Community Corner

'Sand Wars' Filming Is a Blast. Really!

Travel Channel's competitive sand sculpture show has people vote on sculptures and blows up the losing sculptures, using dynamite.

Visiting over the weekend was like being part of a live studio audience without the studio, as the Travel Channel taped episodes of a new show called "Sand Wars."

The show has groups build elaborate sand sculptures, the audience votes on the sculptures, and the losing ones get the dynamite treatment. The winner receives $10,000, production crew members told the crowd.

Filming will continue through Tuesday near the volleyball courts, and the episodes are expected to air early next year, reported MySuncoast.com.

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During Saturday's filming, production crews encouraged crowds to be lively and pre-taped crowd reactions for the explosions.

If you go, have some snacks or drinks, because TV production can be a finicky process (there's a lot of hurry up and wait. ... and wait ... and wait).

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Be sure to stick around through sequences, though, so the crew can get what it needs. One production crew member could be heard begging for people to stay following one explosion, as the extras are needed to stay for "shot continuity." That's video editing jargon for making sure that if you're filming different segments, and you need to clip parts of takes together, they look the same.

If you'd like more details on being an extra or if you want to show up to watch the filming, e-mail missymidden@yahoo.com.

What better way to see sand sculptures blown up at ?


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