PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: INSIDE MEDIA: AN EVENING WITH SOUTHLAND {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's Inside Media events in Los Angeles. This seminar celebrates “Southland,” the gritty, realistic drama series about the officers and detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Host Cindy Braun (director of operations and administration, The Paley Center for Media/Los Angeles) offers opening remarks and brings moderator Cynthia Littleton (deptuty editor, Daily Variety) to the stage. Littleton introduces executive producer Christopher Chulack, who sets up the season two finale, “Graduation Day,” which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 105865.)
Following the screening, Littleton brings the panelists to the stage: Chulack; executive producer John Wells; and cast members Ben McKenzie (Ben Sherman), Regina King (Lydia Adams), Michael Cudlitz (John Cooper), and Shawn Hatosy (Sammy Bryant).
The panelists discuss topics which include: the sense of “settling in” to the show, now airing on TNT after being canceled by NBC after one season; the benefits of switching networks; the tough journey of the John Cooper character, as explored in the third season; Hatosy’s first-time experience playing a character for an extended period; the “pure activity” and multiple stories in every episode; the extensive research into real-life cop stories and desire to present a “cross-section” of reality; how the recent season reflects “the show they wanted to make” and originally pitched to NBC; the simplistic, under-the-radar shooting style and use of “found items”; the need to work around real-life circumstances and locations; the extensive preparation for the actors; how the cast and crew have all “taken ownership” of the show; the relatively quick speed of the shoots; the “voyeuristic” feel provided by the actors doing their own driving; how the writers pen such concise scripts; the actors’ comfort with the “natural” shooting style; the lack of a “weak link” in the cast; the number of cameras in a given scene and the “ballet” between the director and cameramen; the actors’ use of occasional improvisation in volatile scenes; the directors’ habit of telling extras to surprise the main actors with their actions; the talent of casting director John Levey in finding exceptional actors for small roles; the shift in the relationship between Ben and his training officer Cooper, as originally planned for the first season; the way that doing fewer episodes for a cable network allows the writers to map out the season with greater ease; the death of the character of Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) and its impact on his partner Sammy; Hatosy’s need to “pace” himself throughout his character’s many emotional developments; whether the Sammy/Ben partnership will continue next season on a “peer-to-peer” basis; the female perspective provided by the partnership of Lydia and Josie (Jenny Gago); the tension caused by Lydia’s relationship with Josie’s son Rodrigo (Maurice Compte); debate between the cast about who is in the best physical shape; the show’s accurate reflection of the “melting pot” of L.A. and desire to show crime in many neighborhoods and classes; how L.A. is the “star” of the show; and the opening voiceover and “flash-frame” style of the show.
Questions from the audience lead to a discussion of the following topics: the accuracy of the depiction of police dispatchers; the use of profanity and intermittent censorship; the show’s lack of a musical score and use of natural ambient sounds; the actors’ favorite moments on the show; the actors’ most stressful scenes; how Hatosy prepared for Nate’s death scene; the basis of most plotlines in real cops’ stories; the cast’s strong bond; King’s tough breakup scene with the character of Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott); the pros and cons of shortened seasons and possibility of a longer fourth season; how the characters are drawn from archetypes and then given nuances by the actors; use of a police consultant team and a “boot camp”; and the show as “the ultimate procedural” and its avoidance of neatly tied-up stories.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: May 31, 2011 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:27
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 105281
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Cindy Braun … Host
- Cynthia Littleton … Moderator
- Christopher Chulack … Panelist
- John Wells … Panelist
- Ben McKenzie … Panelist
- Regina King … Panelist
- Michael Cudlitz … Panelist
- Shawn Hatosy … Panelist
- Kevin Alejandro
- Maurice Compte
- Jenny Gago
- John Levey
- Tom Everett Scott