Incredible reasons why this 52 second shot from The Office cost $250,000
Topics: The Office, Film and TV
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: NBC
Topics: The Office, Film and TV
The Office is one of the most loved sitcoms on the planet - and it's not hard to see why.
The show - both the US and UK version - have given us so many funny moments which are still referenced to this day.
It's even crossed to the younger generation too - like this kid dressing up as a 'mini-Kevin' for a convention.
Advert
But as well as it's more humorous scenes, the NBC's show is also know for it's more serious moments - like Jim’s proposal to Pam in the Season 5 premiere.
For those unfamiliar with the scene, it sees Jim (John Krasinski) proposing to Pam (Jenna Fischer) in the parking lot of a gas station.
Pam had been driving to New York to take design classes and meets up with Jim for lunch - only to be incredibly shocked when Jim takes to one knee to pop the question.
The scene lasted just 52 seconds, but according to Fischer, the production cost a whopping $250,000 to set up and shoot.
Speaking on the 'Official Ladies' podcast in 2021, Fischer said: "So first of all, I just want you guys to know that [showrunner] Greg [Daniels] spoke with us about this.
"He said that he really wanted Jim’s proposal to Pam to be in the season premiere. He thought, number one — that would be unexpected. You usually end seasons with proposals.
"He said he also wanted to throw people off by having it in a very ordinary location. So, he wanted [it] to feel special, but he also wanted it to feel like Jim made the decision without a whole lot of planning."
But how did a small scene end up costing so much?
Well, it turns out the gas station parking lot location was, in fact, not even real, as The Office production team built it in nine days in the parking lot of a real Best Buy - using 'Google Street View to capture images of a real gas station'.
The Office fans will know the iconic scene is set from afar as the camera zooms in on Jim as he proposes to Pam from across the street.
Since the location was on a set, Fischer said the crafts team 'built a four-lane, circular race track around the gas station set'.
"They set up cameras on the other side of this raceway and they had cars drive around it at 55 mph." she added.
Detailing the scene even further, Fischer also said that visual effects were used to remove the California mountains and include trees found typically on the East Coast.
And the cars driving past the two during their special moment were semi-trucks so the actors could 'feel the wind of the cars speeding past you' - as well as the giant rain machines that were also used.
Calling the experience 'bonkers', she concluded: "In the end, this was the single most expensive scene ever shot in the entire run of the show. It lasts 52 seconds, and it cost $250,000."
Executive producer Greg Daniels further elaborated on this, telling the Washington Post: "It's the most expensive and elaborate shot we've ever done, but it's also sort of the highlight of five years of storytelling."