Sony Pictures Television and American Broadcasting Company (ABC) filmed for The Jury, an ABC pilot, on Wednesday, March 30 on Emory’s campus.
The pilot will follow jurors during their deliberations following a murder trial, according to ABC’s website. The Jury will feature Archie Panjabi, who is best known for her role as Kalinda Sharma on The Good Wife, and Jeremy Sisto, who starred in Clueless and Law & Order.
“Twelve jurors come from different economic backgrounds, races and religions and see the world and the trial differently,” ABC’s website says of the show’s plot. “As the evidence unfolds, the jurors’ biases and past experiences influence how they perceive the evidence and ultimately determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.”
Associate Vice President for Administration and Chief Business Practice Improvement (BPI) Officer for Emory Bill Dracos said that filming on Emory’s campus is not out of the ordinary. According to Dracos, Georgia has attracted an increasing number of television and film production companies over the past few years.
Production companies that choose to film in Georgia receive a 20 percent tax credit, with an additional 10 percent tax credit if the production incorporates a Georgia promotional logo into the credits, according to the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office’s website. Additionally, Georgia has other incentives to offer to production companies, including experienced production crews, a variety of landscapes and the convenience of an airport with direct flights to hundreds of cities, the website states.
Dracos said that he expects Emory to host a “steady volume of productions in the near future.”
“[Television and film production] is an important economic initiative for the state, and Emory wants to be supportive of that effort,” Dracos said.
Dracos noted that depending on the success of The Jury and the plans its producers have for the plot’s setting, The Jury’s producers may continue to film on Emory’s campus – or they may not.
“Production companies are typically very specific regarding the look and layout of their desired shots,” he said, adding that “their frequency on campus depends on what they seek and whether [Emory fits] their aesthetic.”
Dracos added that through filming processes, he hopes to “engage students with production on campus to observe [the production process] or serve in other capacities as appropriate.”
The Jury’s production crew selected a limited number of students to serve as extras during the filming, an opportunity that College senior Jenelle Chiang praised.
“It’s nice to know that the [producers] … incorporated students into the show as extras, as they [sat] on the quad instead of blocking us off,” College senior Jenelle Chiang said.
College junior Avery Hennigan said that observing television production on campus was a unique experience. He added that on-campus productions bring “a different spark to the everyday activities on campus.”
Other students noted that the set of The Jury blocked their paths as they walked around campus. Production crews set up vehicles and tents in front of Candler Library as well as on the sidewalks of the Quadrangle.
“It is a little bit of a hassle, no matter how accommodating [the production company is],” College freshman Jean Meier said. She added that she appreciates that a television show will feature her current home.
College senior Fernanda Sandoval agreed: “It makes you really proud of Emory.”
Lauren is an Environmental Science and Media Studies double major from Braselton, Georgia. She is a staff writer for the Emory Wheel, a member of Pi Beta Phi, president of Emory Running Club and a member of the Emory Environment Senate Committee. In her free time, she likes to play with her four dogs, including one named Kat!
