Question answered - dinner scenes?

Good day Heartlanders! Today I have an answer about one of the most special kinds of scenes seen on the series.

But before that -- just a quick update. Early preparation (or "prep" as they say in the biz) for shooting season 14 is underway in Alberta, and every precaution possible to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 is well in place. So far, things are on track! Unfortunately, I don't have much more to share on the production front this week -- but hopefully as the swing of things gets underway, I'll have more!

In the meantime, I'll be finding answers to your questions! Here's another one.

@ChetelaLisa asks, "When the family eats dinner together, are they really eating food that's been prepared for them, for example is the food hot? And do they have to keep eating over and over when they do re-takes?"

Today's answer comes from Jess Maldaner, Associate Producer:

"During the quintessential Heartland family dinner scenes, the cast are indeed eating real food. Our props department contracts with outside caterers to prepare these meals in multiples, so that the food can be reset between takes. Just outside our ranch house set, our props department has a small kitchen where the food is kept warm (or cold as the case may be) and ready to serve. A typical family dinner scene is shot over several hours with a number of different camera angles and many takes, and yes indeed the actors must match their action from take to take. This means that if they eat in the first take, they'll eat in them all. One strategy many of the cast utilize is to take only a few bites over the course of a scene, and to keep their bites small. Watch out for this the next time you watch a Heartland dinner scene!"

There you have it. Until next time!