I became intrigued when my agent contacted me about filming Episodes 3 and 4 of a project centered in Spain, which Damon Lindelof was spearheading. The topic itself intrigues me–a nun fighting an AI. During my interview, I met the remarkable crew of creative people, including directors Alethea Jones and Owen Harris, co-showrunner Tara Hernandez, and director of photography of Episodes 1 and 2, Joe Anderson. I instantly clicked with the project, and the scripts were crazy!
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Warner Bros. Television
I had five weeks of prep in Spain. I first connected with Alethea Jones, director of Episodes 3 and 4. We discussed the show, what she had already shot in Los Angeles regarding Episode 6, and some parts of Episodes 3 and 4 (shot by DP Jay Keitel in L.A.).
Then, I watched some first edits of Episodes 1 and 2 and talked a lot with Joe Anderson, the main DP of the show. It was challenging to bring my personal touch to the show while staying true to what had already been done. Joe was very generous in terms of sharing.
Our discussions went from the usual “T-stop” used outside vs. inside vs. night throughout how much care and softness to give to faces, the use of colors, the size of the equipment list, the use of movement, how they use the two cameras at the same time, etc. Episodes 3 and 4 take the viewers on a European journey, which allowed me to express myself more profoundly.
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Peacock
Joe had chosen Caldwell Chameleon lenses with a custom frame line to cover just enough of the full-frame sensor to deliver a 4K negative. Those lenses are part of a new family of an “old-school” lens formula made with modern glass and housing (Atlas Orion, Caldwell Chameleon, Xelmus Apollo, etc.), adding a unique signature to the show.
In Episode 3, a vast sequence involves hundreds of extras over six days/nights of shooting. Before our main night shoot, a big storm came into Figueras, Spain, where we were. That night, I planned to use a 70-meter crane with a big “Moonbox” containing 12 Skypanel 360 units oriented in different directions and all diffused through 20x20x20 full grid cloth box diffusion. Additionally, two more cherry pickers equipped with lighting strike machines, with power outputs of 250 KW and 70 KW, were positioned at a considerable height. Furthermore, a lighting balloon was intended to be utilized as a fill light.
In the morning, production called me to inform me that nothing would fly due to the wind. I then rushed on set with the first taxi that I had found, and I designed a new lighting plan in a rush in that car.
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Peacock
My basic idea was to use as many of the 18kW and 9kW that I had in the trucks and put them low on the stands but high above the wall surrounding the main set to cover that gigantic area. Far from my initial idea of softness, but the only way to make that night happen.
My gaffer, Jorge Sacristán, told me, "No diffusion frame allowed!" As the nature of the sequence allowed it, I asked Director Alethea Jones if she was OK that all those fixtures would appear in the frame. She accepted, and we did the night with a powerful and different look than I had in mind, full of anamorphic flares. It worked perfectly!
As the show was already close to my photographic taste, using anamorphic framing for the 2.39:1 ratio and bold colors. I fell instantly in love with it!
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Peacock
My background in TV, using several cameras simultaneously, and my taste and experience with bold anamorphic looks helped me immensely on this show. We had many cameras to operate simultaneously and a big rhythm of work on specific sequences, with many shots in different setups to accomplish daily.
My experience helped me, and I was lucky enough to have a great crew to achieve that.
While main protagonists and plots do the heavy narrative lifting in movies and TV series, sometimes the secondary characters are the ones that linger in our minds long after the credits roll. These narrative loose ends create the perfect opportunity for spin-offs.
What's a spin-off, you ask? Well, let's go over the definition as well as some of our favorite examples.
What Is a Spin-Off?
A spin-off is a film or a series that is derived from a film or series. It is usually based on an interesting secondary character, a subsidiary storyline, the story’s world, an extended or underlaid theme, or really anything else from the original source material.
Basically, any story element can be turned into a spin-off, as long as it originates from an existing movie or TV show.
Let’s understand better with some examples.
5 Great Examples to Understand Spin-Offs and How They Work
(Trust me, if you haven’t watched them, put them on your watch list now!)
1. Young Sheldon (Spin-off to The Big Bang Theory)
I personally love this series because of its well-rounded characters, with special mention to Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), of course.
The Big Bang Theory follows a group of friends who just so happen to be genius scientists as they struggle with everyday life, relationships, and work. Although there’s multiple protagonists in the series, Sheldon Cooper is a character who stands out immediately for his genius and hilarious social awkwardness.
As the series ends, I bet you’d be left wondering about the childhood of this prodigy who’d rather be a robot than a human. Once you watch it, you’ll understand that Young Sheldon is much more than his tragically comical childhood with his family. As the Coopers try to cope with the “special” needs of the youngest Cooper, while he repeats his most famous line, “I’m not crazy—my mother had me tested,” the audience is left laughing and crying all at the same time. This spin-off is all about rediscovering life through the lens of a "weirdo" and realizing that despite the dissimilarities, we're not too different from each other.
