'Modern Family' to Air Episode Shot Entirely With Apple Devices
"Modern Family" is taking things to a whole new level as the hit comedy show is about to air an episode this month that was filmed entirely on Apple devices.
The idea behind the episode titled "Connection Lost" centers on Claire (Julie Bowen) who sits in an airport waiting for her flight. It becomes apparent very quickly that she is struggling to find her daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland) after a fight. Before long, the screen is filled with text messages, emails, and FaceTime video chats with the rest of the family.
Co-creator and executive producer Steve Levitan talked about the inspiration for the groundbreaking episode.
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"I have two daughters at college, and we do a lot of FaceTiming," he told The New York Times. "One day I was on my computer, and I had some emails open, and some websites, and then my daughter showed up. But I couldn't only see her, but I could see me."
The episode was also partly influenced by the short film "Noah," created by Canadian film students Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg. Levitan said that the filmmakers behind "Noah" were consulted but ultimately were unable to participate.
The show's writers and directors said in a Q & A session last week on the Fox studio backlot that shooting "Connection Lost" proved to be more difficult than they had anticipated. For instance, it was revealed that to create a sense that the actors were all communicating on FaceTime, the scenes had to be recorded simultaneously, sometimes with as many as three sets rolling at the same time.
"Everything was shot on the iPhone 6 or new iPads," said Levitan. "With one or two small scenes shot using MacBook Pros."
The "Connection Lost" episode of 'Modern Family' will air on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
