who wrote the triquetra notebook? Were just consumed 24 hours a day and never take the time to sit down and just think, oh, I am. We were doing research for something completely different, I actually dont even remember what the research was for. You have to open doors with your left hand. We always think we have to answer everything. I cant tell you exactly at what point; it wasnt in the first rough concept, but I think it was during the writers room on the first draft in Season 1, said Friese. "We always think we have. They have to realize that, yes, we suffer and we have pain and desires, but we two are not so important that we must exist so someone else cant be happy. There are so many ideas and concepts out in the world, said Friese. And then, looking at expression and body language, and all these things, you get an understanding of the performance. Andreas Pietschmann plays Captain Eye Larsen in 1899. Also the same as we did in Season 2 where we put a little bit focus on different characters like Claudia and Egon, were going to do the same in Season 3 and call some people up that had smaller parts. ", Triangular symbols, such as those used in alchemy to denote the four elements, have popped up in the promo materials for the show so far. If they are right-handed, they had to act with their left-hand, though it would appear as though they are right-handed. And we're just waiting for the moment where someone shows up and says, 'April Fool's! See how the filmmakers used Volume to create a story at sea. So I felt thats something to give.. We asked creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar as many of those questions as we could. We really want it to be a great experience for them and not make it too easy. Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, who also created the streamer's hit 'Dark, are back with another meta mystery, this time set on a migrant steamer at the turn of 19th century. How did the actors react to working in this new virtual space? Then you start putting characters into that idea, but they might feel a bit one-dimensional, so you get some ideas for the plot and you work it in. That was a challenge I really loved. In the middle, there may be some ideas that are more loosely thrown in. Jantje Friese (born 1977) is a German film producer and screenwriter known for co-creating the Netflix series Dark (2017-2020) and 1899 (2022) with her creative and romantic partner Baran bo Odar. I still think that young Katharina is related to Old Katharina now because they just look the same. Thats already in minute 10, 11. 1899 also has a unique sound because, fitting with the theme of Europe you were talking about, you decided to have all your actors speak in their native languages. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. The two resulting timelines are more than just metaphorical reflections of each other. Here are all these hints who will figure out [what] at what moment? bo OdarI think we learned a lot to be honest, because it is a new tool. One bad idea weve definitely said is not going to happen is that1899is related toDark. They have something almost like emoticons at the end of every sentence, in order to understand how that sentence is meant. Youre crossing into a new century, stepping from something that feels old school to something new the future. It would have felt like selling our souls and not delivering on what we wanted to do [if we had more seasons]. I think thats awesome. In the Eliott Sumner version we use in the title sequence, the line that features so prominently is feed your head. That was such an important phrase for the entire show that it felt like the absolute right fit. You really had a problem letting go, I think, Friese added., Yes. It's really a long, long process. This time travel paradox of creating a closed causal loop, where the origins of something cannot be determined such as the chicken and the egg, is introduced in Season 2 to set the groundwork for such mind-blowing revelations. 1899just has a different structure. Dozens of questions swirling around your brain about what actually happened? And yes, Martha and Jonas, thats the big centerpiece of it all.. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Baran bo Odar: As we have so many different timelines and characters, we would figure out things like, if we use a certain color in this decade, we wont use it in another one. And he's not just talking major landscapes, but also more intimate set pieces, too. Go Behind the Cutting-Edge Technology of 1899. Odar:Thats the purest geometrical form you use to create all the other forms. It was such an interesting challenge. The former show, after all, spawned a worldwide cult following of fans eager to untangle Dark's knots, and the idea for 1899 first sprung up after Dark's first season. With1899, because were on a ship, and its constantly moving, the camera is too. We looked at all the characters and tried to find out whats really important, what we need to deliver.. "Because in their arc, the narrative is straightforward. Sign up here for our weekly Streamail newsletter to get streaming recommendations delivered straight to your inbox. It definitely has a new look: Not like green screen but also not the same as a classic set, something very much its own thing. Writing is really about going back and forth between all three of them. Teases Friese, "There's definitely a core theme in the center of 1899, as well, and it's basically looking at that core theme through a narrative, but it's not time travel. Having watched the first six episodes [of1899], it appears to be a bit less complicated thanDark. The casting director did a fantastic job. Our idea was always to do Greek tragedy below it even though its a sci-fi show, a mystery show, in its core, its really about human relationships and how fucked up they can be.. People are constantly moving in the frame than rather the very stiff mise-en-scne we used inDark. When the crew decides to board the Prometheus, things take a horrific, and decidedly weird, turn. It's Me, Margaret' to 'R.M.N. ", "We're really bad at celebrating ourselves," he added. Its really mind-opening and I personally still read stuff and Im really blown away. ", Odar explained that, if you're looking to keep track of everything, follow the symbols. I think we we focused on the stuff where we just personally felt it adds to the overall mystery and we need to deliver the ending. Originally there had been considerations to convert the material into a film. I went back three days after the end of shooting because I was really not feeling well, to be honest. At the same time, the refugee crisis was happening in Europe [around 2015/2016] and it was a very unstable phase. For two or four weeks I was completely lost to the world.. The largest LED "Volume" of its kind in Europe, it unlocks the ability to capture a significant amount of complex visual effects shots in-camera through virtual sets and locations created with game engine technology, as opposed to a traditional green screen. Thats crazy because that like, usually you have to look for for nose [physiology] because thats the most [obvious] pointing thing.. What do all the triangles and pyramids mean? Then if you know something about simulation or content creation in that space, maybe youdo understand what that means in our context. So you didnt have to really change the way that youre shooting; you can do the shot and the reverse shot in one day, which was really helpful. And in that script note, there would be a meta-conversation about language. Did the actors all know about the ending? Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Its very simple. Come along for the ride! Even a camera is a tool for me, I love to play around with it, or with a lens. And then we try to find a world of symbols that all ties into our theme," she says. How difficult was it for you, Baran, given that I assume you dont speak all, what, 10-12 languages your actors do? So where does the show go in Season 3? If you leave enough open for people to pour their own creativity into it in that way, it lives. You can try that for a day, and its really awkward to do if youre not left-handed. Dark only really got complicated in seasons two and three. Dark is a show that certainly invites a certain kind of theorizing. How did the script work did you write in German and then have things translated? I think its a very individual thing. But now Im fine. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. Your past is always pushing you into the direction you're going, while at the same time the future is pulling you. Its heart-wrenching and really put a lot of press pressure on Season 2. And. Fox Says Battle With Parkinsons Disease Keeps Getting Tougher: Im Not Going to Be 80, Channel Your Inner Queen Charlotte with This Star-Loved British Brands Exclusive Skincare Kit, Naomi Watts Just Wore These Under-$100 PJs from Two Star-Loved Brands And Theyre the Perfect Mothers Day Gift for Stylish Travelers, The Best Signet Rings for Adding a Red Carpet-Ready Touch to Your Jewelry Stack, The Best Gifts New Moms Really Want, From Cozy Robes to Virtual Escapes, James Gunns Guardians: How Chris Pratt and His Marvel Castmates Rescued Their Directors Career, The Whispers Behind NBCUniversals Jeff Shell Firing, Diane Keaton: Youre Gonna Pray to Get Off This Call, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. When it came time for Martha (Lisa Vicari) to take on some of the some iconography that in previous seasons was associated with Jonas (Louis Hofmann), that exchange between the two main characters made for a moment that forced them and series co-creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar to recalibrate a little. Speaking as someone with a German wife who doesnt get irony, Id love to have an emoticon to end my sentences. "I would say it's a drama mystery show, or maybe a mystery thriller. I makes it very difficult.. In the next phase I actually put it in pen. The quote in the song from Emily Dickinsons poem, in the beginning, is really about experiencing all this weird shit going through your brain. So, as I said, we learned a lot. All these hints subconsciously or consciously trigger something in your head. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! I mean, we're always mixing genres, but the DNA is not per se a horror show.". What were some of the touchstones you used when designing the series? And the rest is just virtual in it, even with digital extras, which we used for the first time, which they didn't on Mandalorian. Friese knows the reason for his injury and eye patch, but wouldnt reveal what happened. Stairs that go from left to right, they now go from right to left. Thats the fun of it. So hopefully, ultimately, that is happening. No, I didn't,'" he said. The German creators of the cult mystery-thriller Dark forced their viewers to trust them. Even if the hair color is lighter or if they have freckles, then that kind of a hint. But in the end, it turned out to be way easier than we thought, because theres a sort of universal language, without words, going on while youre communicating with someone. These meet-cutes will bring on all the feels. Speaking how we think French people would speak. Netflix was even kind enough to share a 10-minute catch-up video in the week ahead of the final season's release. This Article is related to: Television and tagged Dark, Jantje Friese, Netflix, TV Interviews. Was it a challenge for the actors themselves, who are often performing opposite someone whose language they dont understand? One is theme, the other is character and the other is plot. If seeing an entire reality flipped in the last season of Dark seemed jarring, know that it felt just as dissonant to the people helping to bring it to life. You might have an answer, and its very personal. Im still not sure about the percentage, but its probably 10 percent [of the mysteries] we are not goiong to answer just for the fun of it, but they will be smaller. And then you try to find ways to incorporate it throughout the story.". I had phonetic scripts, and I was constantly looking at the monitor and reading along, trying to follow the dialogue, which is hard in French, because theyre so fast, and is super hard in Cantonese, because that language feels like its from some other world. It was a really awkward feeling that day, Odar said. We already have ideas for a second and third season on 1899, and it gets complicated. From Barbie to The Flash, Here Are the Movies That Made the Biggest Impact at CinemaCon. 2023 Emmys Predictions: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie, We actually mirrored all the images that take place in a mirrored world, which means you mirror the sets. What kind of symbols do you use? Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Mysteries about characters allegiances or motives are hard to separate from their ties to family fates. In an interview on Zoom, the Playtech team spoke to the producers and some of the cast of the psychological thriller 1899. . How does it feel to be almost in a prison, because you cant get out of yourself? You can never give a satisfying answer. With that being said, is there still a story to tell in the universe of Dark, or do you feel closed at this point? Honestly, the most difficult people to find were women [older than middle age]. America So She Could Breastfeed Privately, Michael J. In other [projects] weve done before, we dont like to end on a dot. We also decided to shoot that scene on the very, very last shooting day. We dont think theres only one answer to a thing. . Its the same word in English and German. "To create worlds you need to create patterns, and the best way to create patterns is by using symbols," he said. But usually, its the theme that starts the whole process. What we learned was that using the Volume studio, the mid-ground is everything. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Per the official synopsis, what they will find on board will turn their passage to the promised land into a horrifying nightmare. You see Adam blowing wind on the one world, and on the other, you see Eva blowing wind on the other world. One may be desperate to see the world the duo has created for 1899, the teams new Netflix series, but could also be slightly worried their brain might not be able to handle it. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Im obsessed with history, seeing how everything is related to each other, seeing the reasons for things. Everything is planned in that one holy book. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. You can change anything. In the series, a boy goes missing in the small German town of Winden, and as the series unspools, viewers learn that secrets, time travel, and a metaphysical battle between good and evil are behind that mystery. So theres always a tone in the end, which all mean something different. A scene from Netflixs 1899 in the Dark Bay LED Volume studio at Studio Babelsberg, Willie Nelson Turns 90: Keith Richards Joins Hollywood Bowl Bash, R.M.N. Director Cristian Mungiu on Xenophobia and the Dangers of Politically Correct Filmmaking, Cannes: Joel Kinnaman to Star in Neill Blomkamps Alien Abduction Thriller They Found Us, Dissident Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Reportedly Leaves Iran for First Time in 14 Years, U.S. Digital Giants to Finance Local Content After Canada's Online Streaming Bill Becomes Law, John Oliver Mocks Matthew McConaugheys Five-Hour Virtual Motivational Seminar, The Morning Show Snags Early Season 4 Renewal at Apple TV+, Barry Star Sarah Goldberg on Sallys Point of No Return: Its the Final Nail in the Coffin, Succession Director on Filming That Surprise Cameo and Tying Up Her Kendall Trilogy, Melanie Lynskey