Behind The Scenes

Original Content On the Rise
By Tyler Bunkley

Companies are releasing original content, and the men and women behind the scenes are creating it here in Georgia for PlayStation Network’s first show, Powers.

Georgia is quickly growing as one of the most popular states in which to film. From movies like Fast and the Furious to television like Powers, Georgia film is on the rise. Months of man hours go into each project and the production team are the unsung heroes.

            People like Thomas Wohlford and Joshua Jones keep the gears running so Georgia can be home to some of the most cutting-edge entertainment today. Wohlford is a key assistant location manager and Jones works with him in assistant production for Mesquite Production, Inc/PlayStation Network. They have worked on such projects as; Big Mama’s House Two, The 3 Stooges, Trouble with the Curve, and both seasons of Teen Wolf.

Thomas Wohlford picture by Tyler Bunkley

A Typical Week

“The workday can be over 12 hours long”, said Wolhlford. First He goes to a location to scout out the area where he takes photos and talks to property managers. Then he shows the pictures to management. Once he has confirmation that the location is suitable, the real work begins.

An average week of shooting beaks down about the same each time. Recently Wolhford and Jones filmed at Atlanta Tech Village for an episode of Powers. Every aspect of the location had to be taken into account. “We always have a prep day before we go in to make sure we are welcome and the location is solid”, Said Wohlford. The first day is all about parking and logistics. Where can people go? Where can deliveries go? “The hardest part is dealing with a city with so many permits”, said Wohlford.

The next day is spent installing lights, sound equipment, and ultimately building the sets. “This is a productive day, we have to make sure we are ready for our shoot day”, said Jones “the next day will be spent shooting the office that will be used in the show and a terrace we turned into a café.”

The final day is spent restoring the location to its original state. This can be an arduous process. This resembles the pre-production. Instead of getting permits the team gets inspected to make sure they have abided by all the rules.

This process happens in multiple locations with different crews to stay on a tight schedule so the finished content can be delivered by the deadline.

Perks of the Job

For a show like Powers, being behind the scenes can have some interesting perks. There are the obvious perks like craft services and then there are ones like getting to see stunts. “I once got to see a car jump off a building” said Wolhford. Other times he is able to see how they would set up the rigging and safety features for a fight scene.