That's not a bus stop, Ugly Betty!
February 17, 2010 10:55 AM Subscribe
Everything on TV is a lie. Even the on-location scenes from your favorite current TV comedy or drama. Prepare to be amazed by the ubiquity of green screens in this clip. [via]
This post was deleted for the following reason: previously -- cortex
Yeah, I saw this earlier and I was pretty surprised.
posted by kbanas at 10:57 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by kbanas at 10:57 AM on February 17, 2010
It turns out Ugly Betty isn't ugly at all!
posted by Joe Beese at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by Joe Beese at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2010 [6 favorites]
Wait, you mean your neighborhood isn't full of green walls and drapes?
posted by oddman at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by oddman at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow that's pretty cool.
It actually gives me hope that in the not-so-distant future, people will be able to make really high quality low-budget movies that are set at the Pyramids or downtown NYC, but are filmed in some kid's backyard.
posted by cell divide at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2010
It actually gives me hope that in the not-so-distant future, people will be able to make really high quality low-budget movies that are set at the Pyramids or downtown NYC, but are filmed in some kid's backyard.
posted by cell divide at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2010
Everything is either green screened or filmed within a roughly 10 block radius in downtown LA. Especially car commercials. You're welcome.
posted by Damn That Television at 11:05 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by Damn That Television at 11:05 AM on February 17, 2010
I'd love to know what that background music was.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 11:06 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 11:06 AM on February 17, 2010
A lot of the NY shows really are shot on location in NY. Law and Order, Third Watch, Sex and the City, etc. It makes sense that Heroes - shot primarily in L.A. - would do this sort of thing. Ugly Betty I don't get, though.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by Navelgazer at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2010
"Lion Heart" by Emancipator
It helps to go to the original Youtube page...heh.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2010
It helps to go to the original Youtube page...heh.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2010
Huh, so they updated the music to make it more upbeat?
posted by cavalier at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by cavalier at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2010
This makes being an actor look really really boring.
posted by peep at 11:08 AM on February 17, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by peep at 11:08 AM on February 17, 2010 [4 favorites]
And people are surprised because...?
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 11:09 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 11:09 AM on February 17, 2010
First, they don't listen to me when I yell at them, and now this!
posted by TwelveTwo at 11:11 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by TwelveTwo at 11:11 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow. I was just watching some Cosmos (you know, with Sagan) last night and the greenscreening is so obvious and bad. I had no idea it could look this real.
I'm sure glad I can 100% trust that no news organizations have used or will use this for evil.
posted by DU at 11:13 AM on February 17, 2010
I'm sure glad I can 100% trust that no news organizations have used or will use this for evil.
posted by DU at 11:13 AM on February 17, 2010
Woah. I always thought that Steve of Blue's Clues was an underappreciated actor, because he had to do all of his acting solo, in a totally blank set, yet convince us that he was really in the cartoonish world of Blue & friends. Little did I know that all TV is Blue's Clues.
posted by selfmedicating at 11:15 AM on February 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by selfmedicating at 11:15 AM on February 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
Just bought me that tune. I love the internet.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 11:15 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 11:15 AM on February 17, 2010
in downtown LA. Especially car commercials.
Here in Canada all our car commercials are filmed on the Burrard St. Bridge in Vancouver.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 11:19 AM on February 17, 2010
Here in Canada all our car commercials are filmed on the Burrard St. Bridge in Vancouver.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 11:19 AM on February 17, 2010
I've always wondered how shows like these ate up so much budget. Now I know. Still, cool.
posted by The Devil Tesla at 11:20 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by The Devil Tesla at 11:20 AM on February 17, 2010
Dude... this means that Green Man could be lurking in every. single. TV. shot. and we'd never know!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:20 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:20 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Or imagine being magically transported to... Delaware!
Hi.
I'm in Delaware.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:21 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Hi.
I'm in Delaware.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:21 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is just an extension of the fact that Hollywood backlots used to be decorated like various street scenes around the world, and I think it's preferable. Once I had visited New York Street on the Paramount lot, I recognized it every time I saw it, which was at least three times a day on television and in film.
