Jim Michaels @TheJimMichaels 4h
Today we start our prep of the episode that @mattcohen4real will be directing! @cw_spn #SPNFamily #Supernatural
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Jim Michaels @TheJimMichaels Jan 22
A rare occasion to include the title of the episode here today! We are tech scouting episode #15 of season #15 of #supernatural #spnfamily @cw_spn with @mattcohen4real in the director’s chair for us!
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots@yvrshoots Jan 28
#Supernatural is filming at one of its iconic locations today -- The Crossroads.
With Matt Cohen directing. (http://hollywoodnorth.buzz/2020/01/final-season-matt-cohen-directs-at-an-iconic-supernatural-location-the-crossroads.html) @mattcohen4real

Delta's North 40 Park Reserve.
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Misha Collins @mishacollins Jan 29
Working with my favorite scene partner tonight... This little ball of joy. ( @spntapeball )
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BTS SHOTS from hollywoodnorth.buzz

Crew added telephone poles, stop signs and a wooden structure to the site in Delta’s North 40 Park Reserve.
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Jim Michaels @TheJimMichaels 9:07 PM · Jan 17
This eagle flies on Friday! #spnfamily @cw_spn this eagle is protecting a very famous location for #supernatural
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Stacey @hushrules Jan 29
Set of #Supernatural was pretty spooky and very atmospheric tonight. @yvrshoots #spn #Crossroads maybe for the last time... ?
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mattcohen4real
#SPNFAMILY #THANKYOU #1515

Video!

matt cohen @mattcohen4real Jan 24
Last day of prep on #SPN1515 #CoolKids #SPNFAMILY

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7:56 AM · Jan 25, 2020

My last prep day has left my heart so full.I want to send mylove & gratitude to the very special team of passionate industry pros that make this show a reality.Cheers to the cast,crew,execs,and all others who take part in this family creation! Thank you! @cw_spn @TheCW #SPN1515
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots Jan 29
#Supernatural notice for today.
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots 6h
Don’t make any more deals Cas?! Misha Collins filming in Sapperton Pensioners Hall today. #Supernatural in #NewWest
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misha
#StreetlightGlamourPhotography (Photo credit @phunter1)
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dicksp8jr
About a decade ago, @mattcohen4real and I, strangers to each other, started hosting karaoke parties at #Supernatural conventions. Today, Matty hit the #SPN set as the show’s director & I began prep on my next directing assignment for @LuciferNetflix. We’ve come a long way, baby.
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots Feb 1
Crossroads Cas. Matt Cohen directing Misha Collins this week at an iconic #Supernatural location: (http://hollywoodnorth.buzz/2020/01/final-season-matt-cohen-directs-misha-collins-alex-calvert-in-supernaturals-gimme-shelter.html) @mattcohen4real @mishacollins
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots Feb 4
#Supernatural in #NewWest alley tonight. North of New West Station next to Great Pacific Pawn Brokers.
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots Feb 4
Bison Bud’s Bar. Another great neon sign from #Supernatural in #NewWest.

Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots 9h
Castiel & Jack twinning as fake FBI agents? #Supernatural in #NewWest yesterday. Directed by Matt Cohen: (http://hollywoodnorth.buzz/2020/02/final-season-castiel-jack-twinning-as-fake-fbi-agents-for-supernatural.html) @mishacollins @Alex8Calvert @mattcohen4real

Are Castiel and Jack twinning as fake FBI agents on a case?

Misha Collins and Alex Calvert are wearing rain coats albeit one is beige and one is navy.

Supernatural filmed a crime scene in a New Westminster alley directed by Matt Cohen aka younger John Winchester.
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Robina ??? thewisehigaholic:#teamcatsiel #lamp Jan 31
Met @mishacollins and @Alex8Calvert it was pouring rain today @yvrshoots @WhatsFilming
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Mon (naruhearts) ???? Jensen Tackles | SPNVAN @naruhearts Jan 31
Such a nice pic Robina!!! Thanks again for letting Misha use your phone for our group pics (since they couldn’t take an individual one with all of us re: time constraints) ♥️
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Hollywood North Buzz - YVRShoots @yvrshoots Jan 30
#Supernatural back in #NewWest today.
At Sapperton's Pensioners Hall.
With Matt Cohen directing.
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mattcohen4real
#SPNFAMILY @cw_supernatural #THANKYOU #1515

Video!