I’d say, Young Sheldon lives up to our expectations. Also, it is one of the most beloved spin-offs ever based on a protagonist and titular character.
2. Minions (Spin-off to Despicable Me)
If Gru used the Minions to steal the moon, there’s definitely something special about them. No wonder viewers flocked to the theaters when Minions was released in 2015, three years after Despicable Me.
The film presented the story of the Minions, cute little yellow creatures who live to serve the most despicable masters. Losing their evil masters to accidents, these easily distracted henchmen search for a new master who can bestow them a purpose.
Utterly unsuccessful in their quest in Antarctica, three Minions set out in search of a true villain and reach New York, where they are hired by the villainous Scarlet Overkill. What follows next is a chaotic quest to steal the queen's crown, where their antics lead to hilarious mishaps until they finally meet their forever master, Gru.
The concept of Minions piqued so much interest in the original film that it earned them a separate film.
3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Spin-off to the Harry Potter universe)
The Harry Potter series provides a backdrop for the childhood of an entire generation. No wonder the end of the franchise with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II felt like the end of an era!
So when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was announced, the excitement was out of control. And boy, did they surpass our expectations!
The film unveils a world around 70 years before Harry’s birth. As British wizard and "magizoologist" Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) tries to rescue his lost magical creatures out in the city of New York, we see magic unfold before our eyes, once again.
This film proves how a world, seen over and over again, can still not run out of mystery.
4. Deadpool (2016) (Spin-off to the X-Men series)
Deadpool has been one of the twisted but most loved superheroes in the X-Men universe. An immortal, extremely flawed superhero—actually, he’s an antihero. He is reckless and unpredictable, violent and morally ambiguous, but deep down wants to do the right thing. I cannot get enough of Deadpool!
Deadpool made his first live-action appearance as a character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). Considering that he is the “merc with a mouth,” the portrayal of Deadpool in this 2009 movie as a mute, weaponized version of himself with his mouth sewn shut is a solid irony.
This significant deviation from the comic book portrayal and the absence of the signature humor and the fourth-wall-breaking personality of this antihero left the audience disappointed. While the backlash was significant, it eventually sparked a push, led in large part by Ryan Reynolds, to redeem the character in a more faithful solo film. So, Ryan Reynolds had to really rally for Deadpool’s character to get its own spin-off in 2016.
Thank goodness for his perseverance! It’s this film that introduced me to the X-Men universe (please do not judge me), after which I went on a mega Marvel marathon.
5. Better Call Saul (Spin-off to Breaking Bad)
Breaking Bad spread like wildfire and ended up changing the landscape of TV forever. Just as the title suggests, the series followed the downfall of its protagonist, Walter White, from mild-mannered teacher to drug kingpin. It was a story we’d never seen before. From research to characters, the series is a masterpiece.
While Breaking Bad is undoubtedly one-of-a-kind, and there might never be another series like it, Better Call Saul did not disappoint—in fact, it’s as good as its prequel.
Based on Heisenberg’s attorney, the series explores the life of the “corner-cutting” lawyer, Saul Goodman, aka Jimmy McGill, and how he became the attorney to Walter White.
Why Are Spin-Offs So Popular?
Now, giving rest to the passionate artist in me, let’s talk money. Spin-offs are usually commercial jackpots. Here’s why.
1. Cultivates Fan Base
For any business to be successful, the focus should be on making fans and not just consumers. Filmmaking is a business, and one such industry that breeds fandom.
Naturally, when the creators get a whiff that the audience is interested beyond the primary plot line, the plot thickens! This also builds an audience pool for upcoming projects.
MCU and DCU have always reached out to their fans through spin-offs. No wonder almost every superhero or villain in either universe has at least one film devoted to their name!
2. A Safer Bet for Investment
With an established target audience, it is easier to find investors for spin-offs. Even for established studios, it is always more reassuring when they have an idea about the average traffic that a particular concept can draw into theaters.
Spin-offs effectively mitigate major risks to business and returns. There’s a reason that IP has dominated studio slates in recent years.
3. Creative Expansion
Not all stories can be told within 120 minutes. Sometimes, a protagonist in a film is a mere tool to address something bigger. Spin-offs are an ideal outlet for a creator to express different layers of their concept.
Spin-offs are a win-win for both the audience and the creator! While they get to express themselves from different perspectives of the same story, we get to relive our favorite stories in new ways!
What’s your favorite spin-off movie? Let us know in the comments!
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Warner Bros. Television
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Peacock
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Peacock
'Mrs. Davis'Credit: Peacock
