Severance Season 2’s Disorienting Opening Scene Took Months to Create

Severance is again, and although season two is just one episode in, followers are already formulating theories about what’s really going on as Apple TV+’s sci-fi thriller enters its subsequent chapter. We’ll must be affected person because the puzzle items drop within the weekly launch, however the season premiere’s opening scene units up the breathless, disorienting path that the characters—particularly Adam Scott’s Mark S.—will likely be touring as they search to unravel the mysteries behind Lumon Industries.

In a brand new video from Vainness Honest, govt producer Ben Stiller, who additionally directed season premiere “Whats up, Ms. Cobel,” and star Scott go behind the scenes of that frantic sequence. It took 4 to 5 months to finish and concerned extra particular results and logistical maneuvering than Severance often requires.

Because the pair explains, Mark takes off operating as quickly as he steps off the elevator—again in his “innie” mindspace for the primary time since realizing his Lumon co-worker Ms. Casey is definitely Gemma, the spouse his “outie” believes was killed in a automotive crash—as a result of his first impulse is to search out Ms. Casey and share this unbelievable discovery together with her.

However the path to the wellness room proves way more of a journey than the viewer has ever realized. Lumon’s severed flooring seems like a miles-long maze of stark white corridors and right-angle turns.

Whereas Mark’s so assured he is aware of the best way he’s capable of dash there, capturing his mad sprint was way more technically difficult than merely following Scott round with a Steadicam. It concerned a cumbersome piece of digicam gear known as a “bolt arm,” in addition to a patchwork of photographs of the hallway set at any time when it was set as much as assist the sequence—and a treadmill for Scott in sure locations.

“We don’t like to make use of visible results an excessive amount of within the present by way of creating backgrounds and environments,” Stiller says. “However we wanted to for this shot due to the bolt arm taking on all of the house.”

The video goes on to elucidate why Stiller didn’t use a Steadicam (it will have been “too cumbersome” for the operator to make use of whereas maintaining with Mark’s escalating tempo), in addition to how Scott knew at any time when he’d be filming a portion of the high-intensity scene when he was requested which taste of Gatorade he most popular.

“We at all times felt that we actually wished to kick off the season in a approach that may be thrilling and enjoyable, and sort of give a sign of the place we had been going for season two,” Stiller says. “[The shot] felt like, ‘All proper, we’re gonna point out to the viewers that that is some new stuff taking place.”

Oh, and that dude who pops up behind Mark as soon as he reaches the previous wellness room? Scott and Stiller level him out within the video, however don’t reveal something extra about his id. Add that to your ever-growing record of theories! New episodes of Severance arrive Fridays on Apple TV+.

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