Jim Michaels @TheJimMichaels Feb 6
A little walk around Baby today! @TheRealSPNBaby1 @cw_spn
#supernatural #spnfamily

Video!
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Misha Collins @mishacollins Feb 6
When giving me performance notes, the director (@mattcohen4real) has been drawing on his boxing background.
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spntapeball
Had a ball with our favorite actor/director! @mattcohen4real •
@jaredpadalecki @jensenackles @misha @alexandercalvert #spntapeball15 #chewycenter #spnfamily #setfriends #setlife #fifteenthandfinal #thisishowweroll
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Episode 15 title!

Gimme Shelter
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Gimme Shelter 15x15 synopsis

MATT COHEN DIRECTS – Castiel (Misha Collins) and Jack (Alexander Calvert) work a case involving members of a local church. Meanwhile, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go off in search of Amara (guest star Emily Swallow). Matt Cohen directed the episode written by Davy Perez (#1515). Original airdate 10/15/2020.

Promo photos for episode 15 from Ksite TV!
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Supernatural 15x15 Promo "Gimme Shelter" (HD) Season 15 Episode 15 Promo

Supernatural 15x15 Inside "Gimme Shelter" (HD)
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‘Supernatural’ Director Matt Cohen on Setting Up Castiel’s Big News and Bringing ‘a Little Soap Opera to Sci-Fi’ from Variety!
By Danielle Turchiano

With only a handful of episodes left before The CW’s long-running demon-hunting drama “Supernatural” signs off for good, every line of dialogue, every frame of footage and every decision — from guest star casting to guest director hiring — counts. Matt Cohen, who got his start on the show playing young John Winchester in 2008, admits he was certainly feeling the weight of that responsibility when he stepped on set to direct “Gimme Shelter,” the 15th episode of the final season.

“There was all the pressure, but I just wanted to do the homework and I tried to do the homework as much as possible,” Cohen tells Variety. “I wanted to give the audience enough to satisfy them a little bit, but also enough to dissatisfy them so they come back next week. That’s what I was aiming for.”

Brian Wilson Disavows Trump’s Beach Boys Benefit in California (EXCLUSIVE)
“Gimme Shelter,” which was penned by staff writer Davy Perez, was a dialogue-heavy episode that featured two seemingly distinct stories, for which Cohen focused on the common emotional tonality. Half of the episode featured Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) reconnecting with God’s sister Amara (Emily Swallow), at first because they need her to get to God, who is busy destroying the other universes. But their time with her delivers the all-important revelations that she is not actually the first born, but God’s twin (“creation and destruction, light and dark, balance”), as well as why she really brought the Winchesters’ mother Mary (Samantha Smith) back from the dead a few years earlier. The other half of the episode focused on Castiel (Misha Collins) and Jack (Alex Calvert) on the case of deaths and disappearances of people within a religious group.

“I wanted the scenes to bounce off of each other and you’re battling two different predicaments, but very similar. Each of the four characters in these scenes — Cass, Jack, Amara and Dean — are fighting for their own thing for their own reason, therefore living their own truth in the eyes of God,” Cohen says.

In order to truly sell the various levels of emotions in the episode, Cohen notes he didn’t want to rely on fancy camerawork or elaborate setups, but instead focus on tight closeups of the actors’ faces.

“I had come off working on a soap opera a few years ago and there is something in me that soap operas do very well, and it can be really irritating to the actors a lot of the time [but] the camera will just sit on your face until your face sells the moment, and that’s your cut point,” he explains. “I tried to bring a little soap opera to the sci-fi experience.”

Here, Cohen talks with Variety about his experience directing “Gimme Shelter,” including setting up the seemingly cryptic news Castiel has to deliver to Dean.

