Back in the early days of film and television, you’d see people driving in front of what was obviously a big mural or projection, and it was, admittedly, somewhat laughable.

Well today, computers have become the preferred method of not just creating a larger-than-life backdrop for the main characters, but even the simplest of exterior shots. Most TV shows take place in New York, but are filmed in Los Angeles or Vancouver. So to help create the most realistic of scenes, Virtual Backlots are created — seamlessly combining real props and set pieces (stairs, cars, etc) and digital footage to create a realistic shot.

One particular company, Stargate Studios, posted a reel of their work, which includes scenes from “Grey’s Anatomy” (Seattle), “Monk” (San Francisco), “Ugly Betty” (New York), “Heroes” (New York, Tokyo, etc.), “Saving Grace” (The Grand Canyon), “24″ (The Capitol), and a bunch of other scenes I didn’t recognize.

So next time you think “Wow, I can’t believe they went there to film that scene!” — know that they didn’t.