Hollywood Center Studios’ Virtual Stage Provides The Movie Network with Space for Laughs

Hollywood Center Studios’ Virtual Stage provided the shooting location for an on-air promotional campaign for JFL XXX — The Ultimate Nasty Show, a live comedy special broadcast this month on The Movie Network in Canada. The stage’s proprietary virtual set technology offered the producers an efficient and cost effective means for completing the project by allowing them to create two sets, literally at the touch of a button.

The campaign was directed by Linda Mendoza, known for her work on The Chris Rock Show, The Brothers Garcia and Ugly Betty, and features Bob Saget, former star of the sit-com Full House and a stand-up comic, revered for his biting and frequently off-color humor. In one spot, Saget appears in a therapist’s office and talks with his doctor about the dilemma of being associated both with wholesome family comedies and the raunchiest sort of humor—while speaking in language that has to be frequently bleeped out. JFL XXX celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival held annually in Montreal.

The therapist’s office featured in the spot was a custom-designed virtual set created with Hollywood Center Studios’ powerful virtual set engine. Other spots employed limbo environments generated with the same proprietary virtual set technology. “It was great, because it put everything at our fingertips,” Mendoza recalled. “We were able to change sets, without moving any furniture. It worked creatively and it also worked for our budget.”
Mendoza added that having green room, hair and make-up facilities adjacent to the Virtual Stage also made it a convenient place to shoot. “We were in an out in six hours,” she said. “It was a great experience.”
The production was overseen by creative teams from Astral Media, parent of The Movie Network, and from Just For Laughs.

About Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood Center Studios has a rich and colorful history that mirrors the development of Hollywood and the growth of the entertainment industry. The studio has played host to some of the most notable productions of the past century, including such iconic television shows as I Love Lucy, The Addams Family, Jeopardy and Mad TV, and classic film productions such as When Harry Met Sally and The Player. In recent years, Hollywood Center Studios has continued to grow and modernize to support its large television clientele which includes Disney (The Wizards of Waverly Place, Jessie) and HBO (True Blood). Hollywood Center Studios remains a vital part of the Hollywood community and a place where entertainment history continues to be made every day.
Hollywood Center Studios is located at 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90038. For more information, call (323) 860-0000 or visit www.hollywoodcenter.com