Have a quick look at these stills from some popular TV shows and movies:
If you noticed that all of them have random folks reading a newspaper, congratulations!!
But if you could notice that ALL of them are reading the exact SAME newspaper, then you have the eye of an eagle my friend :)
Looked again to confirm? Satisfied now? It's true. A small Californian prop company- The Earl Hays Press has been making this exact same newspaper prop since 1960s. The front is blank and can be customized, but the inside and back page are always identical (the ones you saw in above stills).
Primarily to avoid free product placements or promoting a certain newspaper brand without a licensing contract, to avoid a potential lawsuit due to a news content, or to simply save the hassle of creating an artificial copy every time a character needs to just flip a few pages.
It's a trivial information and the audience shouldn't be distracted by its presence in the scene at all. Hence a carefully crafted Newspaper set of pointless identical articles is used, that too in the cost range of $15 per copy. So many times even leftovers are kept in the buffer stock for reuse by studios.
The lady visible in above stills is named Megan Smith and by the virtue of appearing in countless movie and TV scenes so far(albeit as a screen filler), she is one of the most widely appeared face in silver screen history. But not widely recognized sadly.
Some of the headlines which you can almost always catch with a little extra attention:
She’s 3rd Brightest But Hard ‘Gal' to See
Compromise Housing Bill Sent to President for OK
Valley Area Records Record Growth
UN Debates Mideast Crisis: Hopes for Early Solution
Board Waives Hearing For Two University Teachers
Compromise Divorce Reform Measure Passed
Call it an Easter egg or an inside joke, it's an amusing detail to know as a cinema lover nonetheless. The next time you watch something like 'Back To The Future', 'No Country For Old Men', 'Modern Family' episodes, or any of your favorite or upcoming movie/TV show- be alert to catch the glimpse of this piece, and brag in front of your friends watching along.
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Hope you enjoyed your weekly dose of trivia.
Enjoy the festive week ahead :)
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