ComingSoon was given the chance to talk with cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné, who mentioned her work on the Apple TV+ collection Severance. Gagné had an early and important affect on the look of Severance, particularly as a result of her working type with Stiller is considered one of open collaboration. They’re a powerful inventive match and love most of the identical films, significantly 70s cinema.
Moreover, Gagné served as sole cinematographer for all 9 episodes, performing as a inventive throughline for the present’s putting aesthetic. Sustaining that aesthetic for 9 episodes straight — every one 40-57 minutes lengthy —is a towering feat. The work paid off. Severance was renewed for a second season on April 6, two days forward of its lauded season finale, and the present presently sits at a near-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Jeff Ames: What led you to the world of cinematography?
Jessica Lee Gagné: Oh, that’s an enormous query. Properly, once I was rising I might work and play in my dad’s video retailer and I might go to the films to observe quite a lot of movies, largely American movies with my household. That was a fairly large a part of our life. Subconsciously I feel I used to be coaching myself to make films. I didn’t realize it was a factor to make films. Nobody in my household was creative and there was no manufacturing expertise of any variety. So, it took me some time to appreciate this was an actual profession. I made a decision I wished to review movie once I was 17 once I learn this system at school that you can examine this.
Cinematography got here later once I was at college in Montreal once I was about 20 and realized that I used to be very a lot obsessive about cameras and aesthetics and I couldn’t get out of that.
Was there a cinematographer who actually impressed you and knowledgeable your type?
When it clicked that I appreciated cinematography, which was midway by means of college — earlier than it was extra about administrators for me — Gordon Willis was my greatest love when it comes to cinematography. His work, particularly with [Alan J.] Pakula for me was simply defining of cinematography. It actually imprinted one thing in me.
So, together with your type particularly, how have you ever developed over time main as much as Severance?
Once I first began, my thoughts was centered on doing as a lot as you may — and do it! Truly do it and also you’ll get higher at it. I used to be actually unconscious about my work at first as a result of I wasn’t getting the outcomes that I wished and didn’t know easy methods to use the instruments. I began working as a cinematographer proper off the bat. I didn’t do the rest.
So, my first film and quick movies — I used to be concerned with lots of quick movies — they had been trials and errors and actually about studying easy methods to do stuff. I all the time went in not likely figuring out easy methods to do issues. I acted like I knew easy methods to do it, like I had a sure confidence and that allowed me to do it. However it took many initiatives to get to the place I’m now. I didn’t shoot many music movies or many commercials. I undoubtedly didn’t go down that path. I wished to make films. It’s what drove me to be on this trade. So, I began making quick movies that grew to become longer movies. And the truth that I used to be really doing that helped speed up my path within the fiction world, and have a sure confidence whereas doing it.
I feel quite a lot of younger cinematographers don’t wish to do something except it’s good. I used to be like, “I simply wish to make films.” I really feel like my errors are all there. You may see all of them. However these errors have made me the cinematographer I’m in the present day. I admire each single factor that I’ve carried out.
Did on a regular basis you spent engaged on movies make engaged on Severance simpler?
Nobody has ever requested me that, but it surely adjustments every little thing. I used to be by no means intimidated by the size or dimension of initiatives, as a result of every little thing led as much as the following one. Each single venture introduced me the following one or typically actually bizarre connections. The truth that I stored rising and rising and pushing myself, I used to be continuously comfy with it. Escape at Dannemora was the primary time that made me intimidated largely due to the star energy, however the dimension of the units weren’t intimidating as a result of I had labored in India an enormous film with large units with a whole bunch of individuals. Generally there have been round 300 individuals on set.
I stored having these wonderful experiences come to me and I feel it’s as a result of I used to be channeling desirous to work on American films since I used to be ten. I grew up watching American stuff and I knew I wished to make these form of larger initiatives as a result of they had been imprinted on me as a baby. Now, it’s fascinating to form of rethink what I would like when it comes to authenticity. However it’s what I’m comfy with, it’s what I grew up watching.
Individuals don’t actually see that in me, they see this one who comes from an Indie world. I labored with quite a lot of actually obscure filmmakers however I by no means actually related or felt like I had a powerful connection till I labored with Ben [Stiller], as a result of he channels the place I actually wished to go as a filmmaker. This is likely to be too intense of a dialog [laughs], but it surely’s the place I’m comfy. I’m very comfy with this sort of storytelling. I simply see it.
