Some of you may know that member Wayne Staats was the lucky one to snag an extremely last minute cancellation spot on a TCM studios tour a couple of weeks ago, on what just happened to be his birthday! Wayne was kind enough to shoot photos and give us a firsthand description of his experience:
"It’s like you’re stars at a movie premiere. That’s how the TCM family makes you feel when you go on a TCM Studio Tour.
As we walked toward the studio, TCM employees stood, clapped and cheered. It was our own version of the red carpet. After walking through the Turner campus, we got to the studio and watched as Ben Mankiewicz filmed intros and outros. Despite the daunting length of these clips, he said each one with the same level of excitement and passion. We also got to take photos with him and of the set!
In a big surprise, Ben then joined us for lunch. He shared funny stories and went out of his way to get to know us personally.
We then got a behind-the-scenes look at how TCM cuts and creates the commercials and extras we see on TCM and FilmStruck. We were told how this year’s Summer Under The Stars commercial concept came about, months in advance, through the selection of images and clips.
It was an amazing day — and the perfect birthday present!"