After completing principal photography in Louisiana, the current production set up shop on Stage 2A to shoot pick-ups as well as a number of celebrity cameos. (The stars’ identities are being kept secret until the film’s premiere). Newly refurbished, Stage 2A features a fixed, greenscreen, 2-wall cyc that made set up and lighting easy.
“It was a fantastic shoot; it went far beyond our expectations,” said Silverman. “They treated us like kings.”
National Lampoon president and producer of the film Alan Donnes notes that everything the production required was easily accessible, including lighting and grip equipment. Because Stage 2A is adjacent to the Babalu Café, the lot’s famous diner, the production was able to forgo conventional craft services.
“We set up a tab and let everyone order what they wanted,” Donnes recalled. “We had actors, dancers and Playboy models, and everyone raved about the food.”
Donnes added that cast and crew also enjoyed the atmosphere on the lot. “We were shooting on the stage where I Love Lucy was shot,” he noted. “Everyone, including the celebrities, was excited. They were feeling the walls. It was magical.”
Donnes says the National Lampoon has a number of other films in various stages of pre-production and hopes to be back at Hollywood Center Studios soon. “We’re planning to make it our West Coast home.”
