In wake of the pandemic, All Rise producers learned from former L.A. County District Attorney Gil Garcetti -- a consulting producer on the series and the father of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti who's famous for prosecuting O.J. Simpson -- that the court systems were grappling with how to navigate operations, including examining virtual trials. So producers began brainstorming the possibilities for a virtual episode, which resulted in tonight's "Dancing in Los Angeles" remote episode. “It was daunting at first,” says creator Greg Spottiswood. “And then, pretty quickly, I think we all realized that in actually a weird way, this was a good format for our show. Our show is about people in rooms, in the hallways, talking, arguing, connecting or not connecting.” According to the Los Angeles Times, "Straight Up Technologies was enlisted to guide producers through the endeavor, and it was decided Cisco Webex — whose picture quality is sharper than that of most other services — would be their primary video-conference tool. A private network was created for cast and crew to dial into; video feeds were isolated and recorded. Producers then used VFX to create the necessary backgrounds — for example, one that mimics an L.A. County Men’s Central Jail cell. Exteriors of a desolate Los Angeles were shot by a cinematographer operating solo from a vehicle." All Rise star Simone Missick says she and her fellow cast members were stunned by the announcement. “We were like, ‘What?’” Missick says. “And then the immediate thought is: ‘Now, wait, how are we going to do this?’”
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TOPICS: All Rise, CBS, Gil Garcetti, Greg Spottiswood, Simone Missick, Coronavirus