8 Filming Set
When Lucas arrived at the Cheviot Hills, he looked around and saw the American houses and neighborhood he typically saw in American series or movies.
Cheviot Hills was just near the well-known Beverly Hills and Century City, yet the quiet and peaceful area made Lucas feel that it was a good place for seniors and a place to live after retirement.
'I guess maybe because of this quiet area that the production of Modern Family chose this place for filming...' Lucas thought as he walked along the quiet road.
Lucas was on his way towards the private residence, the one rented by the "Modern Family" production.
Then, Lucas remembered the contract provided by the "Modern Family" production a few days ago. Although Lucas doesn't have an agent or manager to deal with it for him, he read the contract and so far, he doesn't see any clause that will be bad for him.
Basically, the contract provided was only limited to the pilot episode. He'll also earn the money provided in the contract after finishing filming the pilot episode.
Whether Lucas will receive a contract beyond the pilot episode depends on how successful the pilot episode of the show will be.
If the show becomes successful and the network is satisfied with the pilot, which Lucas expects, he may receive a full-time contract, covering the entire season or several seasons, higher compensation, and job security for Lucas. This would mean he can earn thousands of dollars just for appearing in episodes, but it also requires Lucas's commitment to the show, potentially restricting his ability to pursue other projects simultaneously.
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The "Modern Family" production team was already prepared, and the director and writers gathered at a table to discuss the pilot episode.
Some of the actors and actresses were already present, and Julie Bowen's presence drew significant attention from the production team and the cast.
Not because she is famous, but because she has a bulging belly.
The actor Ty Burrell, who plays the role of Phil Dunphy, looked at Julie Bowen, who has taken on the role as Phil Dunphy's wife. He observed people such as Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, the children of the Dunphy couple in the show, talking to Julie Bowen with curiosity and a bit of interest.
Although the actors and actresses greeted each other upon first meeting, there was still a bit of unfamiliarity among them. However, as the director and writers suggested, they needed to get along well since the show was about family and not just drama.
Ty Burrell sat near Julie Bowen and curiously listened. After a while, he joined in the conversation, talking with Julie and even making a lighthearted joke about her pregnancy.
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After a while, Lucas finally arrived at the filming location and saw the iconic Dunphy house from his previous life in front of him.
Lucas looked and noticed that the production team had already gathered. Vans and cables, thick as garden hoses, snaked across the driveway. He also observed a group of curious neighbors perched on lawn chairs across the street, watching the "Modern Family" production team in action.
The house known as the "Dunphy house" from Lucas's previous life had shed its usual facade of normalcy. Lights, resembling giant fireflies on steroids, clung to the eaves, casting an artificial glow on the manicured rose bushes. Cameras, perched on towering cranes, peered through the house windows, ready to capture and film the inside of the rooms.
A steady stream of crew members scurried in and out, their bright orange lanyards flashing like traffic cones in the sunlight.
This scene was markedly different from what Lucas had seen of the TV show in his previous life, but he had been expecting this.
Indeed, Lucas had underestimated the production team, expecting a small crew that wouldn't attract much attention. However, it turned out that the production team was larger than he initially thought.
Being a small actor in his previous life, Lucas didn't really know the extent of the filming set in Hollywood.
After approaching the house, he was stopped by a staff member. Only when Lucas explained that he was part of the cast playing the role of "Marshall Dylan" in the show was he allowed to enter. As he stepped inside the house, Lucas saw the familiar interior of the "Dunphy Family" home.
Although Lucas was a bit surprised that the episode would actually take place on the onsite location of the exterior scene, typically TV show houses would have an exterior scene, and the interior shots would be on the soundstage of a studio.
Perhaps 20th Century Fox hadn't yet recreated the interior sets of "Modern Family" in their studio. They might have used the onsite house as the filming location, unsure if "Modern Family" would be well-received by the audience or not.
Lucas was led by the staff towards the living room where the cast, director, and writers were gathered. Along the way, Lucas could see crew members walking around the house, preparing everything for filming. Some were shouting to each other, even though they were wearing headsets equipped with microphones.
Experiencing this scene, Lucas felt like he had returned to his previous life when he had a chance to be an extra in a certain love team movie project.
Upon entering the living room, Lucas saw the familiar faces of the "Modern Family" actors and actresses. Two actors, Ty Burrell and Nolan Gould, and three actresses, Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland, and Ariel Winter, were present.
All present seemed to be only the Dunphy family cast, and the other main casts, such as the Pritchett family, were not there.
When the staff leading Lucas announced the arrival of another actor, it captured the attention of the casts, director, and writers in the room.
They looked, and some of them sighed in relief that the actor had arrived on time.
Jason Winer glanced at Lucas and nodded, while Steven Levitan observed Lucas thoughtfully. To be honest, they casted Lucas Knight, despite only auditioning once, because of his good looks—blonde hair, blue eyes. They felt that the character Dylan seemed to suit Lucas more, and at the same time, Lucas's embodiment of Dylan resonated well with the writers.
The network also agreed with casting Lucas due to his very American yet charming appearance. However, they weren't entirely sure whether the young man would meet their acting expectations. Nevertheless, since it was just a supporting role, the role of "Marshall Dylan" didn't demand much acting, and any performance shortcomings wouldn't be quite apparent.
