QUOTE (FIU)
"Burn Notice" brings lights, camera, action to campus
Posted September 10th, 2008
On a sizzling hot morning in July, FIU students gaped as paramedics rushed a woman on a gurney out of the new College of Business Administration building and into a waiting ambulance. The ambulance took off, lights flashing and siren wailing, for a few feet toward the Tamiami Street exit. Suddenly a voice crackled out: "Cut!"
The dramatic scene, thankfully, was all staged. For one day this summer, FIU's University Park campus was transformed into a living Hollywood studio as USA Network's hit show "Burn Notice" filmed Season 2 Episode 8 on campus.
The irreverent action-comedy tells the story of Special-Ops trained spy Michael Westen, who gets an unexplained "burn notice" from CIA, cutting all ties to him. The show is set in Miami and has been filming around South Florida.
The crew descended on FIU at 4 a.m. with an enormous catering truck that served up food made-to-order. By 6 a.m., nearly 100 production crew members and actor extras began arriving. They stayed until after dark, taking up two parking lots and filming outside the College of Law building, the Ryder Business Building and in the green space at the Tamiami Street entrance.
The new College of Business Administration's Office Depot Student Center was the focal point, transformed with a few strategically placed signs into a museum. For one scene, the actors and cameramen all climbed on top of the building.
Classes and university life continued as normal during the shoot. At times, unknowing students would wander right through the "set," without realizing the guy standing on the corner was actually one of the show's extras.
Along with delivering up plenty of chic – yes, the show's stars Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar were here and they're both gorgeous — the shoots bring in some money. FIU charges a base fee of $5,000 for location shoots with additional costs depending on the duration and the manpower required to manage the shooting.
Marketing executive assistant Michelle Moreno, who graduates in December with an education degree, coordinated the shoot along with Marketing Associate Director Eddie Merille '97, MBA '00. Moreno, who was issued her own walkie-talkie to communicate with the production chief, got to meet Anwar and stunt doubles for the two stars. Merille got his photo taken with Bruce Campbell, who plays Donovan's sidekick.
"It was really fascinating," Moreno said. "I never knew so much went into seven minutes of air time and it took so many people."
The episode airs XXX.
–Deborah O'Neil
Posted September 10th, 2008
On a sizzling hot morning in July, FIU students gaped as paramedics rushed a woman on a gurney out of the new College of Business Administration building and into a waiting ambulance. The ambulance took off, lights flashing and siren wailing, for a few feet toward the Tamiami Street exit. Suddenly a voice crackled out: "Cut!"
The dramatic scene, thankfully, was all staged. For one day this summer, FIU's University Park campus was transformed into a living Hollywood studio as USA Network's hit show "Burn Notice" filmed Season 2 Episode 8 on campus.
The irreverent action-comedy tells the story of Special-Ops trained spy Michael Westen, who gets an unexplained "burn notice" from CIA, cutting all ties to him. The show is set in Miami and has been filming around South Florida.
The crew descended on FIU at 4 a.m. with an enormous catering truck that served up food made-to-order. By 6 a.m., nearly 100 production crew members and actor extras began arriving. They stayed until after dark, taking up two parking lots and filming outside the College of Law building, the Ryder Business Building and in the green space at the Tamiami Street entrance.
The new College of Business Administration's Office Depot Student Center was the focal point, transformed with a few strategically placed signs into a museum. For one scene, the actors and cameramen all climbed on top of the building.
Classes and university life continued as normal during the shoot. At times, unknowing students would wander right through the "set," without realizing the guy standing on the corner was actually one of the show's extras.
Along with delivering up plenty of chic – yes, the show's stars Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar were here and they're both gorgeous — the shoots bring in some money. FIU charges a base fee of $5,000 for location shoots with additional costs depending on the duration and the manpower required to manage the shooting.
Marketing executive assistant Michelle Moreno, who graduates in December with an education degree, coordinated the shoot along with Marketing Associate Director Eddie Merille '97, MBA '00. Moreno, who was issued her own walkie-talkie to communicate with the production chief, got to meet Anwar and stunt doubles for the two stars. Merille got his photo taken with Bruce Campbell, who plays Donovan's sidekick.
"It was really fascinating," Moreno said. "I never knew so much went into seven minutes of air time and it took so many people."
The episode airs XXX.
–Deborah O'Neil
LOL 