Ben Stiller explains howSeveranceachieves its subtle innie-outie transformation. Stiller serves as one of the show’s executive producers, and directs the majority of the episodes. The Emmy-winning series aired season 1 in winter 2022 before taking a nearly three-year gap. Now,Severanceseason 2is back, and it is back with a vengeance as the main quartet of Helly R., Dylan G., Mark S., and Irving B. return to their desks at Lumon to uncover more truths behind the corrupt sci-fi company.
In an interview withVanity Fair, Stiller speaks about the effect used to create the transition between innie and outie. Stiller explains thatthey use an effect employed by Alfred Hitchcock inVertigo, where the lens zooms out while the camera pushes in, or the lens zooms in while the camera is going further back. They combine this with some physical acting from Adam Scott, who explained that he rolls back his eyes for the shot. Check out the full explanation from Stiller and Scott below:
Stiller:So basically this is like our zolly move, that we use to show the transiting between innie to outie or outie to innie. If its outie to innie, the camera is zooming out on Adam [Scott] while its pushing in, to end up with a wider lens image of Adam. If its going from innie to outie, its starting in on a wider lens, and going out, and zooming in. So the camera’s pushing back but the lens is getting tighter. This is not something that we invented. Alfred Hitchcock used it in Vertigo. Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest shots in film history in Jaws. And then, what Adam does with his eyes. How do you do that with your eyes?
Scott:I just roll them back. That was actually your idea. We did a lot of trial and error trying to figure out how exactly to portray this transition from outie to innie or vice versa. You had the idea of the eyes maybe rolling back, and and that seemed to work, and we just eventually found it.
Stiller:And your change in your sort of physicality from the innie to the outie, or the outie to the innie.
What This Means For Severance
Severance Is Thoughtful In Its Techniques
WhileSeverance’s innie to outie and outie to innie transitions are iconic, it is interesting to know how Stiller honors the directors who came before him. Looking at theiconicJawsshot after seeingSeverance, one can see the similarities in the effect and the implications on a character’s psyche. While this means that theSeverancecamera technique is not original, the fact that Stiller brought in this tactic shows how thoughtful he is being thoughtful with his directorial choices in the series.
Severance’s Season 2 Premiere Hints At A Dark Twist For Mark’s Outie After Season 1’s Ending
The mysterious elevator scenes in Severance season 2, episode 1 suggest that Lumon Industries might have done something to Mark’s outie.
The highly technical nature of the shot also keeps theSeverancesequence consistent every time. This was not a cinematographic technique that the team found by chance, but rather a highly choreographed moment. Because this transition happens in nearly every episode of the series, and sometimes multiple times per episode, it needs to be uniform to make sense. Once Stiller settled on a method, he and the other directors stuck with that,creating the subtle transitionseen in bothSeveranceseason 1and season 2.
Scott’s Physical Acting Is Phenomenal
Image via Apple TV+
I find that one of the most fascinating aspects of the transition is how Scott’s acting performance ties into the camera movement. The visual effect is strong, but it would not be nearly as effective without Scott doing the eyes rolled back in the head effect that he and Stiller came to together. WatchingSeverance, one can really feel how Scott is creating that difference in “physicality” to his characters that are outside and inside Lumon, providing the show with its intriguing and tortured protagonist.
Cast
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
