Behind the Scenes with LaQuanda Plantt of Georgia-Based Production “Beyond the Gates”

By Carol Badaracco Padgett

LaQuanda Plantt knows how fortunate she is—and she loves her work in the film and television industry. The Dunwoody, Georgia-area resident is production supervisor for CBS’s new hit soap opera, “Beyond the Gates.”

We sat down with Plantt to learn more about the popular series, her role as production supervisor, and the acclaimed soap’s intense production schedule. What resulted is a must-read dive into one of Georgia’s hottest productions by one of its crucial key players.

“Beyond the Gates” is a production with a lot of firsts – the first soap opera in Georgia, the first new soap anywhere in 25 years, and the first soap with a predominantly Black cast. What elements of the show especially stand out from your perspective on the set every day as production supervisor?

Plantt: All of it, because it’s different from any other show I’ve been a part of. It’s the first soap shot in Georgia, so there was really no blueprint, and we really didn’t know how to go about working on a soap opera. And yet, the producers come from shows like “General Hospital,” “Days of Our Lives” and “One Life to Live,” and they have decades of experience. So we were really just following their lead.

It’s very fast-paced. I want to say that maybe the only person that’s probably as fast is Tyler Perry Studios here in Atlanta, as well. We shoot up to six episodes a week. So that took some getting used to.

We’re a multi-cam show, as well, so we shoot with 3-5 cameras depending on what we’re shooting at one time.

We also have a team that comes from film, TV, some may come from sports, broadcasting and live television, as well. So we just have a collective of people coming together to create this show and just figuring it out along the way.

Tell us a bit about how you came to your role and what it’s like. And also, were there other productions you’d worked on that helped you prepare for the day-to-day rigors of a soap?

Plantt: You know what … no. I’ve been on this show since July 30, 2024, and I was hired as a coordinator. And so, I have experience coordinating, but once I started this show, I just jumped in. I'm also a producer, and I've produced a few independent films.

I'm also a mom of two boys. So I always have that go-getter, make-it-happen type of attitude. I know if something needs to be done, and I do what I can to get it done. And in a very small period of time, I was promoted to supervisor. I guess my bosses saw the hard work that I was putting in, and they gave me a bump. And I just kind of dove right on in. And I think it made sense to them to bump me up instead of bringing in someone new who didn't know this lane, or this world, or this genre at all.

But I will say, I come from an indie background. I started casting in 2009 and was an indie casting director, and then I started producing in 2012. And so in independent, you really have to know how to use all your resources to get the job done. And I think that probably helped me to get this job done.

When it comes to my role day-to-day, sometimes I don’t really know what my day will look like. And I love that. I believe that my position is probably a little bit different than for a standard production supervisor on an episodic or a feature film, because again, the roles are a little bit different in soap.

On normal soaps, they have a studio behind them. When I went to visit “Young and the Restless” and “Bold and Beautiful,” I went to CBS Studios, right? And so what I learned here in Georgia is that we hire our crew. If somebody is not able to work, the department head will bring someone in.

It's not like that in LA. At the network, back in the day, they have a database of crew members and they handle the crew. They will bring someone in. So, when I went to LA, [I realized that] my specific job is like four people's jobs in LA.

I'm all over the place in my role--I sit in on producers meetings. And I'm like a therapist here; the crew comes to me with their issues. But I also do the logistical part of it. I run the production office. I approve payroll, and I do a lot of the approvals. I work very closely with the line producer and also the producers, and we have different types of producers on this show.

We have booth producers who work in the booth, because we are a multi-cam show. So we actually have a control room here in our building, and we also have in-house editing. So, everything goes straight to tape … and it's edited here on site.

I wear many, many hats. And who knows, maybe a year from now I'll be a producer myself.

What's it like shooting here in Georgia at Assembly Studios, and which components do you enjoy the most for this production?

Plantt: I love it here at Assembly. I love it, love it, love it. And they know I love it.

I saw the vice president of Assembly the other day, Dan Bergmann, and they had an event here and gave myself and my line producer a shout out, and I was actually here working.

They're very accommodating. The lot is beautiful, and this is home. This is like a second home. I’m probably here more than I am at home. So it's a gorgeous facility.

We weren't the first to shoot here … I think we probably were about the third show. But we're the longest running show because we're not going anywhere. This is home.

From a behind-the-scenes production perspective, what’s one of the coolest things people may not know about “Beyond the Gates”?

Plantt: There's probably a lot. For me, specifically, the fact that I'm a part of history … this is a very historic show. This is the first soap opera produced in 25 years, like we were talking about before. And the fact that we have a predominantly African-American cast. It's a very diverse cast, and the show centers around a wealthy African-American family in the suburbs of DC, [and] there's so many different, wonderful people on the show.

To be a part of such a historical show, words can't express. Like, we had this ribbon cutting, and I had never been a part of anything like that.

[At first this show had] just an empty stage. Now we have like 24 or 25 … I can't even count how many sets we have now because we have swing sets, too.

But to have an empty stage, and now we have two. We have Stage 1 and Stage 2. And then, to see all the different sets that come together.

Then, there’s always that magic of filmmaking, where it goes from script to screen. Also, we shoot so far in advance too, [and that’s something people may not know]. We’re probably shooting for Valentine's Day right now, we’re so far ahead. And that’s really cool.

Then, there’s also the excitement, visiting LA and the OGs like The Young and the Restless and the Bold and the Beautiful, and to visit their sets and see how excited they are for our show. It's just an amazing feeling. It's just a million things.

Tell us about how you use the area surrounding Assembly Atlanta, since you spend so much time at the studio. How convenient is it for the cast and crew?

Plantt: I will say, I love it here because I live over here.

Before, on other productions elsewhere, I've always had to shop really far away and either go down to East Point or downtown Atlanta. It's always been a drive.

But this is in a very convenient area. Even if someone doesn't live here, it's right off the interstate. So as soon as you get off, it's right there. You can actually see it from I-285.

The area has tons of plazas and places to eat, and there's a Walmart up the street and a Publix right here. We’re very convenient to a lot of different things. And if you drive the back way, there's cute little shops and boutiques and restaurants back there.

Are there any surprises or hints that you can share with fans of the show right now?

Plantt: Only that there’s something to look forward to. We have some amazing things for the holidays, for Christmas and New Year’s—it’s just amazing. We may have some surprise guests …

So you can look forward to those [episodes]. Please watch!

What are your expectations or dreams for the future of “Beyond the Gates”?

Plantt: I want to say that with the state of the industry right now, where things aren't [yet back up to] what they were a few years ago, that I'm just blessed, and I have no complaints. I don't care how tired I am. I don't have any complaints.

Just the opportunity to be a part of something of this magnitude is amazing.

We are now in our second season, and so we shot 200 episodes in our first. I've never shot 200 episodes of anything. So, to say that I completed 200 episodes is also amazing. I try to celebrate the milestones of this show.

We had a little [event] to celebrate 100 episodes, and then we had something for 200. And I think to be able to do that and to try to uplift the crew--because it's a lot of hard work and we're working so much—is special.

With soaps, I know the climate of television has changed, but soaps have been around for over 75 years or so, maybe even 80. And you only have a handful of shows that have been on the air for that long. And so I can only hope that this show can have that type of longevity and that this is a place that I can end my career.

I would love for that to be the future of this show--that it's on the air when I'm not even here. When none of us are here, I hope this show is still going.