Sayak Basu
Created and produced by Courtney A. Kemp (who collaborated with hip-hop musician 50 Cent for the project), ‘Power‘ is a crime drama which looks at the underworld of New York from very close quarters and brings to us a fascinating tale which shows us how power struggle is both the reason behind the establishment of society and its decadence that we see around us.
The story of ‘Power’ is centered upon a fearsome drug-dealer operating in New York called “Ghost” (Omari Hardwick). After having been in the business for too long, Ghost, whose original name is James St. Patrick, wants to turn his life around and enter into a legitimate business. Even if he has all the cash in the world, St. Patrick craves respect and a place among New York’s high society. His drug-dealing enterprise will not get him close to his goals by any means. However, ‘Power’ is not only the story of this one character. The series also follows a number of people in his life, including his most loyal friend Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora), friend-turned-enemy Kanan Stark (50 Cent), members of his family, and a few other influential people of New York.
This Starz series is mainly filmed in and around New York City on location. While it is a big challenge to shoot in a city as busy as NYC, if you have the proper crew and resources, shooting on location is the best deal you can go for if you have to make a choice. This, of course, helps in giving the show the kind of authenticity that is otherwise quite hard to replicate within the confines of a studio. However, some of the scenes do require a more controlled atmosphere, and for that to happen, venturing into the comforts of the studio is a must.
Power Filming Locations
New York is the city where some of the greatest films ever have been shot. From ‘Taxi Driver‘ to ‘Manhattan’, to ‘Annie Hall’, and even a big-budget venture like ‘The Avengers‘- New York has served as the locations for all such films. The beauty of the city is that it is so diverse in terms of people, culture and places. ‘Power’ explores all such aspects of New York rather brilliantly.
New York City, New York
The Meatpacking District in New York’s Manhattan is where the exterior of the Truth Night Club is filmed. This club is one of the major sets of the show where some of Ghost’s major deals happen. However, it is just the exterior that is filmed in the Meatpacking District. The brilliant production designing team of the series has managed to transform the place, which is nothing but the entrance to a soundstage, to one of the most happening clubs in town.
The other famous location of the series is the Rib Shack. Interestingly enough, it is an actual restaurant located in Brooklyn. Just like Truth serves as the center from where Ghost carries out a lot of his business dealings, his protege-cum-rival Andre shares a similar relationship with this restaurant.
Queens and Brooklyn
If you were impressed by the brilliant finale of Season 2 and always wondered where the scene was filmed, it was actually in the basement of the famous arts and performance space the Knockdown Center located in Queens.
Until now we have been talking about the on-location aspects of the show’s filming. However, there are certain scenes that must be shot inside the studio, and to do this the cast and crew of ‘Power’ head into the Steiner Studio in Brooklyn.
The Oheka Castle in New York, along with a shopfront on Brooklyn’s Dwight Street have also served as some of the locations where this series has been filmed. Miami, Florida is reportedly the only place outside of New York where some parts of ‘Power’ were shot.