Right up front in the episode, it is stated that Castiel and Jack’s case is quote-unquote just a murdered kid, but the show has proven before that quote-unquote just people are often the worst monsters these guys will face. What went into your shot style selection for those scenes, in order to still bring a creepy and mysterious, even if not otherworldly, vibe?

As a new director the only things I’ve had a chance to direct are action-based, so when I got this episode I was a bit flustered that there wasn’t a huge fight sequence and there wasn’t a car chase or any stuff like that. I read the script several times and to me it became a script of characters and really just each person dealing with their own truths and letting these truths intersect with each other, so I decided to let the faces of the actors really tell the story. It’s the traditional way that stories have been told in Hollywood for so long, without doing too much, so I thought, “Let me keep it more simple and let me let these actors work. Let me get out of their way and let me let them perform.” So I wanted to keep the creepy in the eyes of the actors. And you’ve got Jack and Cass on an emotional journey, and there’s a love story there between the two of them, and there’s a love story between those two and the boys, and I wanted that to play out, too. I knew they would be able to deliver a performance to me. If I said, “Misha, this is what we’re doing, just do it,” and then let the camera run until what I was looking for comes out, that’s what they did. Because they’re such pros, it came rather quickly. The caliber of actors that I was working with, including my guest stars, are some of the best that are doing it in television, and I wanted that to be portrayed.

What went into calibrating the emotions Castiel and Jack exhibited with each other versus with the group members? Castiel, for example, seemed more open and raw when speaking about Jack during that group meeting than he has been in a long time.

Everybody loves Castiel, he’s our favorite angel, but he can be a dry presence. There are these moments in the truck where Cass and Jack are driving and this information gets dropped on Cass about what Jack is planning to do, and I wanted to see what Misha would do with that. He’s been this character for a long time and I didn’t want to steer him off his course, but I pushed him and I let the camera run for a few takes in a row, and I thought what we got was really interesting: It’s a complete internal battle of Cass sitting there and trying to deal with and trying to comprehend the sacrifice that Jack is willing to make for the boys to forgive him — and how irritated and somber at the same point that made Cass. It is a little more than we typically see from Castiel, but it’s also not outside the realm of Castiel, and that’s some of the most honest Cass and Jack we get to see. It’s a father-son talk and the talk you don’t want to have. It was, “Hey I know you’re my loved one, but you’re going to have to pull the plug on me if you want everybody to survive,” and that’s not easy information to digest. [Misha] just allowed it to fully affect him, and I think what you see in that scene is shades of Misha as a father intertwine with Cass’ feelings for Jack. And you’ve got to let that happen. I don’t want to be the director that gets in the way of these guys. I want these guys to deliver the performance that they know their character should be delivering.

Similarly, when Dean told Amara he would never hurt her, he was emotional doing so. Is their connection too strong to let him go through with the plan?

Sam and Dean are the “find a way” guys: They’re going to find a way and if, in the process, it means betraying or hurting someone that either one of them has developed feelings for, unfortunately, their eyes are on the prize and that prize is life and mankind. I think Dean’s feelings are completely real towards Amara, and Amara’s towards Dean, and there are moments of, “Can I really trust you? Should I really trust you?” It’s the same moment when anybody tells you something drastic. No matter how long you know them, you still look across the table, and in your mind you’re going, “Is this their truth, or is this THE truth?” And I think everybody’s battling that, and it reflects a lot of what’s going on in society right now: Every human in this country is living in their own truth, so therefore everything outside their truth is wrong, and they’re going to fight against what they think is wrong. And I think Amara and Dean are at that point. They want to be in the same fight, but the fight’s never going to be the same when you’re dealing with a supernatural being and you’re dealing with Dean trying to save mankind and stop God. But Emily and Jensen, they sit across the table from each other and magic is going to happen. They’re saying a million different things within their expressions. That’s what good actors do, and you’ve got to let good actors be good actors. The scenes between Amara and Dean are some of the strongest acting scenes I’ve ever seen on television.

There are a few moments in the episode that set up things to be paid off in another director’s episode, from Sylvia getting in the police car, which is being driven by the crossroads demon, to Cass saying he has something important to tell Dean, but not actually saying what that thing is. How much did you need to know about what’s to come with those pieces in order to get what you wanted?

