Set Strolling Do's and Don'ts, (and another trip to Pawnee)

As I was walking to the holding area for extras at an Equestrian Lodge the other day on the set of Parks and Rec the idea occurred to me to make a sort of guide for those who are hoping to watch film sets who might stumble upon this blog.  Having done this a while I thought I might have some pointers for those who simply see a posting online about a filming going on and seek it out.  There's more to it than simply walking in, and there's a lot of factors at play that people don't realize.  So here are some ideas I picked up:

DO's: 

• Have an iphone or video recording device on your phone 
• Master the art of recording or taking pictures with your phone in abnormal positions (close to your chest, at your side, in your pocket) so it doesn't look like you're obviously taking a picture. 
• Talk to people in the crew and set PAs. Befriend them as best you can always. 
• Walk slowly and casually.  Anytime someone is running on a set it appears like a crisis. 
• If questioned or stopped always act 100% clueless. 
• Think of your excuses for being somewhere ahead of time (looking for your car, work around the area etc.) 
• If you meet someone of importance or a talent, address them quickly and casually unless they're standing around obviously not doing anything. Call them by their first name so you don't seem like a starstruck fan. You never want to disturb whatever they're working on. 

DON'Ts: 

• Have your camera out as you walk up to a set 
• wear any sort of fanboy t shirts or clothing obviously visible 
• Hound stars or celebrities for photos or autographs 
• Argue with PAs or crew members. They're doing their job, you're just having fun. 
• Don't do anything that could get in the way of the filming or be considered disrespectful. If you're a true fan, you will let them make it the best it can be and not get in the way. 
• Don't ask questions or announce your presence when you first arrive on a set. Just casually walk in until someone stops you. 
• Don't use flash photography. 
• Don't ask the talent questions about what they're working on. 

That's about all I can think of.  The Parks and Rec set wasn't too impressive, but then again when you see a location that says "Equestrian Lodge" you don't expect that you'll be able to walk right in. I was able to pace around the trucks and the crew area for a while and see some wardrobes hung up, but I couldn't get close enough to see what they were actually filming or see the actors.  I wasn't about to walk right up to the room they were filming in and try to get in there.  Unlike the last Parks and Rec location, this was not a hotel, so I'm sure there's no getting the benefit of the doubt as a "hotel guest" hanging around here. That said I didn't even attempt it and I still felt awkward walking past a few times. 

PAWNEE 9-2011

For my first entry I'll talk about my experience visiting the set of PARKS AND RECREATION on NBC. Lovingly codenamed, "Pawnee" after the fictional town the show is set in, it wasn't too hard to figure out what was shooting at the Burbank Holiday Inn as a fan of the show.  While my first goal was just to get a picture with the sign (which I did), I figured I wouldn't see too much lurking in the lobby of the hotel, but as it turns out I was in luck.

When I went through the lobby drinks were being passed out to extras with Knope campaign buttons. Leslie had given a speech in one of the conference rooms in the lobby and posters of her and huge posters of Tom Haverford and his entertainment company adorned the walls. A highlight was seeing a flyer for Ron Swanson's alter-ego Duke Silver on the side of a grip cart.

Retta, who plays Donna on the show was texting in the lobby as I walked past, and Amy herself seemed to be walking at a distance ahead of me.  In the areas beneath the lobby, they had rooms marked off for table reads with the whole cast.  I decided to take one last spin through the set when I ran into Aziz Ansari (who plays Tom Haverford) in the lobby. I had a brief exchange with him and was on my way.  Great set visit. Wish  I got one of those Knope campaign stickers, but I talked to one of the extras and apparently they took them back as soon as the scene was done being shot.

As I wanted to appear to be a clueless hotel guest, I took no pictures on this set except this: