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‘Yellowstone’ TV Production Designer Explains How Filming Locations Are Found

The countdown is on for a brand new season the hit Paramount Network series “Yellowstone” as anticipation builds among the fan base.

Filming for the fourth season got underway earlier this year and wrapped up over the summer. The new season will arrive later this year in the fall, though there isn’t an exact date as of now. But the “Yellowstone” crew isn’t exactly taking a vacation with their little bit of free time. Instead, work is beginning for one of the show’s two spinoffs.

The first of the two new series will be called “1883” and it will take us back into time to see how the Dutton family made Montana their home. Filming on “1883” should be hitting full blast in the very near future, with the crew doing a bulk of filming in Forth Worth, Texas. It isn’t yet known when the spinoff will premiere but it will star Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliott. “Yellowstone” fans are eager to see how the Dutton Ranch came to be back in the early days.

Much of “Yellowstone” is filmed in Montana with picturesque mountains, flowing streams and lush fields in abundance. The Montana landscape, featured in practically every episode, is one of the main draws of the show. You may think with Mother Nature out in full force that choosing a location to film the show is easy. But that isn’t always the case, according to production designer Cary White.

‘Yellowstone’ Designer Talks Filming Challenges

In a recent interview with The Wrap, White speaks on the challenges of finding the ideal filming locations. White, who recently received an Emmy Award Nomination, as compromises have to be made sometimes. Other times, it works out perfectly, such as the small cabin that Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton live in. You wouldn’t know it for watching the show, but their left was once a ski store.

“We kind of got lucky with that location,” the “Yellowstone” designer says. “I wanted really wanted to maintain that log world. We found this ski shop and had to pull out all the counters and everything to create a loft for their bedroom, and a kitchen where they could cook. I was really delighted with the way it turned out and thought it had a lot of character and warmth.”

He also speaks on the hardship of filming a show in the middle of a deadly worldwide pandemic.

“We were so delayed because of COVID-19 that we had a rushed schedule, and we doubled up on the shooting,” the veteran designer says. Several units were shooting simultaneously, and there’s only one art department so we had to accommodate everyone.”

“Yellowstone” fans are certainly appreciative of White’s work and can’t wait to see what he has in store for the new season.”