Blue Line featured in NBC show "The Event"

[transitfan]

At the end of the 10/18 episode, continuing into last night's (10/25 episode)

(For those of you who watch the event but may not have seen the last 2 episodes, some spoiler space...












At the end of last week's episode, Pres. Martinez agreed to release Sophia (the defacto leader of the "detainees") from custody so that she could meet with the rogue leader, Thomas. Thomas' instructions were to place her on a (WMATA) Red Line train (I forget the exact station). I knew that The Event was probably filmed in the L. A. area, so I fully expected to see an LACMTA Red Line train in the scene. Sure enough, they descended into what appeared to be the 7th St/Metro Center station, went through the bogus, non-working fare gates ;D and to the platform...


...where a Blue Line train arrived! WTF?!? They couldn't go down one more level? (they could edit so it appeared that they went from the street to the Red Line platform. So Sophia boards the Red/Blue line train and that is where the episode ended last week. This week, it started with her still riding, the Thomas dude had arranged for a bag to be placed in the car which had an electronic ear bud so he could communicate w/ her and a few other items (change of clothes I think). So she gets off at (I think) Judicary Square, or maybe it was Metro Center (some nice irony there) In reality, she probably just rode back and forth in the tunnel, since of course 7th/MC is the only underground Blue Line station, woudln't have had this problem if they had used the Red Line. Oh well, kinda interesting to see that. Only LRV I could identify was 157.

[metrocenter]

Nice catch! I would guess they wanted the Red Line but couldn't use it for some reason.

[LAofAnaheim]

If you recall the movie Collateral...in the final few minutes of the movie; Tom Cruise and Jaime Foxx head into 7th street/Metro center station and board the Blue Line. Then, just minutes after escaping/finding each other on the train, it turns out they are riding on the I-105 portion of the Green Line.

By the way, I was at 7th street/Metro Center a few weeks ago and told me they were doing filming for the Event. The big air shaft was open at 7th/Flower and I was trying to look down. Interestingly, this was at 9 pm on a Friday night, the same time the Blue Line was down for Expo/Blue Line work.......hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Metro let the production crew take advantage of the Blue Line shut down.

[bluelineshawn]

Cool stuff! Good call LAOA.

[trackman]

It could all be a conspiracy. A conspiracy to keep the movie and tv production in Los Angeles.

[transitfan]

Oct 26, 2010 9:36:17 GMT -8 LAofAnaheim said:

By the way, I was at 7th street/Metro Center a few weeks ago and told me they were doing filming for the Event. The big air shaft was open at 7th/Flower and I was trying to look down. Interestingly, this was at 9 pm on a Friday night, the same time the Blue Line was down for Expo/Blue Line work.......hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Metro let the production crew take advantage of the Blue Line shut down.

Ah, that explains it. Guess that makes sense, rather than having to interrupt Red Line operations (although they could've filmed at Wilshire/Western or Wilshire/Normandie on the Purple line, which may not be that busy at night (I think they did that for the movie SWAT)

I remember that scene in Collateral well. Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett-Smith had a head start on Tom Cruise, so he came down the steps (from the Figueroa entrance, IIRC) and the Blue Line train (155/142) pulled in, then a northbound Red Line train pulled in downstairs, so Tom had a moment of indecision, then he guessed (correctly) and jumped on the back of the Blue Line train (with the cab door LOL, wonder how they did that, CGI?)

I've noticed, in most shows/movies filmed on L. A. rail lines, the train almost always is running "wrong rail", wonder why?

[LAofAnaheim]

Oct 27, 2010 8:26:50 GMT -8 transitfan said:

Ah, that explains it. Guess that makes sense, rather than having to interrupt Red Line operations (although they could've filmed at Wilshire/Western or Wilshire/Normandie on the Purple line, which may not be that busy at night (I think they did that for the movie SWAT)

Metro would not close down a station for filming during operating hours. It's a public service, not a private business. Taxpayers would be up in arms if Metro chose to close to receiving filming revenue. Filming occurs between 1 am - 4:30 am when the Metro system is shut down. This happens a lot at the North Hollywood station.