those "magic of television" moments). I also saw how going to a real beach or forest somehow upped the excitement for cast and crew alike.

We can't always "go on location." As in television, neither time nor budget allow for it. But taking that step out when we can afford to is worth every minute and every penny--and it keeps us, and our "audience," going once we're back inside our "studio."