'The Man in the High Castle' Season 2 Spoilers and Release Date: Cinematographer, VFX Supervisor Reveal How They Achieved the Emmy-Nominated Look [WATCH]
The first season of "The Man in the High Castle" received praises for its intriguing storyline, topnotch cinematography and sophisticated visual effects. With the Season 2 coming this December, the people behind the popular Amazon series face the challenge to sustain its quality.
Cinematographer James Hawkinson and VFX supervisor Jeff Baksinski recently revealed how they achieved the critically acclaimed look of the dystopian alternative history drama. Their works in the pilot season of the show both made them earn their first-ever Emmy nomination.
Retro yet Futuristic
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In a web interview with Gold Derby, Hawkinson disclosed that the Amazon drama series was an exciting project to work on. He said that their goal from the very beginning was to create a vintage look with some futuristic touches.
To achieve their vision, Hawkinson narrated that they rely on the novel of Phillip K. Dick, the original source material of the television series. He stressed that they played on Dick's depiction in the novel by creating a look that is "familiar, nostalgic, yet completely foreign and strange."
Reimagining New York & San Francisco
In another web interview, Baksinski looked back at the challenge of creating visual effects for the television series that imagines America in 1962 had the Nazis won the Second World War. He revealed that he needed to create the New York and San Francisco cityscapes almost entirely from scratch.
Baksinski recounted that they paid attention to details by imagining what building would never have been built and what infrastructure Germany would have been built differently. He also added that they needed to modify the modern crosswalks of the roads to fit on the look of the series.
The VFX supervisor stated that there was a need to be detail-oriented because the television viewers at present are getting smarter. He stressed that the audience does not anymore want to see a TV show with visual effects that are akin to video games.
Season 2 Spoilers & Plot Details
Hawkinson and Baksinski both did not give a preview on how the upcoming season would look like. But Hawkinson's statements implied that Amazon will continue to work hard to maintain the quality of the series.
Hawkinson said that producing great cinematography for a television series is a revolution that is currently happening. He added that he is pleased to be a part of the great craftsmen who are revolutionizing television shows.
Per USA Today, executive producer David Zucker hinted that the new season will have an expansive and unpredictable storyline. It will highlight the consequences that Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) has to deal with after betraying the Resistance.
The sophomore season will have 10 episodes. It will premiere on Prime Video on Dec. 16.
