EXCLUSIVE: You’ll never believe how far the beach really is from the caravan park.
Sophie Dillman is Yahoo Lifestyle Australia’s brand new columnist. Sophie will be bringing insider insights into everything from her time on Home and Away to what it’s like being in the public eye and falling in love in the workplace.
Let’s face it, we’re all waiting for 7 o’clock every weekday to visit Summer Bay from Home and Away, where gorgeous surf meets lovely people and the occasional dramatic turn.
The diner girls are aware of your coffee preference, Tane is requesting one more rep, and Ray feels like your father. Even though some of us might disagree, Summer Bay is a lovely fantasy. Each episode is the result of the collaboration of thousands of people. Here are five techniques used in the background to maintain the magic:
Summer Bay uses teleportation (jks but kinda?)
The Farm Houses appear to be nearby and it appears to take only five minutes to walk from the campground to the beach. TV trickery makes it seem like everyone in the Bay can get around on foot in a matter of minutes. On a good day, it takes an hour and a half to drive from the beach to the campground. The fastest method to go from the Surf Club to the Farm House, which is literally in a paddock, would be by boat.
There is such thing as a stage kiss
I hate to tell you but a lot of kisses that you see on-screen aren’t entirely real. Most actors choose to use a ‘stage kiss’ to keep a degree of separation with their fellow co-stars. Essentially, the French part of the French kiss is taken out, if you catch my drift. Luckily, Dean and Ziggy didn’t have to do much faking on set ;).
The makeup girls are wizards
You will leave looking perfect and they won’t even break a sweat, no matter how unkempt you are when you first sit in their chair at 4 in the morning. The ability of makeup to cover tattoos is my favorite form of makeup magic. You wouldn’t believe how many cast members had tattoos, but the audience wouldn’t notice. They have it covered, even though it takes a lot of time, effort, and colors.
The art department are MVP. Always and forever.
They never seem to sleep, they always know where every prop is, and before you can say “Salt,” they can pull out a concert, an aircraft crash, or a wedding (complete with a cake smeared in blood). Every small thing is taken into account. There is a purpose for each plate, each nightstand, and each thing in the refrigerator. Without them, Summer Bay would be extinguished.
Dean’s original name was meant to by Roy
How absurd? Roy was the next River child who was mentioned in the initial character brief that was distributed. When Patrick first read Roy’s narrative, he clearly felt a connection to the character. Dean was deemed superior by the creators for some reason, and I tend to agree. #Riggy doesn’t sound as catchy as it use