Says Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson Lent Their Trailers on Mrs. It gives this other world a huge chance. bo Odar: It was a bit tricky at the beginning. Those visual changes are built on the foundation of a braided narrative that stretches out across all three seasons of Dark. Ideas planted early in the series run return as the show moves toward its poignant ending. Its what we love about this thing. I think what was the most surprising thing was that there are actually some words that you cannot translate into certain languages, or they have a different feeling or nuance to it. To be honest, we had them all in these pods; they couldnt move. "It's structured again as a three-season mystery puzzle just like Dark," Friese explains. What kind of trigger words do you use? Odar: We always wanted to plant computer wording. I love challenges, and I get bored very easily, even on set. And then the pandemic happens, the show was supposed to be shot in a very traditional way, where we would have gone to a water tank and we would have built ship set pieces and traveled to other countries to shoot scenes there and stuff like that," he says. When women turn 40, their career dies down unfortunately. Then its really a lot of bouncing back and forth between the two of us at the beginning, throwing in random ideas in the beginning and trying to figure out what ideas actually stick. So it was obviously challenging and not possible to do it in a traditional way. One reference we did not use, and not because we dont like the film, because we loved it when it came out, wasTitanic. Naturally, that's by design, and is something fans should look out for as they watch. Do you already have the world of 1899 built out in your mind for the potential next two seasons? And also why would they like weird German-language things? Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. The passengers of the Kerberos encounter the biggest mystery of their lives. It's just the camera trick. That was the initial plan. Its all heady stuff, but one that adds an extra layer to the shows mysteries. 'Dark': Season 2's Insane Ending and All the Burning Questions Season 3 Needs to Answer There was something fascinating about exactly that moment in time. Friese: It was absolutely the perfect amount. Jonas and Martha sacrifice themselves and their own worlds in order to stop the loop and save the origin world. What did you learn using the new tech? Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese are absolute geniuses and have created an epic sci-fi story for smart people.they did not dumb it down at all even in the final season.the fact that this was an original idea and not based on a book etc gets them even more kudos.it's also obvious that they planned this entire story from the beginning and All Rights Reserved. How much room do you give for people trying to figure it out and when do you push them into the right direction? We said from the start that1899should not look likeTitanic. Friese and Odar have been otherwise tight-lipped aboutthe series so far, buta teaser revealsall of the cryptic clues, strange symbols, and dark imagery fans of their work will recognize. Doors that used to be on the left side, were on the right side, Odar said. Anything else would have felt like stretching it unnecessarily and making it more complicated on a narrative level. Was it always your intention to introduce multiple worlds from the outset? You can follow the Back to the Future kind of way where you can actually change stuff in the past that will affect the future which with my very personal more deterministic view of the world is nonsense, said Friese. Netflix took over that idea and build another Volume set in Mexico using a turntable tool. We have the 'triquetra' and stuff like that [a three-pointed knot shape from the Iron Age that was adapted to represent the Christian Trinity]. The idea of the three worlds is constantly shown in the second season, through the picture in the book young Elisabeth is reading. Baran bo Odar Definitely. The international cast includes Darkalum Andreas Pietschmann, Emily Beecham, Aneurin Barnard, Fflyn Edwards, Miguel Bernardeau, Maciej Musial, Lucas Lynggaard Tnnesen, Rosalie Craig, Clara Rosager, Maria Erwolter, Yann Gael, Mathilde Ollivier, Jos Pimento, Isabella Wei, Gabby Wong, Jonas Bloquet, Alexandre Willaume, and Anton Lesser, among others. When you see them in life and flesh, they dont look that much alike. Odar:We mirrored the image in the camera. Could bruiseless avocados, sugarcane plastic and carbon-capturing concrete actually exist in real life? The song White Rabbit plays over the opening credits. When we got to the second season, we changed it again. So you have 999. Just opening Final Draft took like five minutes because of all those script notes. Others were like: This has so many more complicated puzzle pieces, what are you guys doing? Because Im a very traditional filmmaker; I like to give the actors a lot of space and not limit them by saying, We just have this angle. The success of that show enabled Odar and Friese to tell the story they wanted to tell over three mind-boggling seasons, and also provided a bit of a blessing and a curse when it came time to work on 1899. "It's definitely an association that a lot of people have," Friese says. