TV's Hit ER: Learning How It's Made
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by Carly Reichert ’05 The television phenomenon known adjusted to reflect medical advances and relocated to stage 11 on the Warner today as ER is on a completely different give minor hints of story lines to pique Brothers lot in Burbank, where a set A non-medical, path than the one on which it started. audience interest in some of the similar to the original hospital was character-based story In the 1970s, science fiction writer characters.” Still, most of the networks constructed. The two-hour pilot episode Michael Crichton was a medical student were uninterested. ABC, Fox, and CBS aired on a Tuesday night in September begins the process and at Massachusetts General Hospital. He thought the pace was too frenetic for 1994, with the second episode in its was writing novels, including The audiences to follow the plot. permanent time slot of 10 P.M. Thursday. the medicine is molded Andromeda Strain, for extra money, and After much debate, NBC gave the ER was an instant hit in that first season, decided to do a screenplay based on a trio the green light to produce a pilot scoring the most Emmy nominations in around that plot. One day he spent studying in the emergency episode. Rod Holcomb was chosen to the history of television. story often leads into room. Crichton called it “Emergency direct it with a cast comprising relative Ward,” the common name back then, unknowns: Julianna Margulies as preproduction another, generating and pitched it to director Steven Nurse Hathaway, Sherry Stringfield as The writers Spielberg as a feature film. Spielberg Dr. Susan Lewis, George Clooney as The ER writing staff consists of some of a domino effect. liked it, but was even more interested in Dr. Doug Ross, Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter the most talented scribes in Hollywood. something else Crichton was working Benton, and Noah Wyle as novice Writers include R. Scott Gemmill, Dr. Once the initial ideas are bounced on. Together, they turned Jurassic Park medical student John Carter. Anthony Joe Sachs, Yahlin Chang, Bruce Miller, around and the medical story lines are into a blockbuster thriller. Shortly Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene was the Julie Hebert, Dr. Lisa Zwerling, David discussed, the writers come up with an thereafter, “Emergency Ward” was exception; he had been in several films. Zabel, Dr. Mark Morocco, Dee Johnson, outline to firm up the plot of that returned to the front burner, this time The production team had very little John Wells, and others invited to write episode. Each writer on the staff as a television pilot. money and Warner Brothers had not yet annually. critiques the outline. Suggested Spielberg, Crichton, and veteran given them a stage on the Burbank lot, Housed in production building 133, alterations are considered and a first television producer John Wells tried to so they used the recently closed Linda they turn out up to 24 scripts a season. draft, typically running up to 80 pages, interest the networks. Crichton had Vista Hospital in Los Angeles for all At first, it was a difficult process since is produced. The first draft is reviewed since changed the title to Emergency interior and exterior scenes. The pilot, many of them had no background in again; corrections are made; multiple Room and updated it with newer 157 pages of nonstop action with medicine. Sachs, Zwerling, and Morocco drafts are produced. Gemmill said medical information. Writer Janine almost 80 speaking parts, was filmed have since filled that gap, and Jacy “Writing is like a Rubik’s cube; it is two Pourroy, in her 1995 book Behind the over 21 days—an extremely fast rate. Young, a medical researcher, is part of dimensions and you have to make it Scenes at ER, said, “A few scenes were Actors got a crash course in medical that team. The staff falls into one of three three dimensional.” dialogue by visiting hospitals and categories: staff writer, story editor, and Even when the final draft is speaking with medical personnel. executive story editor. The latter writes complete, a writer still must be willing After viewing the completed pilot, the most episodes in a given season. to shift directions. When a script goes NBC executives worried it still was Scott Gemmill, ER’s co-executive into production, the director may favor TV’s hit ER: too fast paced, that a novice audience, producer and a writer, had an early some changes, whether it is dialogue or unaccustomed to this type of filming, interest in motion pictures, but decided the overall mood. The actors, too, may would be unimpressed. to write when he found he couldn’t seek changes. Gemmill said the entire They were totally wrong. A test afford the film stock. “You don’t choose process