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What had been a number of the challenges you confronted on Severance?
Covid was the primary problem, I might say. We began Severance earlier than Covid, I began in October of 2019. I had simply completed That is America. We had carried out the New York portion and I went straight to researching visuals for Severance. That was additionally laborious, not having a break. The machine begins to ramp up and we had been a couple of month away from capturing after which Covid hit and nobody knew what was taking place. That course of, after which coming again to work with crew who had been afraid — nobody knew what was actually happening. After which having to be in an surroundings the place you’re capturing and coping with the stress of testing day-after-day, questioning, “Oh my gosh, am I going to check constructive, I’m not going to see anybody on as of late, I’m going to be remoted.” The entire isolation portion of Covid was the toughest a part of Severance. It affected every little thing we did.
I learn you based mostly your visuals for Severance on “Workplace” by Lars Tunbjörk. Are you able to discuss that?
I do quite a lot of visible analysis, it’s a part of my course of. I’m a visualizer. I’ve all the time been like that. Once I discover the visible I would like, I do know straight away. I really feel the identical approach about cameras and lenses. Once I put the lens on the digital camera, I do that analysis initially by myself. I’ve a sense inside and all of it traces up. I get actually excited.
I went to this photograph truthful and I discovered Tunbjörk’s ebook. Up till that time — that was within the fall of 2019, it was earlier than I began engaged on the present in September – and I texted Ben straight away and I’m like, “Oh my god, that is it. I get it proper now.” I hadn’t actually gotten it and when that got here by means of it actually opened the door for workplace pictures. I additionally began taking a look at Lewis Baltz who has a ebook referred to as “Websites of Expertise,” which is tremendous fascinating. You may see quite a lot of the aesthetic in Severance in there. After which Lynne Cohen got here to thoughts, which is a photographer I believed was actually cool once I was in class at Concordia. She was a superb photographer.
A whole lot of these visuals got here by means of when Ben, Jeremy (the manufacturing designer), and I bonded over these bizarre photos. Like, “Oh my gosh, wouldn’t it’s cool to have an area that has a water fountain,” I don’t know, no matter, but it surely was actually enjoyable to discover. It was like a brand new language.
Engaged on all 9 episodes, did that make it harder to search out distinctive methods to shoot these areas?
Properly, at first I didn’t wish to do Severance, however considered one of my circumstances was that I wanted to shoot all 9 episodes [laughs]. Ben wasn’t certain about doing all of them after which Aoife [McArdle] got here on they usually break up them up – Ben did six, Aoife did three – and I used to be like, “No matter occurs, I have to shoot each episode.” I knew somebody wanted to be there visually the complete time. There have been a few scenes I didn’t do {that a} buddy of mine named Matt Mitchell got here on to do, as a result of Ben and Aoife shoot on the identical time. I might select which scenes I might do with every of them based mostly on significance after which typically Ben might override that, however in the end I wished to do as a lot of it as doable. That was to verify the present was repeatedly evolving and that it made sense linearly as an entire piece.
To return to your query about being intimidated by an even bigger present like that, when it comes to episodes and quantity of labor — that’s every little thing that drives me to do tv. I’ve carried out I don’t know what number of quick movies, 9 films and that is my third collection and I’m excited concerning the problem of evolving all through a present. Placing the viewers by means of a journey and having them develop visually all through the entire thing. That’s laborious to do this when you’ve gotten 5 completely different administrators and three cinematographers, which is what occurred on Mrs. America.
Taking pictures all 9 episodes made it simpler, I feel. Ben and I discovered lots from it. It wasn’t all the time simple for both Ben or Aoife, and perhaps I used to be being egocentric, however in the end I believed it was what the present wanted.
Are there any visible motifs you need audiences to concentrate to as they watch Season 1?
I simply did an interview and have talked about this a few times, however one thing fascinating that occurred on Severance — and I don’t know if we ever totally stated something to one another — however we knew a lot what this present was going to appear to be and as soon as we began doing it, it was like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s Severance.” We knew the inside world was very security-based aesthetically, however I additionally don’t assume I noticed how a lot the skin world was security-based and pushed. There’s this fixed “You’re being watched” aesthetic inside Severance, and I feel we achieved that actually effectively. And on the skin world, there’s a lot there … it’s simply completely different.
