Copshop

There are two parts (or two one-acts)to this piece. Both are well done but the first part (Fear)is somewhat unsatisfying and smacks of the beginner's one-act play syndrome. The second half is less inventive but somehow more engaging."Fear" deals with a neighborhood-meeting presided over by the NYPD;the second takes place in a high-class brothel. The only tie-up between the halves is Richard Dreyfuss, who excuses himself from the neighbor-hood watch meeting and leaves before the session begins. His character is the central one in part-two. Both he and Rosie Perez are quite remarkable. Rita Moreno and Blair Brown(in the first episode)are expectedly fine in supporting parts. Well worth the ninety minutes or so "Copshop" occupies.

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The shows where shot as if they were a live event with 3 HD cameras. The idea was to shoot each as one long take from beginning to end, then the editors cut between the cameras in post production. Each episode was rehearsed for days before actual shooting began and shot more than once on the day it was done for real.

Both shows where shot on location at an upper west side church in NYC. The "FEAR" set was in the basement while the brothel set was actually constructed in a very large room upstairs.

While "FEAR' was shot as one continuous take the second half in the brothel was shot in three pieces. The living room scenes where shot separate from the bedroom scene as logistically it was impossible to get all three camera's with their operators and assistant's and boom mic operators from the living room down the hall to the bedroom in one continuous take.