Coordinated production logistics across multiple filming locations for A&E’s family-run home renovation series.
Zombie House Flipping: Family Business is an A&E docu-series following the Harr family of Legacy Homes as they transform rundown and abandoned houses in Columbus, Ohio into finished flips. As Production Coordinator, I supported logistics across multiple filming locations, managing paperwork workflows, vendor communication, scheduling, and cross-department communication to keep the production running smoothly.
Behind the Scenes
Where were you?
Columbus Ohio
What’s the moment things went sideways?
We got the snow storm of the century and had to push and move things around to make sure everyone was safe. Before that we had to dig out the lighting van which incidentally the battery died that morning. But with teamwork we got it working within a couple of hours and made it to set. The next two days we got 15 inches of snow and had to cancel some shoot days.
A crew or cast story that still gets told
It was a last minute decision for our cast members to do a walk through with a hornet specialist. I ordered bee suits to keep the camera crew and the cast safe. But it seems like Amazon sent me the wrong size for one of them and instead of an adult size bee suit they sent me young adult size. Needless to say the bee suit just barely fit our main cast member, who was a muscular man, and with how tight the bee suit was it looked like he was about to rip the seams. He couldn’t stop laughing and neither could the other cast mates and crew members. It turned a tense morning when things weren’t what the producers had in mind into a great laugh break that really brought up the morale of the crew and the day.
What would a viewer never guess?
When the snow came down, a lot of cars got stuck in the mud, and we all became friends with some tow truck drivers. There was so much going through some of the treasures that were in the houses. We were able to really find some amazing pieces and get to know the person who used to live in that house. Neighbors are always happy to share the story of how the neighborhood used to be and who they were and what they brought to that street.
What were you actually running day to day?
The day was a lot of prep work. The weather was changing a lot we would have pockets of rain, heat, and cold weather at a moment’s notice. We had to be prepared to help the crew with what was to come. Our van was packed with everything someone would need from ice packs to a heater. The production team planned out all the small details we could the night before so the next day if there were any pivots we were able to act quickly.
What are you proudest of on this one?
The team, we really became a family on this show. There were a good amount of us not local to the area and we made sure to explore Columbus, Ohio and become part of the community. I was really proud of how we would have moments of pure summer fun and when things had to pivot we all moved into action as a team. I really put myself out there in the community and made some true friends there.