Earlier that week, I had taken pictures of the garden center inside the Home Depot. I showed the pictures to the players so that they'd have an idea of the kinds of props that are available to their characters. It's one thing to say, "You're in the garden center of a Home Depot." It's another thing entirely to be able to see the rows of shovels and pruning shears, the racks of seeds, the lawnmowers and gardening tools, the gallons of weed killers and insecticides, etc. The photos very quickly helped establish the scene for the players and provided a great springboard for ideas about the kinds of things they'd want to have within reach of their characters.

That said, here's an important safety note: I discovered later that many stores don't like people taking pictures of their interior, for fear that these may be used to compromise the store's security. In other words, to case the joint. No one stopped me in this particular instance, but I would recommend you ask before you start snapping photos in a place of business. Remember, if you're on private property, they have every right to forbid you from taking pictures. Don't underestimate the power of a polite request. Be especially aware that in the current geopolitical climate, if you're caught taking pictures on the sly in the US, your intentions could be grossly misinterpreted.

Also, you may have noticed that the Director made an error in this scene. I had announced that all four of the Youths from the Teaser were here. But in the Teaser, Young LDP had specifically told one of them to be in charge at the house. That Youth shouldn't have been present in this scene. Rather than have the Continuity Editor flogged (because I bruise so easily), the Director has decided that the aforementioned Youth must have delegated his responsibility for safeguarding the house during an off-camera moment. After all, Joss makes heavy use of off-camera action, and he is as a god. So there.

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