Honestly, I was trying to avoid overselling fake moments, but I wanted to put the weight on the God storyline, with the pastor and the soup kitchen and the major, major difference in how our characters in this episode all view God and are dealing with God. I wanted to set up stuff that I felt would lend itself to the future episodes [in that way], but “Supernatural” keeps its secrets. I know a little bit; I just know barely more than you know. And you have a feeling, just being a part of it for 10 years, but this is the end, so I didn’t know how it was going to unfold and that information wasn’t shared with me. But there are setups and it is previewing what I think is some very heavy end-of-the-world type stuff [so] I need to get the audience thinking, “God may be watching this episode. God may be looking down on these circumstances and hearing these conversations. Is God speaking through our pastor? Maybe. Is God trying to put messages through Castiel to Dean? Maybe.” I don’t want to rule out anything, but I don’t want to oversell an abundance of false fronts to the audience, so I tried to keep it relevant and within the wheelhouse of “Supernatural,” which is, there is always a bigger story happening here.

Since lingering on actors’ faces was so important to this episode, what options did you actually have Misha throw out for what Cass needed to tell Dean in order to elicit a reaction from Jensen?

Listen, even if I did want Misha to say something, he would probably say whatever he wants. That sentence probably went something like, “Dean, I have something to tell you: This is the last shot and I’m going the eff home now.” Those guys are such pros that they can be within a moment and hop right out of that moment so well. I did tell Misha — I pushed him in a direction for that final scene and he didn’t want to go in the direction I was pushing him and we had a collaborative talk that ended up in what you see on the screen, and I think we both won. He had a take on it, I had a take on it and we met in the middle, and what you got was this actually terrified moment of Dean going, “Wait a minute, what’s going on?” and Cass going, “I don’t want to say to you what I have to say to you” and that’s where we ended up. There’s always the, “Oh I wish at the end of the episode I could shoot one more take and one more setup of Cass sitting on his hands and knees with Dean, and they’re emotional and you see what they’re going to say” — but that’s for next week!

Jess Honeybee @JessLightwood_ Oct 16
This was an amazing episode, congrats
@mattcohen4real
#TheEndHasNoEnd
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Matt Cohen's Instagram stories!

Tmattcohen4real
#spnfamily

Tmattcohen4real
#spnfamily
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Tmattcohen4real
#spnfamily
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Tmattcohen4real
#spnfamily

Videos!
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Tmattcohen4real
#spnfamily
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emily swallow@bigEswallz Oct 16
Who wants a Pennsylvania Pierogi? #Supernatural #spnfamily #amara #gimmeshelter ⁦
@mattcohen4real
.
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Julie Holden@jholden23 Oct 16
The next set I believe had been tweeted. It was a weekday morning. I couldn't go. But I went months later and took some photos of it. It's a closed out Burger King/Subway. #Supernatural #GimmeShelter
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Julie Holden @jholden23 Oct 16
#Supernatural #15x15 #GimmeShelter is probably a good one to explain some set finding info. This one started with a crew member posting during tech scout a photo of eagles.Knowing basically exactly where that was, I drove by #North40 dog park couple days before and found a notice

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Oct 16
I went back on the prep day and took some photos of the prep set up for the episode. I was so excited that
@mattcohen4real
was directing I wanted to find out where would be a good spot to see. Was able to infer what was going on pretty quick. The crossroads.

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Oct 16
Love how they just take signs down. Always makes me smile. The lot (and this whole park) is a HUGE piece of #Supernatural #Filming history. That empty lot has held many important things, including the road house, gas stations, Mexican Restaurants... you name it, SPN built it.

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Oct 16
The film day was a busy day at work, got back there once it was dark. I couldn't get anywhere near the actual set. I did have a PA tell me to go up behind (retracing my steps from the days before) but I felt that was too close for my liking. The line that road with the trucks.

