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Evelin van Rei - shooting Passenger
Amsterdam, 2024-06-12 - Evelin van Rei
In the small Northern village of Chadder Vale, a close-knit community is sent spinning on its axis following a series of strange and unnatural crimes.
After arriving there five years ago, former detective Riya Ajunwa has been searching for that 'one big crime', that one challenge that will make her feel alive again. Then one-night local girl, Katie Wells is mysteriously abducted. Her car is found abandoned and there are traces of blood on the seats. But the village barely has time to register Katie's disappearance before she reappears the next day, safe and sound. The rest of the villagers ask few questions and life resumes as normal. But for Riya, a relative outsider to the Chadder Vale way of life, none of this sits right. As a series of strange happenings and increasingly horrific crimes start unfolding within the village, the residents start resorting to short-sighted theories and blaming outside influences. Riya fights hard to convince the villagers that all is not as it seems. And before long she is drawn into a universe unlike anything she has ever seen.
What drew you to the project?
The project was brought to my attention by fellow badass and leader of tomorrow, director Nicole Charles. We’d been trying to work together for quite a few years now, and the stars finally aligned. Or our schedules, should we say!
What I loved about the initial draft scripts was the post-apocalyptic scale of the story and show, the deeply rooted supernatural and otherworldly undertones, and the complexities of this small, weary isolated community existing in this snow-covered landscape. Snow is like this blanket that encompasses and transforms the scenery of a place. It covers and supresses the hidden complexities of this community, almost self-protecting. It represents the emotional isolation and rigidity, and a warning against narrow-mindedness of Chadder Vale’s characters, and of our audience’s expectations. As the snow starts to melt, parts of the subconscious come to light, and so the inner workings of our characters minds’, and their morality are exposed. The melting of snow symbolises the dissolving of the mystery, around which the series is scripted.
How was it to shoot block 2 instead of block 1?
The task that is asked of a block 2 cinematographer is very different than that of a block 1 cinematographer. As block 2, you’re part of this ‘relay race’ and are tasked to take over the second leg of a series for which the look, approach, and strategy have been established. It’s about maintaining continuity, and mimicking the work, signature and voice of block 1, as if the series were only to be shot by one person. It is also about maintaining harmony, both in terms of the rushes, but also on set. The energy, the spirit, and making sure the lead actors keep feeling safe, heard and taken care off. For example, if a particular way in lighting and ‘emotional safety’ and ‘comfort’ has been established for a lead actor in block 1, then I would continue that in block 2, as and when appropriate.
The best part about a block 2 is progressing the look, pushing the envelope, and growing the story in tension and size. One key element and crucial part of the unfolding narrative in block 2 are the intensifying and escalating flashbacks, dreams and hallucination sequences. Some of these block 2 elements were brought forward into block 1 during the edit.
Nicole and I wanted these to be visually-distinct from the main body of the show, and from each other. Nicole would share an idea with me, and explain what is important to her tonally within these scenes, I’d interpret that visually, and then we’d built on that like two peas in a pod!
The flashbacks would be disjointed, comprise of Dutch angles, strange compositions, with focus on ‘the wrong object’ within the frame. The dreams would be defocused, shot at 8fps, utilise double exposure, with a strong focus on objects, and character’s face. The hallucinations would look ‘outward’, more of a POV experience, and we’d utilise a lens baby, tilt shift lenses, or prisms of some sort.
How was it to shoot block 2 instead of block 1?
The task that is asked of a block 2 cinematographer is very different than that of a block 1 cinematographer. As block 2, you’re part of this ‘relay race’ and are tasked to take over the second leg of a series for which the look, approach, and strategy have been established. It’s about maintaining continuity, and mimicking the work, signature and voice of block 1, as if the series were only to be shot by one person. It is also about maintaining harmony, both in terms of the rushes, but also on set. The energy, the spirit, and making sure the lead actors keep feeling safe, heard and taken care off. For example, if a particular way in lighting and ‘emotional safety’ and ‘comfort’ has been established for a lead actor in block 1, then I would continue that in block 2, as and when appropriate.
The best part about a block 2 is progressing the look, pushing the envelope, and growing the story in tension and size. One key element and crucial part of the unfolding narrative in block 2 are the intensifying and escalating flashbacks, dreams and hallucination sequences. Some of these block 2 elements were brought forward into block 1 during the edit.
Nicole and I wanted these to be visually-distinct from the main body of the show, and from each other. Nicole would share an idea with me, and explain what is important to her tonally within these scenes, I’d interpret that visually, and then we’d built on that like two peas in a pod!
The flashbacks would be disjointed, comprise of Dutch angles, strange compositions, with focus on ‘the wrong object’ within the frame. The dreams would be defocused, shot at 8fps, utilise double exposure, with a strong focus on objects, and character’s face. The hallucinations would look ‘outward’, more of a POV experience, and we’d utilise a lens baby, tilt shift lenses, or prisms of some sort.
Another cherished, new location for our block was the prison cell, which provided me with great autonomy for a few different scenes. In one scene in episode 4 Kane sits in the cell, isolated, trapped, running out of time. His walls are closing in. Later on in episode 5, he is accompanied by Riya. The energy is informal, sympathetic. He is about the be charged with murder though innocent and disconnected, his character delivers this deeply moving monologue about people putting seeds in his head, pushing him down roads he doesn’t want to go on, and his longing for a quiet life, and a way out. Prison is his way out.
I adore a lingering camera, a minimalist approach, carefully curated frames, ‘slow cinema’, fewer cuts, long developing takes in which a landscape of light and character can breathe, unfold, explored and discovered like a painting. Both these scenes demanded this approach. Though there were more characters physically present in the later scene, it was Kane’s scene entirely and his presence and mind space was the only one that mattered. His words are more like a spoken poem, and so a singular camera move into the ‘unseen’ psychological space was justified.
Nico Mirallegro who plays Kane is such a fantastic actor, incredibly instinctual, collaborative and reactive to ‘dance’ with the camera, and this was felt throughout his performances.
What was the biggest technical challenge you faced?
The storyline of the entire series unfolds in just 9 days, and it’s set in a cold, snow-covered landscape. Due to budget and scheduling, block 2 was shooting from April to June which was deep into spring, with the heatwaves and hard sunlight of summer lingering. The biggest challenge, both during principal photography and post-production, was to match it to block 1’s winter look, and ‘pretend’ the trees didn’t go from being completely bare to being vivid green and in full bloom in a matter of days. Chadder Vale indeed has mysterious, unnatural powers!
All the snow and winter elements, night scenes, and the post-apocalyptic scale of the story were written out of the block 2 scripts. The only SFX and VFX element left of scale was the frozen lake scene in episode 5 were Eddie (played by the formidable Barry Sloane) falls through the ice. This was a fun and carefully planned operation across a multitude of departments. Running multiple cameras meant I could bring in some familiar and friendly faces, like camera operator Richard Bevan ACO. With most block 2 scenes now set in exterior daytime, apart from the isolated and sudden pop of winter wonderland at the frozen lake, colourist and fellow artisan Max Goldini at Picture Shop in Manchester had his work cut out for him. He took it in his stride, and did a formidable job!
