Hollywood Backlot: ‘The Event’

Hilary Momberger, the ever-present script supervisor, points to the scene description of an elevator in a downtown Los Angeles building, doubling for the Bethesda Naval Hospital outside Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2010. In the scene, Zeljko Ivanek’s director of national intelligence, Blake Sterling, has a brief encounter with Clifton Collins Jr.’s Thomas, who has helped keep a group of alien people hidden from government detection since a 1944 crash.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Zeljko Ivanek, left, waits to perform a scene with Clifton Collins Jr,  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Jason Ritter, center, talks with Heather McComb and episode director Milan Cheylov, seated, while first assistant director. Randol Taylor, left, runs through a scene. Ritter’s lead character of Sean Walker is caught by McComb’s FBI Agent Collier.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A clapperboard is prepared before filming a scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sarah Roemer prepares to get a michrophone hidden on her person before filming a scene. Roemer’s character, Leila Buchanan, plays opposite Jason Ritter’s Sean Walker as his love interest, who is mysteriously abducted while they are vacationing.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Jason Ritter holds out his gun to camera assistant Dave “OB” O’Brien, who jokes about the size of his weapon before filming a scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A mysterious box leads to more questions on the set of night filming.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

D.B. Sweeney lay in the back of an SUV getting last-minute tips from episode director Milan Cheylov, foreground, while Jason Ritter and Sarah Roemer sit in front of him before filming a scene. Sweeney’s character, Carter, appears to be a mercenary with questionable ties, pursuing Ritter’s Sean Walker, ending up in handcuffs, in the back of the SUV.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Cameramen set up for a shot. The background for the flashback scene is a political national convention, where Bill Smitrovich’s character, Raymond Jarvis, is convinced to run for vice president.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

An extra awaits filming to begin during a political national convention scene at USC’s Galen Center.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actor Hal Holbrook waits between scenes. In a flashback, Holbrook’s character, Leonard Dempsey, a senior politico, persuades Bill Smitrovich’s Raymond Jarvis to run for vice president while at a national convention.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Hal Holbrook, left, has his hair touched up while waiting to film a scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Hal Holbrook, left, talks with executive producer and episode director Jeffrey Reiner after shooting a scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Bill Smitrovich, left, has a picture taken with Hal Holbrook.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Props turn USC’s Galen Center into a political national convention for several scenes.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Cast and crew are kept away from props, with some, like these drinks, being clearing marked on the set of a political convention scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

About 300 extras dress in political garb to fill a section of Galen Center..  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Bill Smitrovich catches up on e-mail and tries to keep cool on the set.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Executive producer and episode director Jeffrey Reiner, left, joins Bill Smitrovich before filming a political convention scene. Reiner was giving direction to the 300 extras making up the crowd who were to listen to Smitrovich’s character, Raymond Jarvis, deliver a speech at the convention in a flashback scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actor Sarah Roemer plays catch with her dogs Clyde, left and Dillon, before the day’s filming begins.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Sarah Roemer, left and Jason Ritter rehearse a scene outside a home in the San Fernando Valley. Roemer’s character, Leila Buchanan, and Ritter’s Sean Walker are trying to find Buchanan’s younger sister.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Sarah Roemer, left and Jason Ritter embrace after wrapping a scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Sarah Roemer prepares for a scene outside a home in the San Fernando Valley.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actor Jason Ritter jokes with crew before filming a scene.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)