What replaced those blue screens in post-production were images called plates, which had been taken from the actual White House balcony. This had never been done before. Many shows and films had created what they imagined to be the view from that balcony, but Scandal had been able to film actual footage from the balcony and then use those images. This remarkable access had been possible because of Shonda’s strong relationship with the Obamas, and permission to film these plates had been granted when she’d paid a visit to the residence.
