‘Severance’ has a new credit sequence for Season 2. The animator explains it
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Among the early visuals that title credit designer Oliver Latta received for “Severance” season 2 was an image featuring Adam Scott as Mark S., holding a cluster of balloons. Ben Stiller, the show’s executive producer and frequent director, wrote alongside it: “Credits came to life.
The captivating sequence depicting Scott, created using 3D scans, quickly became a distinctive feature of the show when it debuted on Apple TV+ in early 2022. This earned Latta, a Berlin-based 3D artist, an Emmy for main title design in 2022. For the second season, Latta began designing an entirely new version. Accompanied by the same eerie and catchy tune by composer Theodore Shapiro, the redesigned credits (first seen in Episode 2, now streaming) delve deeper into the surreal world within Mark’s mind, introducing additional characters and landscapes.
On his visit to New York’s set, Latta received crucial plot details, yet hadn’t watched any episodes prior to speaking with The Times mere days before its premiere on January 17th. Interestingly, he enjoys working with minimal information so he can generate something unique. However, the brief and captivating sneak peek holds some secrets which Latta guided us through.
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Balloons
In the opening credits for “Severance” since its first season, you’ve noticed the image of balloons. Interestingly, these balloons were associated with the artist Latta’s work prior to his involvement in the series. An earlier creation of his depicted a woman pulling a cluster of human-shaped balloons, and for Season 1, he assigned that task to Mark S., albeit with a twist: instead of women, Mark is holding a group of other Marks, their limbs in awkward positions.
In the opening credits of Season 2, Latta alters the balloon symbolism. Rather than depicting humans as balloons, Mark’s head becomes a sequence of inflated balloons. For Latta, balloons serve as a powerful metaphor throughout the series. He explains, “A balloon is something created from air, devoid of reality, just like memories or thoughts that exist in our minds but aren’t physical.” The focus, he emphasizes, is on the human mind.
Additionally, there’s another interpretation that ties the balloons directly to Mark’s adventure this season, yet Latta prefers to avoid revealing any secrets.
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A darker adventure
In the initial season, the opening credits portrayed an imaginative interpretation of the show’s fundamental theme: Mark goes to work, Mark returns home. His life was split into two distinct halves. This time around, Latta aimed to give viewers a glimpse into Mark’s mind, symbolized by green tissue. “It’s a bit more somber,” Latta explains. “I also felt that the entire series would be more ominous.” To convey this, Latta pondered what it might look like to navigate within a brain: here is his take on it.
Television
Three years later, I’m back to my screen for another dose of chilling sci-fi, sharp social commentary, and dark humor from Apple TV+’s gripping series. Oh, and did I mention they’ve thrown in some fruit leather for good measure? Can’t wait!
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Babies
In Stiller’s instructions to Latta, he proposed the idea of incorporating babies into their project: “Let’s include some babies.” Initially, Latta considered filling the screen with multiple Mark characters, but Stiller preferred adding babies instead. As a result, t “I have my own interpretation, but I don’t know the true meaning.” They will discover the answer once everything is fully revealed.
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More characters
In the opening sequence of Season 1, only Mark is present amidst the scenery. However, multiple versions of Mark appear. As the story progressed, more characters were introduced. Among them are Ms. Cobel (played by Patricia Arquette), who seems massive with an empty space where her face should be, reading a book that once depicted Marks and Mark’s heads. Also included are Helly R., Mark’s coworker and love interest (Britt Lower), and Gemma (Dichen Lachman), who is both Mark’s deceased wife and a Lumon employee named Ms. Casey. When Mark delves into his mind, he momentarily stops. Two figures materialize from beneath a body of water, resembling Helly and Ms. Casey respectively. In the elevator scene later on, it is unclear if the woman present is Helly or Gemma; Director Latta clarifies that “They’re both there.
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A painting of goats
One intriguing scene in the opening credits of the initial season depicts Mark working at a desk constructed from his own head. In this episode, you’ll notice that the scene repeats but evolves into an oil painting, first of Mark and subsequently of a goat. As fans of “Severance” are well aware, these goats wandering Lumon remain a significant enigma. However, what about the artistic aspects? According to Latta, the show has always been centered around art and its works, and the black painting is particularly crucial.
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Here’s a recap of key points and potential hints from the first season of “Severance” that may provide clues to events in Season 2.
This way, you can stay updated on the ongoing storyline while keeping an eye out for foreshadowing details as you watch!
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Tiny details
In Latta’s work, there are numerous subtle details intended for the audience to discover. For example, you may notice a shadow of Mark on an elevator door that splits as it opens, symbolizing the separation between innies and outies. In another scene, Mark looks into a mirror where his reflection is obscured, hinting at a crucial plot point. Additionally, watch for the bottle that spills when Mark’s head inflates on a table; within it, there is a small version of Mark trapped inside. Latta encourages viewers to delve deeply into these images, as he finds joy in seeing their interpretations. “I’m eager to see what they make of all these pictures,” he says, “as I intentionally leave room for individual understanding.
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New landscapes
In the opening credits sequence of the upcoming episodes, certain vistas may become familiar to audiences. Upon discovering these landscapes, Latta decided to incorporate them. As he explains, “I prefer a contrast in colors, light, and environments for an introduction.” Initially, he intended to include even more new settings in the intro, but Stiller advised that they were revealing too much.
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The ending
The last scene before the screen fades to black is incredibly eerie. Mark’s hands struggle to open the back of his own head, with his eyes glancing out from within his skull. Latta comments that this image was something he had envisioned and believes it’s both visually and narratively powerful and unsettling. It also serves as a jump scare, which is a rather chilling way to initiate each episode.
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2025-01-24 06:31