Hart Hanson, creator of some of the most watched primetime television of the past decade – including FOX’s long-running crime drama, Bones, and his latest show, 2012’s The Finder – was a recent guest on life after film school.
I wasn’t scheduled to host that day, but our director, Josh, invited all of us to come and watch. I jumped at the opportunity to meet the award winning writer and one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 50 Power Showrunners of 2011. Kyle, Sarah, and Christina were the lucky student hosts for this episode. While we were all enjoying lunch together, Hart Hanson surprised us by arriving a little early for his interview. After a quick round of introductions, everyone settled into their positions for the taping.
One thing that I’ve noticed on every show so far is how open and generous each guest is in sharing their knowledge and experience with us. We have the rare privilege to sit with some of the most talented and successful people in the industry, and participate in conversations about our passions and challenges.
The Finder is based on two books written as part of The Locator Series by Richard Greener, and one of those books, The Lacey Confession, deals with the JFK assassination. I wanted to ask Hart if he plans on making an episode of The Finder dealing with that topic. After all, there was an amazing episode of Bones that addressed the JFK assassination. Unfortunately, I had to leave early to get to a class and didn’t get the chance to get my answer. I guess I’ll just have to keep watching The Finder to find out.
I’ve been making movies and calling myself a filmmaker since I was about 10 — and proudly calling myself a film student since the day I received my acceptance to LMU’s School of Film and Television last November. There are days, however, that truly validate the use of those titles for me. Being able to refer to myself as a film student and a filmmaker has so much more meaning now than it ever did before. When I walk into the studio and onto the set of a network show — a show I’ve been cast on — it’s almost surreal. And then, when I introduce myself — and shake hands with Hart Hanson — it’s all incredibly real.
Less than a year ago, I was anchoring my high school daily bulletins on CCTV and now I’m a co-host on a network show, interviewing the best and the brightest in film and television. The other thing that I find so incredibly cool is how much I’ve learned about sound stages, sets, lights, and all the other equipment used in the industry.
Our sound stage at LMU has all the same equipment that we have on life after film school. I took pictures on the set of life after film school so you can see the flag box that holds “Diffs,” a variety of things that are placed in front of the lights for diffusion. The black ones are called solids, red are doubles, greens are singles, yellows are poly-silks, and white ones vary, but they could be silk or muslin. The flag box also holds wooden cucolorises, also called “cookies.”
You can also see the “apple boxes” stacked next to the flag box. Apple boxes are used for all sorts of things, adjusting the height of everything from equipment and props, to actors. AND, check out the craft table. That’s the setup that’s available throughout the day, while catering brings in the meals (like the terrific lunch we were enjoying when Hart arrived).
I hope you enjoy this look behind the scenes at a taping of life after film school.
