The Law & Order franchise has always proudly depicted New York City (the good parts and the... seedier ones). When new SVU showrunner Warren Leight took over at the start of Season 13, he reestablished an NYC writing staff and made the city a prominent feature in every episode. So far this season, the show has set scenes at the High Line Park, Chinatown, the West 4th Street basketball courts, Central Park and Times Square. The cast and crew end up having to deal with location restrictions and a lot of onlookers trying to sneak a peek at the action. It doesn't always make for the easiest day of shooting, but the authenticity these locations bring to the show can't be recreated on a soundstage.
In this week's episode, "Home Invasions," Detectives Benson and Amaro pay a visit to Jimmy Vasquez, a preacher who may be involved with a brutal homicide. When they find him, Jimmy is conducting services in his storefront church in Harlem. We shot in an actual church, in an effort to make the scene to feel as authentic as possible. One of the elements the writers were most emphatic about was a rollicking church band. Once again, we called upon the services of Anthony Roman (you might remember his musical styling's from Prince Miller's theme song in "Personal Fouls") and his musical cohorts. The effect is powerful in the episode and was even more powerful on set where the band kept the cast and crew entertained by jamming in between takes. Check out the photos and video of the band doing their thing below and keep your eyes peeled for a very special guest, episode director Jim McKay, sitting in on drums.
In this week's episode, "Home Invasions," Detectives Benson and Amaro pay a visit to Jimmy Vasquez, a preacher who may be involved with a brutal homicide. When they find him, Jimmy is conducting services in his storefront church in Harlem. We shot in an actual church, in an effort to make the scene to feel as authentic as possible. One of the elements the writers were most emphatic about was a rollicking church band. Once again, we called upon the services of Anthony Roman (you might remember his musical styling's from Prince Miller's theme song in "Personal Fouls") and his musical cohorts. The effect is powerful in the episode and was even more powerful on set where the band kept the cast and crew entertained by jamming in between takes. Check out the photos and video of the band doing their thing below and keep your eyes peeled for a very special guest, episode director Jim McKay, sitting in on drums.
