Imagine the workspace of Mad Men set in George Orwell’s 1984, and you’ve got Ben Stiller’s Severance.
What if you could separate your work life from your personal life? Severance is a show that explores this idea through office workers that agree to a procedure in which work experiences and memories are “severed” from those outside work.
It’s a smart concept that is brought to life through the masterful direction of Ben Stiller and the issues and possibilities of what could happen to the broken mind that is working for a broken corporation. The unique tone that is satirical and psychologically terrifying is patient in its approach to the climactic moments that push the story forward.
Stiller, production designer Jeremy Hindle, and cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné break down how they created the two worlds of Severance and the emotional effects that their fascinating labyrinthine has on the audience throughout the series.
Author: Alyssa Miller
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
