Loki Season 2 is a wonderful response to those who say Marvel is just a CGI fest, says show's cinematographer
Cinematographer Isaac Bauman says Loki Season 2 allowed technicians like him to push the stylistic and aesthetic boundaries hitherto associated with Marvel.
Loki, the show starring Tom Hiddleston in the titular role, may have been one of the most stylistic shows that have come out of Marvel Studios. Right from its first TV show, WandaVision(2021), Marvel has often tried to experiment with the look and feel of its long-form storytelling. (Also Read: ‘I can re-write the story,’ Loki gives fans goosebump moments in Episode 5)
In an exclusive interview, Loki Season 2 cinematographer Isaac Bauman talks about going ‘low-key’ on Loki, depicting various time periods and locations, and the criticism that Marvel content relies more on VFX than camera work. Excerpts:
Loki, the show, has become synonymous with low-key lighting. How much did you enjoy playing with light and shadow?
Yes, absolutely. We changed our lighting style a bit in Season 2, but it was still inspired by the lighting in Season 1. Also, a lot of the lighting is built into the set. We had the same production designer so there was that consistency. The first season, being so low-key, gave us more of a free hand because the precedent had already been set. Any cinematographer like me will embrace any opportunity to shoot low-key. We just like it. It's what cinematographers do. It gives you the ability to really craft a mood or an atmosphere. We wanted to take what they'd done in the first season and run with it.
How do you think the lens on Loki, the character, is different in this show than his appearances in the Avengers and Thor franchises?
I think it strikes the audience as fresh. I don't think they were expecting this show to have such a stylised presentation. So they were taken aback. I think that actually helped the writers and creators of the show to do something with the character. That fresh take on the aesthetic and the focus on low-key lighting, all of the stylistic trappings the first season brought, really told the audience that it's different. This isn't the MCU, and this isn't the Loki you've seen before. This is a whole new ballgame, the stakes have changed, anything can happen. I think by changing the aesthetic and opening the show up to a broader stylistic palette, it was basically saying, ‘You know what? Expect the unexpected.’
Loki oscillates between the present and the past. Did that allow you enough scope to push the envelope visually?
Absolutely. There are different time periods visited throughout the season. We try to do things that are unique to every time period. It's different from not just when they're at the TVA (Time Variance Authority), but different from the other time periods they visit. For example, in the third episode, when we go into the Chicago of 1800s, we've used for the first and the only time some long lenses. Because we wanted to evoke that old-school photography feel of things just bleeding into this out-of-focus region and the more vintage optical aesthetics. In London, in a chase scene with Tom, you'll actually see through the tunnels this cyanny, dark fluorescent lighting that you often see in other productions, but not in all of Loki Season 2 except for that one sequence. I had the opportunity to bring a lot of grime because London in 1960s was really grimy. So basically, we figured what images looked like, what the world looked in that time period, or what did movies being made at that time look like. And then we tried to model our approach after that.
Loki Season 1 was mostly shot in the studio. Did you enjoy filming the action outdoors in Season 2?
We actually didn't have too much location work in Season 2. Out of 90 days, maybe 7-8 days. I personally enjoy working in the studio because for me, it's all about control. As a cinematographer, my job is to create the image. That's tough to do on location. One of the locations we had was a bookstore. The director asked for a shaft of light coming in from the window in the background. But outside that window was someone's private backyard and beyond that were garages. There was no space to put the heavy equipment we required for that shaft of light. We managed to achieve it, but for all you know, there could've been a cliff outside the window. That's what happens when you visit locations – there are these beautiful windows, but when you look out of them, the ground just isn't there. So there's a tremendous amount of limitations that come into play when you're shooting on location. Location work is always a beautiful reminder of how lucky you are to shoot in the studio.
Finally, what's your response to those who say Marvel is a CGI show, and doesn't rely much on the cinematography?
Well, I'd say the proof is in the pudding. Watch Loki Season 2. It goes without saying it's a show driven by wonderful production design, writing, acting, and yes, the cinematography as well. We built four walls and a ceiling every time on that set. There's very little VFX work on Loki.
Loki Season 2 finale will drop in India this Thursday, November 9, on Disney+ Hotstar.
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