The Pitt has received praise for its realistic depiction of the American healthcare system and challenges faced by medical professionals.
Aside from its narrative, the grounded approach is also reflected in its visual aesthetic through its realistic hospital sets.
The medical drama takes place in the fictional emergency room (ER) of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. However, the series does incorporate a real hospital as one of its filming locations while otherwise being shot on elaborate sets.
Highlights
- The Pitt’s ER looks real because it was partially shot against a real Pittsburgh hospital and a massive custom-built set.
- A massive, fully functional ER soundstage worth $4 million is the secret weapon behind the show’s realistic visuals.
- From working medical equipment to real-time lighting, the main set was designed to feel alive for 15 straight hours.
Here’s how The Pitt achieved an uncanny realism by combining the real location with practical soundstages.
The Pitt utilizes a real hospital, but is mostly filmed on sets in Los Angeles
Image credits: HBO Max
The Allegheny General Hospital, located at 320 East North Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, served as a visual reference for the fictional hospital where the series is primarily set. It also serves as the exterior location for the medical center, appearing in establishing and drone shots in multiple episodes.
The real-time drama in the ER is filmed on soundstages at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios in Burbank, California. According to reports, a 25-bed ER, occupying over 20,000 square feet (1,900 square meters), was built on a soundstage by a team of 125 people and serves as the show’s main set.
Additional sets, such as the waiting room and the staircase leading to the administrative offices, were constructed on a separate soundstage on the same studio lot. The entire set reportedly cost approximately $4 million to construct.
The Pitt production designer revealed secrets behind its realistic hospital sets
Image credits: HBO Max
Production designer Nina Ruscio researched hospital designs and visited several hospitals to design the sets. She drew inspiration from the works of Huddy Healthcare Solutions, a prolific hospital design firm.
In a chat with Comicon, Ruscio revealed that while she had designed hospital rooms before, The Pitt had the most comprehensive physical emergency department she was tasked with designing and building from scratch.
“Without hesitation, we all felt compelled to be authentic and accurate with every detail, large and small,” she said.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Television/HBO Max
The team’s commitment to authenticity is reflected in the ER’s props, 90% of which are working medical equipment. Ruscio also opted for a bleached palette to replicate the sterile look of most hospitals.
Set decorator Matt Callahan and prop master Rick Ladomade carefully prepared each medical cart drawer with P-touch-labeled contents to echo a real medical facility.
Ruscio also incorporated architectural references to the Allegheny General Hospital’s building, such as marble columns, brick walls, and a marble floor in the waiting room, creating a seamless blend between the exterior and interior.
The Pitt’s sets were built to provide an immersive experience and practically
Image credits: HBO Max
Since the narrative unfolds in real time, with one season exploring 15 continuous hours in a shift led by Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Ruscio designed the ER set to have complete visibility without wasting any space.
In an interview with the Motion Pictures Association, she revealed that nearly 300 lighting cues were installed so filming could continue all day without having to re-light. She also structured the layout in a “cup and curve” design to create an “expansive feeling of continuous motion.”
Image credits: HBO Max
Ruscio admitted to Variety that she had to maximize stage space so that the cast, crew, and viewers would not feel claustrophobic while also facilitating continuous action.
“I just so wanted to create a space with enough variety and possibility that any story could be told,” she said.
Ruscio felt that the set design’s combined realism and practicality created an immersive experience for everyone, from the actors to crew members, providing them a feeling of being “in an emergency department all day long.”
The Pitt is currently streaming on HBO Max.