Today Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet released a special episode, simply titled Quarantined, centered around the changes to normal COVID-19 has brought our reality. Not only was the episode surprisingly heart felt, along with just as many jokes as you’d expect, just presented via teleconferencing and external means, not unlike the most recent Saturday Night Live episodes, a lot of thought went into this special to make it happen.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and Rob McElhenney, creator and main character of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, the Apple+ series was able to get 40 iPhones and 20 sets of AirPods to make this episode happen.
Each actor had three iPhones, and we’d shoot one iPhone at a time. As soon as a scene was wrapped, the phone would be sterilized, packaged, put in a secure area, picked up and brought to editorial, sterilized again, and then the footage would be uploaded to the Avid for the editors, who were working from their homes.
The Hollywood Reporter in an interview with Rob McElhenney
For those wondering why so many devices were needed, McElhenney later clarified that it was due to them wanting to ensure the episode released while everyone was under quarantine.
To get (footage) through to editorial as fast as possible, because we wanted to get this episode done and out while we were still in quarantine. The way we’d do each scene is they’d take their laptop/desktop cameras that you would see normally for a teleconferencing thing and they’d put the iPhone directly in front of that camera, so I essentially had video village from my house. I could see what every actor’s camera is picking up and you could also see the readings for the audio.
Mike, the cinematographer, could double check all the settings and make sure that everything was running at the right revolution, frame rate, etc. Then we would run the scene, and the actors would be talking to one another the same way we’re talking right now (by phone), through our AirPods.
The Hollywood Reporter in an interview with Rob McElhenney
The end result is something the team is proud of, so much so that this episode will be submitted for Emmy consideration.
In a later interview with Variety, McElhenney further commented on the $600,000 raised for Mercy Corps‘ COVID-19 relief program.
“As we came up with the conceit of the company donating money, then I thought, ‘Wow this would be really cool if we could figure out a way in which we as a show were doing the same,’” McElhenney says. “The organization is a global one that is doing some of the best work out there for those affected by this pandemic. What we were what we’re hoping is that we can raise awareness for this incredible organization. But we also want to be very respectful of our audience who has been asked to give and give and give and give. And they have responded, and I know because I’ve run a couple of fundraisers over the course of the last three or four months and people continue to give and I know that people can’t afford to give. Of course I want people, if they can, to continue to give, but I also feel like I don’t want to ask anyone for anything else anymore. The audience has had it rough and they’re going to have a rough couple of maybe years. So this is just something we’re putting out in the world and if you can give, great, but we just hope you enjoy the show.”
Variety via an interview with Rob McElhenney
Though this McElhenney was able to earn $300,000, which he and his wife, Kaitlin Olson, who plays Dee in his other series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia among other things, matched it, bringing the total donation to $600,000.
Those interested in checking it out can find it, along with the first season of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet via Apple TV+.