Mark (Adam Scott) and GEMMA (Dichen Lachman) are not the only ones going on a trip in section 7 of “Severance” season 2. For the “Chika Bardo“And all impressionistic ways it dramatizes Tethers of Love and Sorrow that binds these two excursions together, produced for film to cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné To help find out how the transition moments between scenes would work visually. That collaboration in turn gave the Gagné the opportunity to do something she did not think she would do on ”Departure weight“Or someone else TV View: Direct a section.
Indiewire handed out to Gagné to step into the director’s chairman and maintain the show’s self -esteem through all the cut the iterations of GEMMA that we see. A major challenge was to make the visions about her and Mark’s relationship at an early time, one that feels as familiar and impossible as memory, less of a departure and more of a development of the show’s existing visual grammar on the wonderful 35mm film.
But “Chikhai Bardo” pressed Gagné and the entire production team “severance pay” in interesting directions, with a mixture of more simplified settings and ambitious effects in the camera. The result is a section that keeps us up to date with Lumon’s hopes for the world Gemma will “do” while showing us how much of a miracle world where people can talk normally is – at least when there is someone you love in it.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Indiewire: With section 7, was it a moment that you knew you wanted to go into the director’s chairman for this one?
Jessica Lee Gagné:I don’t think anyone knew it. It was this type of individual section, I think, and (co -author) Mark Friedman and I worked very closely together. He was like, “Ok, obviously you are very visual and good technically; let’s talk.” He wanted this to feel like a whirlwind and I was like, “I got you. I know how to do it.” It was the fun with it because we got to work on what scenes would gather and all this. The other producers on the show.
But I never – I didn’t want to do this. I was not interested in directing. I really blocked it, for fear of not being good enough. If I do something, I have this deeply rooted thing inside me that I need to be perfect. And you can’t be a perfect director. It’s just not possible. So I felt that the director was very, very scary. But then (the chance to direct) was offered me at the beginning of Prepping season 2. I said no. Then I read Synopsis (of section 7), and I really joined it. I was like, “wait wait. I think I’ll do this section. I think this is mine. ”
I put everything I had in this and it was at the end of shooting the rest of the show, too, and wanting the rest of the show to be good. Having to handle both of these partnerships with myself as my own DP and then being Ben’s supporting partner – we finished with Flashbacks (on Mark and Gemma’s house), and they were actually shot at the house I rented. So it was really personal.
I love that idea of a whirlwind for this section, visually. Can you talk a little about these flashbacks and expand the show’s visual language? How did you think and land about it and where did you take it?
Mark raised one of the references that meant a lot to me, and it is this Belgian film called “Close”. The colors and feeling of sun in that movie were (important) – and Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” was a reference (for) this magical Levity moment and this nostalgic feeling. There is also this photographer I love, Rinko Kawauchi, who makes photos of just flowers and lights and moons, just the things that are around us that we take for granted but are the symbols of life.
And to get to it it was about simplifying everything. I worked with another DP for (Shot On) Film stuff, Max Goldman, who was so cooperative and easy for me to work with. We had such a beautiful dialogue between us and he gave me good ideas as well. (And we went back to more of an indie style of film; a more Belgian movie, frankly. Even with the dinner scene I did not do several sizes on everyone. It was just one shot per person, and we tried to do more single-camera work, and it was very simple. Since I also had to do with the challenge with, OK, this Flashback must feel that it is the same movie (as “sev” as “as” sev “sev.
I feel that the secret with it, if I put my movie gift on again, is also in the framing, in a strange way. The way we compose on “departure” is still there. Although it is not like compensation, there is still the balance we want to look for in frames.
Yes, I think you feel it, especially in these extreme close -ups on the hands and blood that goes through the pipes and such. There is still the rather painful, observation focus that is “departure.”
