Inside IFC’s “Portlandia”

Also it was during the production of this episode last September that IFC brought a few journalists to observe and engage with the cast and crew in action amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 for those who have been living in a mediafree cave since its January 2011 premiere is shot entirely on location in Portland Oregon The city is every bit as much of a character in this show as New York City was in amp8220Sex and the Cityamp8221 though in many ways amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 and Portland are even more synonymous given the relative intimacy of the latter and the fact that the show has permeated almost every corner of it The title is actually a reference to an iconic sculpture of the same name in downtown PortlandDuring the set visit Buscemi was directing series stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein pictured at top in a sequence set on an indisputably charming suburban street in the Portland neighborhood known as Irvingtonamp160 It was immediately noticeable that residents of the street seemed unfazed by the productionamp8217s equipment around them which included trailers tents and the shell of a car sitting on a trailer attached to a pickup truck with a camera in the back Armisen and Brownstein who portray themselves in this episode rather than any of the many other characters they have created over the years were filmed sitting in the front seat of that rigged car as the truck pulled it around the neighborhood creating the illusion that Fred was driving as the two discussed the amp8220family emergencyamp8221 of the episodeamp8217s titleMeanwhile a few journalists sat in a van equipped with monitors that drove in front of the truck From our unique vantage point see image below we were able to watch them rehearse and film their scene and hear their dialogue amp8211 about using the term amp8220family emergencyamp8221 to get out of commitments as well as Buscemiamp8217s directions from the back of the truckLater we paid a visit to the amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 production office where we met the rats that have been seen in the seriesamp8217 stopmotion animation sequencesIn New York and Los Angeles residents would likely be annoyed by a production blocking their roads and impeding their ability to dash about Not so in Portland with amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 amp8220Itamp8217s a different thing shooting in a region thatamp8217s not shot a lotamp8221 producer David Cress told us amp8220In LA the delay is just a bother Here itamp8217s notamp8221 The other big series of the moment that is shot in Portland is NBCamp8217s supernatural thriller amp8220Grimmamp8221 Recalling a shoot from a previous season in which the production took over a local home as a set and accidentally broke a window Cress said that Armisen always goes amp8220overboardamp8221 to accommodate homeowners In that instance Armisen located a tool kit and repaired the window himself Cress saidProducer Alice Mathias said that securing locations is basically as simple as going to certain neighborhoods asking residents if they will let the show shoot in their homes or yards and then doing so if given the go ahead The same simplicity applies to casting amp8220So much of the genius of amp8216Portlandiaamp8217 is finding local people who are not actors and recruiting themamp8221 Mathias saidamp8220Sometimes I see someone and stop the car to see what theyamp8217re like from closer than 50 feetamp8221 added casting director Simon Hill If he likes what he sees they are hired sometimes only as extras though extras amp8220frequently get upgraded to speaking rolesamp8221 he saidamp8220People in Portland have been very friendly to meamp8221 Armisen told us during a break True to the amp8220unHollywoodamp8221 atmosphere that permeates everything about amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 Armisen happened to find himself spontaneously holding court outside a portapotty amp8220They know we do the show from a place of love and gratitudeamp8221Asked if he thinks the show has changed the city he replied amp8220I donamp8217t think a television show can transform a city It might boost tourism a little I think people are smart enough to know the difference between a TV show and real lifeamp8221Of course very little about amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 reflects real life Asked about the narrative themes the show would explore this season Armisen deadpanned amp8220monsters vampires curses coffins corpses blood cadavers Danzig snakes bats creepy staircases frogs and upside down crossesamp8221 The supernatural aspect of Armisenamp8217s answer didnamp8217t come as much of a surprise given that one of the cityamp8217s major tourist attractions is the flagship Voodoo Doughnutamp160shop which has been featured on Travel Channel Cooking Channel Food Network and CBSamp8217 amp8220The Amazing Raceamp8221Much like the actual production of amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 the city itself seems almost professionally laidback A recently retired police officer I spoke with during the trip told me amp8220To capture Portland think Williamsburg without the style and ambition This is where thirtysomethings go to retireamp8221 As I walked about eight blocks one day around dusk from my hotel to Voodoo Doughnutamp160it seemed to me that Portland is also the place twentysomethings go to live in groups on the street and avoid the arrival of adulthoodMusing about how long amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 might continue Armisen said that seventh and eighth seasons amp8220feel rightamp8221 adding amp8220nothing lasts foreveramp8221 That may be true but given the renewed popularity amp8220Portlandiaamp8221 continues to enjoy on Netflix the impact of the show and the identification with it that the cast crew and city enjoy may last a lot longer than anyone imaginesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggersamp160

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Inside IFC’s “Portlandia”

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