‘Severance’ Director Ben Stiller on Innies, Outies, Goats and Season 2

Nobody needed to get a chip implanted of their mind to get pleasure from “Severance,” however followers of the present skilled their very own model of Innies and Outies this 12 months: The second earlier than they tuned in for the mind-bending Apple TV+ collection, and every part that got here after.

Government producer and director Ben Stiller, who helmed the vast majority of Season 1, discovered a approach to nail down the present’s advanced tone and life contained in the its Lumon company. So what’s on his thoughts because the present strikes past that shocker of a finale?

The present has such a novel tone to it — there’s this commentary on office tradition, components of thriller and all these totally different elements which are bizarre and humorous and unhappy.

What had been your conversations like with collection creator Dan Erickson about ensuring all of that was represented absolutely?

Dan and I talked in regards to the actuality degree of the present so much, by way of with the ability to imagine this world that they had been in. However tonally, it was all there on the web page by way of the sensation of those characters on this place and the essential concept that he had arrange, which is that [the Innies] don’t actually know who they’re, and so they don’t actually query it. They know they’ve been informed that they’ve Outies and so they’ve been informed that they’re working at this place and their Outies put them there. However because it’s the one existence they know, that premise was at all times beneath every part.

I don’t know if I might’ve informed you once we began making it that the sensation that you simply get from watching the present now would’ve been what I assumed it [was] once we began engaged on it. I assumed it is likely to be a bit bit extra comedic, a bit bit extra mild, and it simply ended up going that approach. A whole lot of that was additionally within the casting and the internal lives that the actors had been bringing to the characters. It simply made it clear to me like, we have now to essentially lean into that as a result of there’s extra there than you would possibly assume. And I feel that modified as we made it.

Adam Scott’s casting additionally felt so sensible as a result of he’s related to office comedies like “Parks and Rec” and “Occasion Down.” What made him the appropriate particular person to play Mark?

After I began studying the script, he instantly popped into my head — and I feel it’s for that cause, I had that picture of him. I’d labored with him earlier than and have been a fan of his, however I feel that persona he brings to that sort of present and that sort of comedy, figuring out that he, as any actor, has a lot extra to supply than what we normally see of their hottest work.

Adam has at all times chosen to do deeper stuff too that’s exterior of what individuals would possibly know him for. I knew that he had that in him, and I assumed the shock of the present could be having somebody like him in that. Since you settle into that comedic rhythm and that sort of a man, however then there’s a lot different stuff the present goes to enter that you simply wouldn’t count on. I knew that he might do it, in my thoughts, higher than anybody else on this position. It simply felt to me he could be the man who would perceive that. And when he first learn it, he had the identical response. I knew that he obtained it in the identical approach.

Let’s discuss your camerawork decisions, as a result of lots of it actually amplified the sentiments of surveillance and detachment that we get all through.

An enormous query within the present was at all times, how a lot are they being watched? … What are the principles by way of safety right here? And what number of safety individuals are there? And are they being watched on a regular basis? Are they being listened to? There are clearly story factors associated to that, so we had been continuously questioning that. And we simply thought it might be good to have a really chilly, goal feeling to the way in which that the hallways had been shot down there, wider angle lenses than we used up within the Outie world — a sense of starkness down there, and rigidity.

As a result of there’s lots of scenes within the hallways, lots of scenes in MDR, it’s simply making an attempt to determine what are creative methods to do that with out getting too loopy. After which every scene with the actors begins to dictate the way you shoot throughout the guidelines that you simply’ve established.

You established this surroundings with the viewers, figuring out that you simply’ll then get to bend it with issues just like the Waffle Occasion and the Music Dance Expertise. How enjoyable was that to mess around with?

I used to be trying ahead to that as a result of I assumed, “OK, if individuals are shopping for into the collection and this world, the concept that swiftly, seven episodes in, the ceiling lights [going] multicolored could be an enormous occasion as a result of little issues imply a lot to all people there.” And the concept that the lights have at all times had that capacity to show totally different colours and that’s been there the entire time, however we haven’t been conscious of it, I assumed was a enjoyable concept.

The beauty of the chances of what Dan has arrange is that you would go down one hallway and open a door and there’s an entire different world there.

The finale had so many revelations and that main cliffhanger. How did you guys come to the choice to depart issues the place you probably did?

The unique first season went additional. That was a dialogue that we had over the course of the writing interval once we had been formulating the season and speaking about what number of solutions to present. And I’ve at all times felt there needs to be a sure pacing to the present that enables for these smaller occasions to develop into a lot larger, as a result of that’s at all times been what’s fascinating about this world, for these individuals which are dwelling this form of monotonous life after which swiftly one thing will occur.

I additionally thought that the thriller of what they’re doing [at Lumon], Mark and Gemma, resolving all these issues, needs to be one thing that takes a while. What we got here to was, this could possibly be a approach to finish the season the place we’ve allowed them to get to the floor; Mark’s gotten to fulfill Ricken, and lots of issues have occurred. He discovered his sister after which there’s this nice realization. After which we finish the season. We couldn’t determine a approach to go a lot additional than that with out going too far and revealing an excessive amount of.

You possibly can’t say a lot, however are you able to inform us what you’re fascinated by because the story strikes ahead in Season 2?

I feel that the most important factor is how one can keep all these issues by way of the sensation of the present, whereas on the similar time increasing the world for the reason that finish of the final episode. We’ve introduced Mark and Irving and Helly to the floor, and I feel these are storylines that individuals are going to be enthusiastic about. So, it’s going to be determining that steadiness. We’re writing and prepping proper now to shoot in October.

OK, however will we discover out extra in regards to the goats?

Dan mentioned sure on the Comedian-Con panel, so I assume I can! Sure. There’s no approach the goats are there for no cause.