Also, once you've seen the actual Nightmare on Elm Street house, which is in a neigborhood near the Wiltern Theater, and the Cunningham House from Happy Days, which is just a few blocks away, it's very hard to pretend that movies and television are where they claim to be. They're all in Hollywood. Every one of them.
At least the green screens give us something that actually looks like Vegas, or Times Square.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:22 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, once you've seen the actual Nightmare on Elm Street house, which is in a neigborhood near the Wiltern Theater, and the Cunningham House from Happy Days, which is just a few blocks away, it's very hard to pretend that movies and television are where they claim to be. They're all in Hollywood. Every one of them.
At least the green screens give us something that actually looks like Vegas, or Times Square.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:22 AM on February 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Even though the link in the original MeFi post is now borked, this is a double.
Maybe the mods can fix the other post? It linked to a YouTube that was removed due to copyright complaints, but the studio reposted it officially which is what's linked in this post.
posted by smackfu at 11:24 AM on February 17, 2010
Maybe the mods can fix the other post? It linked to a YouTube that was removed due to copyright complaints, but the studio reposted it officially which is what's linked in this post.
posted by smackfu at 11:24 AM on February 17, 2010
The one time I saw Ugly Betty (note: I was on a plane and didn't have headphones, so I only saw it, didn't hear it) I was struck by two things: one, how easy it is to lipread the word "fashion", but also, two, how interesting/hyper-real the cinematography seemed, even though I couldn't put my finger on why. turns out it seems hyper-real because it's totally fake!
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 11:24 AM on February 17, 2010
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 11:24 AM on February 17, 2010
Was that Holly Hunter greenscreened onto the perilous cliff top with a cut face?
Cause... y'know... I like Holly Hunter.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:25 AM on February 17, 2010
Cause... y'know... I like Holly Hunter.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:25 AM on February 17, 2010
Here in Canada all our car commercials are filmed on the Burrard St. Bridge in Vancouver.
Except for the ones filmed at Victorian and Colbourne in Toronto.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:25 AM on February 17, 2010
Except for the ones filmed at Victorian and Colbourne in Toronto.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:25 AM on February 17, 2010
I can't tell if I find it stranger when television shows are green screened like this or when they shoot in one city and try to pass it off as another.
For instance, I recently was channel surfing and landed on a show called "Leverage" which takes place in Boston and it's surrounding suburbs. The entire show is filmed in Portland, Oregon, however. Having lived in Portland for ten years and visited Boston almost every year of that . . . it was just kind of weird. I sort of fictional cognitive dissonance.
at least i know Lost is really filmed in Hawaii. i don't want to know that the Temple or 4ToeStatue is a green screen. elaborate props yes, computer generated no. just don't tell me.
I promise it's actually filmed here. What I can't figure out is why it's filmed on Oahu. It just seems like it would be easier to find large stretches of uninhabited island on Hawai'i or Kaua'i.
posted by kaiseki at 11:25 AM on February 17, 2010
For instance, I recently was channel surfing and landed on a show called "Leverage" which takes place in Boston and it's surrounding suburbs. The entire show is filmed in Portland, Oregon, however. Having lived in Portland for ten years and visited Boston almost every year of that . . . it was just kind of weird. I sort of fictional cognitive dissonance.
at least i know Lost is really filmed in Hawaii. i don't want to know that the Temple or 4ToeStatue is a green screen. elaborate props yes, computer generated no. just don't tell me.
I promise it's actually filmed here. What I can't figure out is why it's filmed on Oahu. It just seems like it would be easier to find large stretches of uninhabited island on Hawai'i or Kaua'i.
posted by kaiseki at 11:25 AM on February 17, 2010
The actual sets are one reason that Hollywood is in Hollywood. Probably not the main reason -- LA is where the talent lives, so that's where movies are made, so that's where the talent lives, etc.
But it seems like this kind of shooting removes one of the barriers to other places becoming mini-Hollywoods, or for Hollywood to become more virtual.
posted by gurple at 11:26 AM on February 17, 2010
But it seems like this kind of shooting removes one of the barriers to other places becoming mini-Hollywoods, or for Hollywood to become more virtual.
posted by gurple at 11:26 AM on February 17, 2010
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