You know, I said this to a couple of people, that I feel like in the first season of “severance”, especially, we feel through ground and everything – whether it is color, the sets, everything – comes from how he sees the world. Then during season 2 we get bigger, but that layer is still there. Because everyone is interrupted, in a way. When you come to this section, (it is) what life was before (Mark) did not allow themselves to feel, do you know? It was when he was open as a human being.
Yes, I think you feel that even on the quality of the image. This is a person who is Do better. Can I just ask about how you went by movie?
Well, I wanted to shoot 2-Perf (35mm movie) just because it would be economical and because I wanted the film’s structure to come out. So we didn’t go for anamor fish 4-perf, we went for spherical 2-perf and kept it really simple. I keep going back to the word simple because “departure” is so lush. Although it is an office matter, the picture is really rich and this was another structure. I also wanted something very tactile and physical and playful.
What photography on film does for a movie set is also a big part of it, to change the dynamics of set and how we approach the shot. Everyone must be on their toes. It was so many times that we were (competition) against sunset, but it was so fun. And there are things that are built into the camera.
We actually did the big, Wraparound Time-Lapse shot-which was like photography, basically-in the camera. When we came to the end and back to live movement, we flush the movie you do at school. If you stop the frame, you will see Gemma’s red dress disappear, and then it will be the dinner scene. There is no cut in the editing. Everything is overlap. I was like, “Maybe I should just have done it in the post,” but Ben always pushes on us to do things in the camera, so I was like “Let’s go for it.” It will not be more film school than that.
Wow. Especially because “Severrance” is a show – and I appreciate this about you – who want to get pictures last and get them to count. So for something to be so photographic and feel that the refugee feels like the perfect way to do that moment.
Won:It is – yes. It is the perfect medium. That’s all I have to say.
I would love to ask for sound. It is such a cool, interesting piece of structure, and I am curious about what it was like for you to work with things you may not necessarily stick together as DP.
The sound is one of the things I am most excited about the section, because when we shoot, do you not necessarily think about it, do you know? At “Severrance” much of the sound work happens later, and (in section 7) I got to work with the audio design team and be in the mix and go through what I tried to do in the section because it was so different. When I looked at the mixture, I was so moved. Because when you have sound, the moment is the director that you know the most. I cried at the end. I just couldn’t believe that I was given the opportunity to do this and it actually held up.
And the structure they brought to the Flashback scenes was this analog sound – I never said, “doing it analogously!” Or whatever; I just wanted it to be easier. But they (used) how the sound sounded before we had all these digital versions of movies, this very limited sound space that is more tactile. It blew my mind.
All the different shielded rooms are also horrible and fantastic. Can you talk about bringing these different flavors of claustrophobia and horror to them with the dich?
What was very interesting about working with the dich and for her to create this character – each room is another personality. Every room, her life experience is so different. You have to put yourself in your shoes on someone who basically lives these different things – the original ideas for the rooms came from Dan Erickson. He was like, “What are the things that I or people hate?” The dentist. Flying.
The Christmas card case, I think, is a personal thing for him, and (in that room), what was so interesting to me was the opportunity to make Gemma rebellious. I feel that you have to be like a teenager who is pissed because this guy is a bit trying to be nice – he had a completely different personality in that room, and they always fed each other pretty much, which was really fun to play with, because he could be so fricking and strange and trigger her. It is to see what comes out. In the specific scene, she got to play the angry teenager, which in the end is when she rebels and something drives him across the line.
Right, it sets her to run. When reflecting on the section, are there any director muscles that you would be happy to stretch again or that have informed you as DP? Something you realized by it?
Well, to realize that what I really want is to direct.
Hell yes.
Yes, I think I pretty much go away from cinematography in fiction. It was a personal journey for me. I would not change anything from my career. I am extremely proud of the work I have done and the people I have had to work with. I feel really grateful. And the 15 years of being a cinematographer and working with all the directors and crews I have worked with has made me who I am and the kind of director I will be. I embrace it and just go into the darkness without knowing what will happen.
The “Severance” season 2 releases new episodes every Friday.
