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Inn Plain Sight

The USA Network's TV Show "In Plain Sight" filmed a few scenes of the next season's opener here at our small inn this past Monday. They set the place up as they liked it on Friday, including moving out Rol's pool table and turning that room into a bedroom. Our dining room became a living room again for the first time in 9 years. They returned Monday just before 6 am to set up and start the shoot. They were here all day and the last of them were out of here just before 9pm.

What a day! No one could have possibly prepared us for this, although both the location manager and the Set people tried. At first it was interesting...really intriguing, but after a while it became a bit boring. Then we realized...OMG! we have no control over our home at all! No order...no control...people and equipment everywhere. No where to turn, no where to run, no where to hide. Our street looked like the circus had come to town. The end of our block at 10th & Candelaria was bursting with trailers, trucks and a tent for feeding the cast and crew, (and us, for lunch). All in all it was sometimes boring, sometimes exciting, always bizarre and just a bit fun.

Our neighbors were warned in advance, and they were superb in their tolerance. Bravo Adobe Nido neighbors! Our neighborhood was a crime scene. There were police cars at both ends with lights flashing all day long. The street was a bustle of activity with large trucks along both sides with equipment, potties, you name it. The location manager is a local and really has NM's best interest at heart, so everyone in the neighborhood were looked after. The whole production crew were gracious and hard working people. Really...the best kind of folks. There was a crew in here the next day cleaning it all up and putting our Inn back in its B&B order.

What I learned in it all?
1) Well, after seeing how much is involved and how many people it takes, (way more than 100), to film a few minutes of a tv show, I will never view television quite the same.

2) God is good and His sending us this unexpected kind of business just when we would need it is awesome.

3) TV stars do NOT have glamorous jobs. Eating chicken soup out of a paper cup at 8:30PM in my front yard in the cold while learning your lines - that is the glamor - ask Mary McCormack. I told her that I would never envy her and her job. Ever. Their hours suck. The soup did smell good, but our whole house smelled like the soup after they were all gone.

4) TV production people are really nice folks, they work hard, they like dogs, and I like them.

5) I will do this again in a heartbeat....but I will find someplace else to hangout for most of the time they are here. Sometimes go-with-the-flow means go away.

Tags: Albuquerque, Mexico, New, and, film, in, industry

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Comment by chantal on February 16, 2009 at 6:20pm: Fantastic news for you two. Congrats to one of my favorite B&Bs in town!

Comment by Lisa Abeyta on February 16, 2009 at 6:29pm: I love your quote: sometimes go with the flow means go away. I'm going to try to remember that one when I'm feeling in the way or a bit put upon. Thanks for a fun story.

Comment by Dianne P. on February 16, 2009 at 7:18pm: I learned in my short time on a set that it's a whole lot of sit around and wait.

Comment by Alexis on February 16, 2009 at 7:34pm: The headline "Inn Plain Sight" is total genius. So glad you had a good experience.

Comment by Michael P. "Martini Mike" D'Arco on February 16, 2009 at 7:47pm: Sounds like fun! Great post & title.

Comment by Stevie on February 16, 2009 at 7:55pm: I'm glad you had a good experience also. I haven't worked on this particular show but it sounds like the crew did a great job being professional and respectful of your place and neighborhood. We always try to leave a location with a positive feeling. It helps when our locals are working because we have a vested interest in our community. This is our home too and our jobs depend on locations letting us in. And come back again. Though a production can cause some inconveniences, professionalism keeps them as minimal as possible. This industry is doing great things for a lot of people here. Thanks for telling your story!

Comment by Chris K. on February 17, 2009 at 7:47am: I was able to work on the crew for In Plain Sight at the end of last year. I was really impressed with the crew, all very professional and great to work with.

On a side note, with all the people who are being laid off or who are out of work I find it strange that the film incentives in the state are often under fire. I saw the thousands who lined up for the job fair for Reelzchannel, and have seen coverage of other jobs fairs in Albuquerque that were packed. So it makes sense to me that we should keep the incentives that have helped create over 9,000 jobs.

The film industry brings money into the state. Adobe Nido's experience is just one example where a local business was helped by money from the film industry. Adobe Nido mentioned that this happened just when they needed it. It seems like there are many here in our state who benefit in similar ways from the film industry. And in these tough times I think that any industry that helps bring money and jobs into our state should be championed.

Comment by Sarahjmd on February 17, 2009 at 9:51am: Chris, I totally agree. Nearly every person here that day were NM Natives. Quite a few were New Mexicans who had moved away to be in the film industry and had joyfully returned when NM decided to do the film incentives. Why should we loose this business to Canada and eastern Europe, where they have been giving incentives to this industry for years?

I hope you know someone on this crew that may have a photo or two on their phone of this location shoot. My friends and relatives are bugging me. I'm the b&b owner, (signed in as just me).

Comment by Chris K. on February 17, 2009 at 10:29am: Sarah, I will check with my friends and get back to you if I find someone who does have a photo.

Comment by Adobe Nido Bed & Breakfast on February 17, 2009 at 4:56pm: Thanks you all for your comments and encouragement. I love this DCF venue, and so does KOAT apparently. They called me this morning after someone there read this blog post. They came over this afternoon for an interview about this experience. They said it will air at 6 tonight, barring a real story bumping it. I hope I did a good job for ABQ/NM, The Film industry, the DCF and my b&b. I sound like a frog, so please don't laugh. My voice isn't good to begin with and I have a nasty cold right now.