Relisten to behind-the-scenes details of the 'Beach Games' episode. Challenges, hot dog eating contest, basketball knowledge, Pam's courage to tell Jim the truth, deleted scenes, humorous moments, challenges of filming Dwight and Angela's love, and Pam's heartfelt speech.
Ed Helms spent over 45 minutes floating in the water during the beach games scene.
Pam finds her voice and expresses her true feelings to Jim during the coal walk scene.
Dwight and Angela collaborate to sabotage their respective teams during the beach games.
Deep dives
Andy's floating mishap
During the beach games, Andy takes a trip to the water with a yellow bandana in hand. The bandana was meant to cool him off, but instead, he ends up falling into the water and floating away. Ed Helms performed the stunt himself, spending over 45 minutes floating in the water. He had a thin wet suit on for warmth during the night shoot.
The coal walk
As the final challenge of the beach games, Michael sets up a coal walk. Pam braves the hot coals and uses the opportunity to share her true feelings with Jim and the office. The scene demonstrates Pam finding her voice and standing up for herself.
Sabotaging the team
Dwight approaches Angela to discuss sabotaging their respective teams. They strategize on how to undermine their competitors, showcasing their suppressed affections for one another as they plan to deceive their teammates.
Hot dog eating contest
The hot dog eating contest takes place, with Andy emerging as the winner, consuming a whopping 13 hot dogs. The scene was a challenge to shoot, with the actors having to repeatedly eat hot dogs for various takes.
The Challenges of Shooting the Water Scenes
Filming scenes involving water and flotation posed challenges for the actors and crew. The podcast discusses how Ed Helms, who plays Andy, had to float in the water while improvising lines. They also mention the difficulties of coordinating timing and camera angles while ensuring Ed's safety in the cold water. To create the illusion of floating away, Ed was pulled by a rowboat, and the crew had to be creative in making his head stay above water. Despite the challenges, Ed's commitment and the teamwork of the crew made the scenes successful.
The Making of the Coal Walk Scene
The podcast dives into the behind-the-scenes details of the coal walk scene. They explain that due to fire regulations, the coals were not real. Instead, a light box with yellow and orange gels was buried in the ground and covered with lava rocks. Real fire was added through gas lines on either side, ensuring the safety of the actors. Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam, shares that her emotional speech during the coal walk scene was meticulously rehearsed and delivered word-for-word. The reactions from the cast and crew were captured authentically, showcasing their talent and the collaborative process of filming the scene.
It’s the end of summer break so why not take one more trip to the beach with “Beach Games”?! Relisten to writer Jen Celotta sharing her memories from this episode. From the 'Survivor' theme to the challenges that went into shooting Andy floating away in the Sumo suit, we get all of the behind the scenes details! Then, we dive into the hilarious hot dog eating contest and Angela schools us with her basketball knowledge. Finally, we answer fan questions about the hot coal walking scene, and discuss Pam's new found courage to tell Jim the truth.
