There are few shows as socially relevant as HBO’s Euphoria. The Zendaya-helmed series is one of the most talked-about and debated shows on television. The show follows Rue (Zendaya) and her friends as they navigate the trials and traumas of adolescence. While it has garnered notoriety due to its explicit content and depictions of teenage drug use, Euphoria has won praise for its acting and cinematography. Marcell Rév, the show’s Director of Photography, is in charge of creating a world lush in color and haze. To pull it off and bring all the elements together, Rév relies on the film crew’s ability to communicate and work as a team. As Season 2 ends with a shocking finale, let’s examine which features go into making Euphoria as visually stunning as it is.
Use of Color
Emotion can be hard to convey without speaking. One of the ways directors and cinematographers communicate the emotional state of characters is through colors. Euphoria‘s world is saturated in color with palettes of purple and blue with undertones of green and yellow. Based on the character’s mood at the moment, the color shifts; when Rue is depressed or struggling, she’s enveloped in jade and citrine. When she’s happy or manic, violet and lilac dominate the screen. The exaggeration of color is a reflection of the heightened emotions of teenagers. “It’s not really based on realism. We called it ‘emotional realism’ that’s more based on the characters’ emotions, and not how the world surrounding them really looks,” Rév explained in an interview with Deadline.
Next Steps: Learn more about color in film with “Developing a Color Vocabulary” in Module 3, From Script to Wrap, in Film & TV Industry Essentials.
Possible Careers: Film Colorist, Storyboard Artist, Cinematographer
Lighting
Proper lighting in television and film ensures that footage captured during principal photography is viable. Lighting is also crucial at accentuating colors. The crew deployed blue backlights and yellow-tinted streetlights to enhance night scenes in Euphoria. During party scenes, red and blue lights are standard. Despite the show’s use of LED lights, Rév insists that the show is a bit more traditional than most assume. “We’re using the advantage of the SkyPanels, and LED lights. But I think it seems more like an LED-lit show than it is. Most of the time, it’s old school lighting and a lot of big lightboxes and special light rigs that our rigging crew is suffering from a lot.”
In the show’s second season, Rév and director Sam Levinson decided to make the switch from digital to actual film and used 35mm Kodak Ektachrome. The intent was to give season two a distinct look from its predecessor, and create a world that felt more detached. “Season one was very in the moment, and had a present feel to it. [Season 2] feels like some sort of memory of high school,” Rév explained.
Next Steps: Go in depth on proper film & TV lighting with the “Principal Photography” lesson in Module 3, From Script to Wrap, in Film & TV Industry Essentials.
Possible Careers: Gaffer, Grip, Best Boy/Girl (1st assistant to Key Grip and Gaffer)
Movement
One of the hallmarks of Euphoria is camera movement. The camera is in nearly constant motion, going from character to character. Most television shows complete scenes by getting multiple takes and piecing them together in post-production. But Euphoria employs a combination of long tracking shots, wall cutouts, cast movement, and camera rigging. “For camera movements, we wanted it to have a certain energy that ties the different storylines together. So, I would say the camera movement is the glue in the show, that glues it together,” said Rév.
Next Steps: Explore the importance of movement and check out “Pacing” in Module 3, From Script to Wrap, in Film & TV Industry Essentials.
Possible Careers: Camera Operator, Grip
Are you interested in a career in cinematography or gaffer? Download Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Film Career Guide.
