Hypable and Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast visited the set of Teen Wolf last week, during which we saw some season 4 filming and got to meet a few of the writers.
While spoilers for Teen Wolf season 4 are on strict lockdown (sorry!), we can share what a great experience it was being on set and watching everyone work so hard on the show. We also got to talk with a few of the writers and chat about their experiences during season 3, as well as some tidbits while working on season 4.
Welcome to Beacon Hills
The building where Teen Wolf shoots might not look like much on the outside, but inside it contains everything we love about the show and more. Sets are crammed into every available space, and they even use their own parking lot when they need to film cars at the hospital. The Beacon Hills High outdoor cafeteria also doubles as a place to eat for the cast and crew. It’s a testament to everyone who works on the show, as they all work with what they have and nothing goes to waste.
Seeing the Beacon Hills Memorial and Beacon Hills High School signage made everything so real and tangible, but it was also surreal to look at them and think about how much has happened to those signs and sets between seasons 1 and 3.
And speaking of sets, there were plenty of oldies but goodies to look at, as we saw the sheriff’s station, the outside of the McCall house, and even part of Beacon Hills High. Part of the Nemeton made an appearance as well, and we can assure you that it is much, much bigger in real life than it looks on screen. They even told us it was so large, it had to be split up in six separate sections!
The most interesting set we got to explore, however, was Derek’s loft. Movie magic actually makes it much larger on screen than in real life, but the attention to detail is incredible. Anyone who is asked will sing the praises of Rusty Smith, who designed this set to be absolutely complete (something that is not done to all sets), including walls that go all the way up, as well as a ceiling. The bricks look so incredibly real close up, that touching them is the only way to assure yourself they’re not.
The most interesting story we heard about this set was that Smith designed it to be waterproof. When told that they might want to flood it with a few inches of water, he set out to make sure that was possible. Two inches of water quickly turned into two feet (remember season 3, episode 7, “Currents”?), but Smith’s design made it possible to do what turned out to be one of the most memorable scenes of season 3A.
It really is one big, happy family
The tone on set is an interesting cross between light and jovial, and hardworking and professional. We ran into series creator Jeff Davis on his way to the gym (where the writers actually do a lot of their work), as well as Linden Ashby (Sheriff Stilinski) and Matthew Del Negro (Agent McCall), all of whom welcomed us to the set and couldn’t stop talking about how excited they were for season 4.
We also got to say hi to newbie Dylan Sprayberry (Liam) on his way to a scene, as well as Orny Adams (Coach). Tyler Hoechlin (Derek) and JR Bourne (Chris Argent) were also on set, and took the time to chat with us about their own excitement for season 4 and once again getting to work together. Even the people you don’t see on screen, like those from the props and wardrobe departments, were excited to share their work from previous seasons, including what they call their Best Hits Rack, which contains the most memorable outfits from earlier seasons of Teen Wolf (like the hoodie Scott got bit in or the jacket Kali died in).
One of the biggest highlights of the day, however, was when we got to see guest director Jen Lynch (daughter and collaborator of the esteemed David Lynch) in action. Her energy and enthusiasm for the show was palpable, and when she finally got the money shot she wanted, it was obvious that everyone on set was just as excited as she was. Talking with us after the scene wrapped, Lynch shared how delighted she was to be back on set after her work on “Silverfinger,” and we’re sure she’s going to have as much of an impact on season 4 as she did on season 3.
Okay, but what CAN you tell us about season 4?
As noted in previous mentions about season 4, this next year in Beacon Hills will focus more on human problems than supernatural ones. With that being said, it’s also obvious that the relationships between certain characters will certainly be a highlight of the season, with Jeff Davis particularly loving Scott’s new-found friendship with one of the new characters.
We also got to see a few new sets, all of which were created with such detail that we can’t wait to see what they look like on screen. One of the sets was where Jen Lynch was directing a scene that focused on an interesting new object marked with a triskele, although we have no idea what kind of importance it’ll have in the show. Regardless, there was a hilarious moment on set when she kept telling them the object had too many stray hairs on it and it had to keep being cleaned off.
Another fun tidbit we’re lucky enough to pass on for those of you who love wearing the Beacon Hills lacrosse sweatshirts is that Kira’s number will be 15 and Liam’s number will be nine, which he specifically requested.
Chatting with the writers
Last, but absolutely not least, we got to sit down with writers Ian Stokes, Angela Harvey, and Alyssa Clark and talk about what it’s like writing for Teen Wolf and even a few things we can expect during season 4 of the show.
Ian Stokes started off the conversation by talking about the opening of season 4, which will feature a road trip of sorts. “We have a lot of car stuff,” he tells us. “[The technique they used is] called ‘Poor Man’s Process,’ and so […] you’ll see there’s a lot of talk-y stuff in the car in the first episode. We’ve got everybody in the Jeep. And so, […] it just looks like they’re moving and it’s just a green screen, and then a set guy with a big 2×4 under the tires, like, jumping on it, so it looks like everything is shaking. But, you know, it’s movie magic. You’ll see.”
Before Stokes left, he once again relayed how excited everyone is for season 4: “This season is super cool, guys. It’s not as dark as season 3B. It’s a lot funnier. There’s a lot of old school season 1 and 2 humor in there. Huge body count, though, always. We need a lot of decapitated prop corpses this season.”
A few other interesting tidbits include the fact that Co-executive Producer Christian Taylor directed season 4, episode 2, which was his last before moving on to become the executive producer for Eye Candy. Additionally, we also found out that Stiles’ research board will go back up this year because of the new mystery for season 4.
One of the biggest reveals, however, was that we finally learned who Gina Holden was meant to play during Teen Wolf seaosn 3, episode 20, “Echo House.”
“Through a process of much discussion,” Alyssa Clark told us, “it was decided that Stiles would see his mother in Eichen House.” This is the role that Gina Holden was meant to play. Clark continues, “And it was supposed to be not something the Nogitsune was doing. It was actually supposed to be something… Like his own psyche. It wasn’t supernatural.”
However, “[when] we cut it all together, and I remember Ian [Stokes, writer] coming in and watching a cut, and he’s like this is really confusing.” So, unfortunately, they had to edit Holden almost completely out of the scene. But you can still see part of her in the episode! If you want the complete story behind Gina Holden’s appearance in “Echo House,” you can listen to our latest podcast, titled “Rushmore.”
At the end of the day, we left the set of Teen Wolf feeling even more energetic and excited about season 4, and as fans of the show, we really couldn’t ask for more than that.
If you’d like to see more pictures and hear more stories from our time on set and at BiteCon, be sure to follow the NATWP Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram accounts, as well as keep an eye on our podcast page.
All photos are copyright of Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast.
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