As my Uber driver pulled up to the gate, a security guard standing next to a large sign that read “Grimm 100” approached our vehicle. “Stage 2?” I asked. She directed us to another gated entrance and had given that respective security guard a heads up that we’d be there. With just a couple minutes left until the scheduled meet time to go, I thanked my Uber driver, jumped out of his Prius, and ran toward the large trucks and trailers parked outside the stage looking for someone to tell me where I needed to be.
I ran into a crew member who told me that people were gathering for the Grimm 100th Episode Ceremony on Stage 1, which is the first place my driver and I pulled up to just moments before. Luckily the crewman and I ran into someone from NBC, a tall, dark-haired, handsome fella, who was on his way to the stage and was kind enough to let me follow.
We headed toward Stage 1, which had another “Grimm 100” sign at the top of the stairs. As he opened the door for me, a woman from the Food Network pulled up in a blue van. “Where should I enter through?” she asked. “Through here?” he replied. “Oh, the cake won’t fit through that door,” she said with a laugh. “Wow,” I wondered. “How big is this cake?”
Just a few steps through the door were signs guiding us to where we needed to be. Large photographs of Grimm episode stills were on display, including one of Monroe and Rosalee from their wedding. Passing through the craft services table, I saw a small crowd of people gathered up ahead. I walked up a small wooden ramp and BAM– I was now standing inside the Portland Police Department!
Just as actors appear much taller and bigger on television than they are in real life, the same can be said for TV sets. My first impression of the precinct as I wandered throughout, is how much smaller it actually is! I felt as if I was walking through a recreated set that had been scaled down. What I thought was the size of the area, was actually less than half the size!
The PPD set was incredible– so much attention to detail. The walls were covered with awards and certificates that various members of the department had received. Plastered on either side were also wanted signs with mug shots of random people, which make me wonder if any of them are actually crew members on the show.
Another tidbit I thought was cool was that the desk computers were actual working computers! I’m so used to seeing monitors with a blue screen so that they could be superimposed with stuff later on in post. The computers appeared to be running an old version of Windows.
Also on this set was Captain Sean Renard’s office. It was cute watching several reporters take their turn having a seat at Captain Renard’s desk and taking photos of themselves. This part of the set was nicely designed. Standing there, you could just feel that someone important did business there. Finally, just behind the desk and out the fake window was the craft services table that I had passed through earlier.