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. And if you ever tried that for one day, it is really weird and awkward.. But the biggest challenge was actually for actors to play everything in a mirrored way. 'Dark' final season: here's what happens at the end of the Netflix time travel thriller. But I dont want to fill those gaps. That's how we laid it out as a plan, and let's see if the world agrees.". ", If all goes according to plan, fans have many more episodes to look forward to. the prospect of diving into another twisty metaverse from the minds of Dark creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar likely comes with equal measures of excitement and trepidation. The Film Industry Lost Some Titans This Year What Happens Now? Friese: I think its a relief for them compared to green screen, just because you can actually look at something. Through three seasons of Dark very little made. You can do a lot of things with it. It was really challenging for us in the third season to establish another world with maybe even other timelines, too. ", Friese says she was bothered by this for the first few months actively working on the scripts for 1899, but, "At some point, we just said, 'Let's shake it off.' A key part of any ending is knowing the right cutoff point. Friese also warned viewers from making assumptions about certain characters, such as Jonas mother Hannah (Maja Schne), who has done rather unforgivable, selfish, and malicious acts throughout every timeline. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Then, of course, just like in Dark, we have a big philosophical theme at the center of it all about perception and reality. So, in moving forward, lets assume you have watched all of Dark. We wanted it to be something that everyone can relate to: dinner with family and friends. Friese: Yes. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. And what I just found so interesting about that, or what became even more clear to me, is that through language youre actually expressing culture. Is this a hopeful note in your mind? Friese knows the reason for his injury and eye patch, but wouldn't reveal what happened. Im in there with a recording of violins theres also some guy using an arc welder in the next cabin.. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Friese and bo Odar spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how the European refugee crisis inspired the show, designing meta-puzzles for hard-core fans and why Volume technology represents a new era in visual effects. It was really fun. "[It's] definitely not easier, really," he says. It feels quite right and satisfactory. It should feel different, because you have this image of a big steamship going from Europe to America and immediately you think this must be the cube version ofTitanic. "There was a huge pressure because, first of all, we never expected that kind of success, and then it grew season for season," Friese tells EW. As you know with Dark, you dont have the straightforward narrative where you can go from one thing to the next. We spoke to Dark co-creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese about saying farewell to the series, the spiritual and mythological influences they crammed into the third season's eight episodes,. But thats what we learned: So okay, what do we have to put in the background so it glues these things together? WithDark, the story is really so much about time, about using something linear and then making lots of knots, throwing it at the audience and getting them to figure out how to untangle it back into a more linear logic. Thats where plot structure goes. After that, it goes straight to the computer. FrieseThat was the whole point of the show. Thats how we appreciatedLost, and completely got lost in that mythology, Googling everything about these numbers and trying to find out what does it mean?. Its just a nice nuance with which to end. I went out with my large format camera and I was taking pictures of those locations like a fan. "And then after the third season of Dark, there was this huge pressure on our shoulders, because everyone has expectations, and everyone kind of either wants to go on the same ride or kind of the same ride. All this we sort of incorporated into our story. Season 2 ended with Jonas being whisked away to another world, possibly another dimension by a version of his now-dead girlfriend Martha (Lisa Vicari). It always comes down to some kind of programming they had before them that you cannot choose because you cannot let go of the stuff that happened before you. So, but Im not going to tell you whether were going to or not.. The thriller follows a forensics agent desperate for answers after finding out shes an identical triplet. Fox Says Battle With Parkinsons Disease Keeps Getting Tougher: Im Not Going to Be 80, TV Premiere Dates 2022: The Complete Guide, Broadcast TV Unscripted Scorecard 2022: Whats New, Renewed and Canceled, TV Pilots 2022: The Complete Broadcast Guide, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. They would need to completely crash. That, for us, is a metaphor. It isnt just a big green screen where you have to imagine a ship in your head, but you actually see the waves, you actually see the ship.