should be collaborative and the Learning how it’s made. audience raved. Former ER actress writing; writing chooses you,” he said. writers may have to allow adjustments. Julianna Margulies once explained, Now he writes from four to five Censorship is always an issue, and “It was so fast paced. In an era of episodes a season, and aids the other produces conflicting views on whether remote controls, where people like to writers the rest of the year. or not restrictions have been loosened flip channels, ER was the one where you A non-medical, character-based story over the years. The cable television age, never had to. One second you’re in one begins the process and the medicine is which has ushered in obscenity, violent story and five seconds later you are in molded around that plot. One story scenes, and lots of sexual content, has another story.” Finally, NBC picked it often leads into another, generating a brought fewer limits on network prime- up for the new fall season. The crew domino effect. time programs. Gemmill said TCNJ MAGAZINE / SPRING 2004 Here is a closer look at the major plot of the story. If a “patient” goes into over a vest with several bars that attach a doctor, Visnjic visited hospitals, elements of the production team. ventricular fibrillation, the monitor has to the camera. They keep it from consulted with ER’s medical staff, and been preset to show that result. bouncing when he walks, allowing him even practiced suturing daily until his Props Each character has a bevy of props. to move in an out of spaces that are first shoot. The prop department is a group of men The props crew has a bag for each actor inaccessible to a regular dolly. The Cast members get the script only five managed by head props masters Rick similar to one in the makeup department. director of the pilot, Rod Holcomb, had to seven days before filming. A read- Kurns and Rick Ladomade. While Kurns The bag contains everything that would the original idea. He said, “I wanted to through three days before the filming works on one episode, Ladomade be on the person. It contains ID tags, use the steadicam a lot because I thought helps work out any dialogue difficulties. prepares to work on the next. They and glasses, wallets, watches, stethoscopes, I needed to get in and out. The floors Since both Croatian and medical censorship is less now, but he expects year the show sponsors a “nurse’s night” assistant props master John Fairchild rings, and anything else important to were so bad we couldn’t use the dolly.” terminology have Latin at their roots, more restrictions will return. for local area nurses to share their have been with ER since the first season his or her character. Each bag has ER is now shot in widescreen format, so Visnjic had less difficulty with his lines Television has a much larger impact interesting, disgusting, funny, and 10 years ago. Roman Mykytyn is in multiple copies of these props as well, the viewer sees just what the camera does. than he first anticipated. He tries to on viewers today than ever before, unique stories with the writers and charge of everything electrical, including in case of damage or loss. Some have memorize them in bulk rather than Gemmill said. A television episode can executives. Oftentimes ER writers meet heart monitors, pulse oxygen machines, larger props, so the crew keeps three Talent and direction day by day. reach 30 million viewers one night, and with representatives from the federal and other devices. copies of the cane used by Laura Innes’ ER always has been known for its acting In the years he’s been on ER, Visnjic’s the next day a catchy phrase used by Centers for Disease Control and All of the blood, vomit, and other character, Dr. Weaver. ensemble. Actors including George character has faced many physical one character can be heard from coast California Department of Health. Many fun medical paraphernalia is created, Clooney and Anthony Edwards have demands. Kovac has run around at the to coast. But there is another side to this of them visit actual emergency rooms built, or placed there by the props Wardrobe walked through the doors of County site of a train wreck, survived an explosion impact: Commercial advertisers want to for more personal experience. department. The needles used in many The wardrobe department consists of a General. Actor Noah Wyle is the in the hospital, and (his personal reach those viewers. Television and film, Each program is filled with complex episodes are amazingly realistic fakes. busy, highly organized staff to manage “senior” cast member, the only one to favorite) nearly died in a Congo civil war. Gemmill said, were meant to have a medical dialogue and nothing is left to One of the props masters constructs almost two-thirds of a mile of clothing be in the show since the pilot.