The Importance of What’s Invisible

Last year, one of the major television production companies filmed a few scenes for one of its shows at the gym where I workout.

The days leading up to the shoot offered a peek behind the curtain as the production crew transformed my gym into the gym for the television show.

They did obvious things, like covering my gym’s name with signs containing the name of the TV-show gym and repainting designs on the walls to match the aesthetic of the show.

One thing they did was to install a “merchandise shop” at the front of the gym, with racks of t-shirts, tank-tops, shorts, hats, and exercise gear.

Every article of clothing was branded with the name and logo of the TV show gym.

None of this has been offered for sale to the general public.

When the show aired, each gym scene about a minute of the episodes they appeared in. The merch shop was barely visible in the scenes, and the merch itself was certainly not visible.

They could have used solid color t-shirts or tank tops without having them printed.

So why go to the trouble and expense of custom printing all that clothing with the TV show gym name and logo when nobody will see it?

I had my speculations, which were confirmed by the location manager.

The reason they print the merch is because it makes it feel real. It adds to the vibe.

Now, you might wonder — isn’t it real enough that they’re filming the scene in a real gym, rather than on a sound stage constructed to look like a gym?

Apparently not.

Having the merch shop with the printed t-shirts made it feel like you were actually in the TV show gym, rather than at AltaFit, which is the actual name of the gym.

Perhaps it helps the actors get into character, which might help their performance.

Even if the audience never sees those shirts, they add to the feeling of the scene for the actors, which translates to the audience.

The Importance of What’s Invisible

There’s a lesson here for all of us that goes beyond the fun facts of television production — especially if you own or run a business.

What sets the vibe is not just what people see, but also what they don’t see.

The outer effects are a result of inner processes and conditions that are never revealed to the public.

If you own a store, the effeciency and organization of your back rooms are as important as your floor design and merchandise layout.

If you are a company, how you treat your employees matters as much as the type of services you offer.

Your behind the scenes processes may not be visible to anyone else, but the effects of them carry energy that is experienced by others.

Roots are the foundation for branches.

Just because something isn’t visible to the public doesn’t mean its not important. It may be setting the tone for everything the public does see.