Next week’s episode of “Modern Family” was shot almost entirely using the iPhone 6 and new iPad Air 2 tablets, how very modern, can’t wait to see it in the UK, airs in the US on 25th Feb. I love Modern Family and even after so many shows the storylines and cast seem still as fun and fresh as when you saw them in the first series.
The episode is called “Connection Lost,” and has Claire Dunphy stuck in an airport and trying to make up with and find her daughter Haley after a fight.
The entire episode takes place on Claire’s MacBook screen, as she uses email, FaceTime, iMessages, and a bunch of other apps to try to find Haley, according to the New York Times.
Apple provided the devices, but didn’t pay for product placement, “We called them and informed them what we were doing,” Levitan said. “They loved the idea. They provided the iPhones for us.”
Levitan said the episode was inspired by his own life. “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.”
Levitan says he was also inspired by a short film called “Noah,” created by two Canadian film students. The 17-minute film takes place on a computer screen as the main character, Noah, goes through a breakup, using iTunes, Facebook, and messaging apps to portray Noah’s heartbreak.
Filming with mobile devices was challenging. “At certain points in the episode there are three different screens open on Claire’s computer — one shows her sitting in the airport, while the others show various family members in their respective homes. To create a sense that the actors were all actually communicating on FaceTime, the scenes were all recorded simultaneously, sometimes with as many as three sets rolling at the same time.
During a week in the UK where we are getting excited seeing Eastenders shot live, is this next for Mick and Linda down the Vic…?