Raven’s Home Set Secrets with Raven-Symoné, Anneliese van der Pol, & Sky Katz

How has it been going for this season? Raven-Symoné: We've been making episodes. We've been filming episodes, which is what all you can ask for. That's all you can ask for, right? We've been doing really well. Everybody's in a great stride. We all know who we are as characters. We know who we are as people, we're friends with each other and we are cranking out stories that connect to society that show who our characters are in situations, which to me is the best thing about sitcoms. And uh, we're all growing up. You know, at the end of this season, the kids graduate to high school. At least some of them do. And um it's fun to see that.

Season 3 has been amazing. And it's and this is our longest season. We've never had 26 episodes. So uh, we really got to put our uh longevity to test here. It's just been so fun. We're actually wrapping our season 3 tomorrow. I think uh the fans are just gonna love uh this season and they're gonna see our relationship as a cast. We're incorporating a lot of music into season 3. Um as we did the musical episode last season. So people wanted more of that, so we did that and just new friendship dynamics, um added characters, few love interests for not only myself but um a few of the other characters as well. We have a lot of new music coming season 3. The Charlotte was already announced and had some performances and songs like Smokey Flow. So if you haven't watched that, make sure you do. Anneliese van der Pol: I can just tell you that it's going to be awesome. It's going to be funny. I'm going to say everything that everybody says. It's going to have a lot of heart. And really you're going to see the growth in these funny, funny kids. I I like to say children. These children are so funny.

You're dealing with the kids here on the show, but you used to be the kid on the show. Raven-Symoné: I know. I was always the youngest on the show.

What is that like? Raven-Symoné: Uh, I still feel like a kid. It's interesting to see what they're going through that that bridge of super teenagerism. Yeah. tween to teenagerism and what they actually have to deal with. And I get to see it from an adult level and a kid level. It's it's different.

Raven is an executive producer on the show. So cool. Yes. How is it working with her?

Oh man, she's great. First season Raven really taught me everything I knew about uh for multi-camera or even acting in general. So it was really nice uh seeing her mature into directing and then writing. I mean, she's started off as executive producer, but I mean she's just awesome. I'm really proud of her. I think she's doing an amazing job and I think this is going to be a road for her to be able to to not only act but do all these other um avenues.

She teaches us so much every single day. I mean, I remember the the first time um we've came here and, you know, she was teaching us about um how to face out to the cameras cuz we're basically all single camera actors. So there are only about two cameras and we didn't know how to face out and even how the cameras were going to be on us. So she taught us a lot about that and she's such a great teaching figure. Specifically, she's just had such an experience within sitcoms and within comedy. Um, so I learned a lot from her from that because I previously only did episodic things. So I'm just learning more about comedic timing and things like that from her.

A lot of directors you like have to get to know each other cuz we switched directors every two weeks or whatever some come back, but um, you have there's a little a day or two that like you guys are still getting comfortable with each other. It was really easy because we're super comfortable with each other already cuz we already see her every day. So she can be straight up with us and like we won't take it personally. Right.

What kind of behind the scenes secrets can you share with us?

The stairs in the school hallway actually lead to nothing. For real though. Once you go up there that's it. And then you go back down to like the set. It's really nothing. It's just like um two wooden uh pieces blocking you so you don't fall off. You were to take another step down, you'd probably fall. Nothing leads to anywhere.

Oh, that is pretty funny. That's how it is in Hollywood. What can you say?

That's show business, baby, right? Yeah.

When we first got here, uh I decided to explore the set. And I looked in the electric room and that's where they keep all the wires. So everything that all the lights and everything that goes in there, I I opened the door and it's like if I flip one switch, the entire building goes dead. And so it was I like that part.

Have you ever done that?

I try I was about to, but I got caught and got kicked out.

What about any behind the scenes secrets can you share? Raven-Symoné: I don't share secrets cuz they're called secrets. Um I don't want to tell any of my secrets on them because I know they told on me and I'm just going to show them that I'm not going to tell.

Last question, if you could describe the season in one word, what would it be?

New. It's it's very new. We got we got new writers, new executive producers, uh a a new sort of theme happening. So yeah, I think it's new. Anneliese van der Pol: One word that I would say about season 3 is juxtapose. I would use that because

Juxtapose. Anneliese van der Pol: Juxtapose. Um the art term because you have soft and hard and and crunchy and sweet and salty. There's so many things going on in the season that it um it's a roller coaster.

I would say fun. From our perspective as actors and crew, it's been more efficient. We've just kind of gotten into a really good groove and routine. Um, so on the behind the scene side it's been efficient, but for the viewers' perspective, I'd say it's just energetic. charismatic, adventurous, amazing. Amazing all around. Yes. Yes. Um yeah. Hi-five.