Exclusive: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon director Daniel Percival talks “bioluminescent zombies” in season 2 finale

As a fan who has been following The Walking Dead since its inception, I can confidently say that season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, also known as “The Book of Carol,” was nothing short of extraordinary. The show took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride with its gripping storylines, stunning visuals, and exceptional performances by the cast, particularly Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride.

As a passionate film aficionado, I must say that season 2 of “The Walking Dead” focusing on Daryl Dixon, dubbed as “The Book of Carol“, was simply outstanding television. The French revolution reached its boiling point, with Daryl (Norman Reedus), Isabelle, and Laurent standing right in the heart of it all, while Carol (Melissa McBride) embarked on a transatlantic journey with Ash, yearning to reconnect with Daryl.

After the end of the series, we had a chat with director Daniel Percival, who was in charge of three episodes, including the climactic final one. Besides this, he directed the emotional reunion between two fan-favorite characters from the franchise. We asked him to shed some light on why Daryl and Carol’s bond resonates so strongly with viewers. “It’s not a typical love story,” he explained, “but it is a love story nonetheless. They have a ‘rush-into-a-burning-building’ kind of affection for each other. It’s a profound care and concern for one another that transcends any romantic ties. They will stand by each other through thick and thin.

In addition, Percival discussed the close collaboration between Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, and their immersive portrayals of their characters’ experiences. He stated, “Norman and Melissa work closely not only with each other but also with David Zabel, Jason Richman, and myself in bringing our scenes to life. It’s a highly productive creative alliance.

Moved on to delve deeper into the subject of ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s’ second season. Take a look at our interview, available here!

As Winter Approaches: This show has provided some unique moments for Daryl. In the final episode, he sang The Rolling Stones, which was one of my personal highlights. Can you tell me how this scene came about?

Daniel Percival: “Originally, David wrote a scene with a different song playing. Norman proposed changing it to ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ by The Rolling Stones instead. We all liked the idea but needed to confirm if we could secure clearance for the show in time for filming (this process can take weeks). Fortunately, we got approval the day before we filmed the scene, which meant poor Luis (who plays Laurent) had to learn the chords for The Rolling Stones’ song early that morning.

Luckily, he’s an incredibly authentic performer, and his slightly uncertain movements enhanced the scene’s emotional intensity. This scene, in particular, held great significance for both actors, as it was one of our final shots filmed together, not just within the storyline but also on set.

Daniel Percival: “Wow! It was a wild mix of trial and error experiments, involving everyone. When I received the final scripts and saw ‘bioluminescent zombies emerge,’ my initial thought was ‘This is incredible!’ My second thought was ‘Oh my goodness! How on earth are we going to pull this off?’

Greg Nicotero and I headed to the workshop to explore innovative uses for glowing paints, brainstorm ideas using black lights, LEDs embedded in costumes, and illuminated props like the mouths of zombies.

To bring our Zombie scenes to life, it wasn’t only about generating the internal glow, but also constructing the environment they inhabited and ensuring the illumination was intense enough to brighten both the setting and the actors. This required us to manufacture all the luminescent, pulsating fungi materials, and then assemble a 100-meter stretch of set, located a mile within a massive tunnel on the English Channel coastline. All power had to be supplied via cables that our team laid themselves, in the heart of winter.

Through the combined efforts of our production design, visual effects, camera operators, lighting crews, Greg’s prosthetics team, stunt personnel, and a multitude of other staff members, we managed to successfully execute this project after countless weeks of preparation, tests, and rehearsals.

Daniel Percival: “Indeed, yes. Each of the hallucinations experienced by our characters were designed uniquely for each one, and we aimed to generate these visuals practically during filming, rather than relying on post-production CGI effects.

As a film enthusiast, I’d say, “By adopting this approach, we could instantly grasp what was resonating with the audience, and the actors themselves would gain valuable insights into how their performance was shaping the narrative and impacting the viewers’ minds.

As a film enthusiast, I’d say my hallucinations were like a camera shake – a jolt, similar to the echo of a powerful blow, that necessitates a specialized lens nestled within a tiny cradle of springs for a smooth and steady shot.

To correct Daryl’s distorted vision, we employed custom-shaped sheets of plexiglass. These sheets are positioned right before the camera lens, a technique initially utilized for depicting his hallucinations in Episode 1 of Season 1.

For Carol, we employed a charmingly named device known as a “Lens Baby,” which operates similar to an antique bellows camera lens. Instead of adjusting the focus via a traditional dial, you move the lens towards and away from the subject. This method creates a striking shallow depth of field with shifting points of focus.

I aimed to incorporate methods that would allow viewers to intuitively associate each visual element with its corresponding character, thus creating a subtle bond amidst a series of mysterious, dreamlike, and possibly disorienting scenes.

As their emotional involvement deepened, so too did the authenticity of each character’s hallucinations, and what once seemed distorted gradually took on a more substantial form for them.

Daniel Percival: “What I’ll remember most is the people – the incredible French team and the friendships we’ve formed, as well as the ongoing creative collaborations. Living in Paris was also a delight, it’s such a fascinating place to discover.

Bringing this show to fruition was no easy feat, with numerous obstacles along the way. From the Apocalypse night in central Paris, the community of surviving children, the zombie battle arena, the rusty ship at sea, the landing in Greenland, filming Mont St Michel, the construction of post-apocalyptic Paris (we even filmed at the Louvre!), and many more experiences – each presented a mix of grandeur and daunting challenges. It required every ounce of my filmmaking expertise to figure out how to bring these elements to life.

“And now we have just embarked on a new adventure in a new country.”

Of course, we inquired about Season 3 from Percival, which is being made right now. This next season is set in England and then in Spain. Unfortunately, Percival isn’t revealing any details just yet. He simply replied, “You’ll have to stay tuned to find out.” It was worth asking, though.

Daniel Percival’s contribution is greatly appreciated, as we value the time he gave us. Meanwhile, “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” season 2, affectionately known as “The Book of Carol,” is now available for streaming on AMC.

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2024-11-13 17:42