Basically this night I darted around in the dark (with the crew's blessings)&did my best to stay out of the way¬ interfere with the lights. Ultimately, I felt I knew what was going on, but I left without seeing much. Didn't even see Matt, but saw Misha in a transpo as I walked

For the next one, another crew member posted a set up in an Instagram story. Using google maps and the tiny edge of a building along with a lead from set previously, I was able to find the location. Turned out to be great, they were there 3 days. I went right after work.

Got there on dinner. I sat nearby, but not too close and waited for friends to arrive. I didn't realize the crew would be walking back from dinner until they did. Alex walked by, I said hi, he ignored me. Right behind him was Jose, we had a great little chat.
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Julie Holden @jholden23 Oct 16
Soon, the rain started. They were inside mostly. We weren't deterred as we wanted to meet Matt sometime, but realized we would only really have a chance at wrap. So we waited. It was VERY wet. #Supernatural #GimmeShelter -from the rain!

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There's lots of trees moved in in #Supernatural. The tree truck is one of my favorite things, and the semi-mysterious "Eddie Greens". He's the quiet type, but very nice.Finally saw Matt on a set up near the door, but we stayed across the street or down a ways. Don't want to disturb

That first night once wrap happened we waited a while to try and see if we could catch Matt. Even tho it's really a 'free sidewalk', we don't ever want to intrude or corner someone. In the rain it's a game of 'who is that in black?'. We were SURE we'd missed him so parted ways.

Walking up to the car, however, I passed him getting into the van. From across the street I called "MATT".
@mattcohen4real
turned& looked at me, but then I think realized he must have been hearing things because I just ... froze. And off he went. And then I felt like an idiot.

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So the next night we headed back to #Supernatural. Did I mention it rained? This is a couple of stand ins in the front from the first night. The 2nd night there was literally nothing to see. Rain. And standing across the street. At wrap we saw Matt leave, but it was too far. Fail

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FINALLY the third night in the rain for #GimmeShelter they moved outside. On again-off again pouring. Can you find
@mattcohen4real
in these? haha. Hint, he's in light pants. #Supernatural Like the dumpster? Welcome to set hunting. lol

Julie Holden @jholden23 Oct 16
We got to see some cast working (YAY), the person behind was 'scaring' the actress. The truck was part of one scene. And at one point,
@mishacollins
wandered up the alley from the pub across the street right by us. Saw he and Alex film from a distance.

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And then at wrap this night we knew we had to be more assertive, but still worried about being in the way. We waited out front and finally managed to be brave enough to approach
@mattcohen4real
as he was leaving. He was patient and friendly and so kind. I can't thank him enough

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We'd heard they were going to be at Swenson Way on social media. So I did a drive by a couple days before and found two sets of 'No Parking' signs. Some for 2+ days, and some for basically Tuesday. So Tuesday it was.

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On the night of it rain/snowed. Not to be deterred because we were enjoying watching Matt work, we went, stood and watched. Not a lot to see. Chatted with set workers we new, met a new guy this night too. Got to say goodbye to
@mattcohen4real
one last time as he left.

Stacey @hushrules Oct 16
It was cool being on set in January for the filming of #Supernatural #Gimmeshelter . Who knew I’d have to wait almost 9 months to post the photos.
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spntapeball
Jack registered. Did you?

#vote #spntapeball15 @alexandercalvert #doyourpart #spnfamily #fifteenthandfinal #missmyjob #thisishowwerolled
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SpookyWiki @SuperWiki Oct 16
#Repost @c_god_mupfx
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Is there a common theme occuring... can't quite put my finger on it. #Supernatural #SPN #MUPFX #charcuterieboard #GimmeShelter
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SpookyWiki @SuperWiki Oct 16
#Repost @c_god_mupfx
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The juicy SE7EN inspired corpse #MUPFX #makeupeffects I created for #SPN #Supernatural #GimmeShelter

Video!

Sarah Barra @Hellredsky Oct 16
Matching #Supernatural #TheScifiFantasyShow #WFBLiveTw
@cw_spn
#GimmeShelter #WeeklySPN 15x15
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Supernatural 15x15 REACTION!! "Gimme Shelter" by Blind Wave