Sartaj Singh
Under the creative direction of Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, ‘The Girls on the Bus’ follows four female journalists as they take the tour bus on the campaign trail across the country while reporting on presidential candidates. Sadie, Grace, Kimberlyn, and Lola are all political reporters who are brought together by their coverage of the presidential campaign. Each of them has differing views and political alignments when it comes to work, yet an unlikely friendship forms as they are traveling on the same bus, covering the same events.
As they get to know each other past their alternate viewpoints, the women share spirited discussions on the state of politics as well as their personal woes. The Max series gives us front seats to a bus ride along with Sadie and her friends as we experience vibrant campaign rallies, panel discussions, hotel rooms, and the calmer roads in between. With the series mirroring and having a lighthearted discourse on real politics, journalism, and institutions amidst such diverse settings, one may ponder where the shooting of the episodes takes place.
The Girls on the Bus Filming Locations
Filming for ‘The Girls on the Bus’ centers around New York City, New York, with some scenes lensed in Chicago, Illinois. Principal photography for the series began on August 31, 2022, and the pilot episode was completed by October 1, 2022. By February 20, 2023, filming for the first season had been wrapped up. The show’s cast and crew seem to bond well behind the scenes, forming friends as they work to bring their combined vision to life.
“We set out to make a show about the kind of friendship you never knew you needed, but can’t live without… and that’s exactly the type of friendship I found in this process,” wrote Amy Chozick in the caption of a picture she shared on social media. “It was the craziest, hardest, most creatively fulfilling, magical thing an everyday like me ever did, and it couldn’t have happened without these lovely people.” Let us take you through the filming sites used in the creation of this series.
New York City, New York
‘The Girls on the Bus’ is largely filmed in NYC, as we are taken across a rich urban backdrop that mirrors the hustle and bustle of the campaign trail. The series utilizes the city’s iconic landmarks, vibrant streets, and diverse neighborhoods to depict various settings encountered by the characters on their journey. From bustling campaign rallies to rendezvousing in sleek hotels.
The production likely makes use of sets and movie studios across the city to recreate specific environments and settings. Studios provide versatile spaces where interior scenes, such as those set in hotel rooms or campaign headquarters, could be filmed with precision and control over lighting and sound. This allows the series to maintain consistency in its visual aesthetic while capturing the essence of each location visited by the characters.
The actors had to constantly make use of their props while recreating the messy work lives of the reporters, leading to a collective sense of appreciation for the actual work. “Felt like I was literally glued to my prop phone, laptop, chargers, press pass and glass of faux Yellowtail the whole time we shot this show but man I gained a newfound respect for campaign reporters, I don’t know how y’all do it,” wrote actress Melissa Benoist on a social media post.
New York City stands as a premier filming location, renowned for its rich history with cinema and its ability to serve as a dynamic backdrop for a wide range of stories, including political dramas like ‘The Girls on the Bus.’ The city’s history with cinema dates back to the early days of filmmaking, with notable landmarks like Times Square and Central Park becoming synonymous with the silver screen. Some of the productions shot in the city include ‘Succession,’ ‘Players,’ ‘A Simple Favor,’ and ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Chicago, Illinois
Nestled along Lake Michigan in Illinois, the city of Chicago, as well as the lake can be spotted in ‘The Girls on the Bus.’ The city’s landscape is used to depict a metropolitan landscape in establishing shots. Through ariel shots we can observe the Prestige residential apartments at the bay, with the modern cityscape sprawling over the Michigan Lake coast on a sunny day.
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