Behold this nifty behind-the-scenes look at the then-innovative technique used to shoot ‘I Love Lucy’. Desi Arnaz was visionary in his understanding that the shows would eventually have resale value and that simply keeping kinescopes–literally films of the live show as seen on a screen during its transmission–wasn’t going to cut it. He convinced cinematographer Karl Freund to come up with a method of shooting with three cameras using 35mm film and studio quality lighting. But that’s not all. It had to be done in front of a live audience–a series of demands that seemed irresolvable due to the awkwardness of three large cameras, crews and extensive lighting blocking the view of the audience. Yet Freund figured it out and in the above short film (not sure what purpose it was intended for) we see the Ricardo’s apartment set, the entire camera set-up and Desi Arnaz himself explaining to the audience in attendance how they shoot the show. He also introduces the cast who, unfortunately, aren’t allowed to say or do anything other than bow. The short then transitions into the first part of an actual episode–it’s 1951 so it’s the first season as can be gleaned from the apartment set; the Ricardo’s first apartment featured no window. Later they moved to a more spacious digs with a bay window at center stage. Neither layout resembled anything like an apartment that would be in the brownstone it was supposed to be. But TV house sets are always made up of impossible floorpans and that’s a subject we’ll get to tomorrow…