Emmys 2012: Up Close and Adorkable: Behind the Scenes of Fox's 'New Girl'

Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield

"We each give like 10 different jokes on each line," Jake Johnson says of the comedy's unique (and often exhausting) shooting style. "We just do a ton of improv and so many takes that our characters are ultimately defined by what they choose in post-production."

Hannah Simone

“It just comes when you get the script,” Hannah Simone says of the unexpected plot developments that saw her character, Cece, get significant bump in screen time since the beginning of the season. “They literally tell us nothing. And everything is always being rewritten not only as we get it but as we shoot it.”

Zooey Deschanel and Justin Long

Zooey Deschanel and Justin Long film a fully clothed scene in the series’ classroom set just a few hours after awkwardly navigating a bedroom scene in front of a much smaller crowd.

'New Girl'

Working grueling hours, creator Liz Meriwether takes her moments for rest when she can, curling up in the classroom set as executive producer Dave Finkel and writer David Quandt raise their brows.

Zooey Deschanel

 “I never say, ‘There’s something wrong with this script.’" says Zooey Deschanel. "It’s more like, ‘You need to put something embarrassing in here!’"

Lamorne Morris

Lamorne Morris joined the series when Damon Wayans Jr. departed the role of “Coach” to stay on ABC comedy Happy Endings after shooting the New Girl pilot. His predecessor’s absence is still occasionally poked fun at on camera, including the flashback in "Backslide" which had Jake Johnson’s Nick warn that Wayans might “go live with a bunch of other white people.”

Max Greenfield

"Some of these just spark lightening once in a while," says Max Greenfield, who counts his odd delivery of the word “chut-a-ney” among his most successful improvised moments of the season. “I'll just say some real funny stuff in the hopes that I get to hear Liz [Meriwether] laugh off camera. If she laughs, I know we did a good job.”

New Girl

Executive producers Dave Finkel and Brett Baer and "Backslide" writer David Quand check notes on iPads, phones and laptops in Winston’s [Lamorne Morris] bedroom set – which includes a mural of samurais fighting aliens in outer space.

'New Girl'

Stunt coordinator Jimmy Sharp checks the positioning of Max Greenfield, whose character has fallen backwards after an enlightening conversation with Cece (Hannah Simone) in a nursing home.

Max Greenfield

“I think we’re all kind of like ‘OK, let’s take a breather,’" Max Greenfield of the welcome hiatus that came almost exactly one year after finishing the pilot and filming an extended freshman season.

Hannah Simone

"When I first read the pilot, which has those characters so separated, I never would have thought," Hannah Simone says of her character's romantic arc with Max Greenfield. "It makes me love the show so much more because it's not scared to go there. They're not trying to save good ideas for the next season."

'New Girl'

Co-producer Luvh Rakhe, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Long and show creator and executive producer Liz Meriwether go over the script while filming the "Backslide" episode of New Girl.

Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel readies for another scene "Backslide."

Zooey Deschanel

Camera operator Mike Frediani lines up his shot during while Zooey Deschanel wait during the evening production.