After Dual Emmy Nominations for ‘Severance,’ DP Jessica Lee Gagné is Ready to Take on More Directing

Jessica Lee Gagné Made History On Emmy Nominations Morning: She Became The First Woman to be nominated in Both Outstanding Cinematography for Severance. The Canada Native, Whose Credits Include Escape at dannemorawas nominated for her work on “Hello, Ms. Cobel,” the First Episode of the Second Season (whol Includes the incredible shot of Mark S., Played by Lamon Scott, Running Thrug.

“The Thing I’M MOST PROud of Is The iconic Look of the Show and, For Me, That Has To Be Anchored In The Hallways and in MDR [Macrodata Refinement]Because that’s WHERE WE DNEVELPED THE LAGUAGE OF THE SHOW, ”GAGNé Tells Thr About submitting that episode for the emmys.

The Opening Scene of Mark Running Was A “Huge, Laborious Process,” She Says. The FIRST STEP INVOLVED MAPPING OUTHET IN Overhead Stage Drawings and Interactive Animated Video and Thatn Translating That To Reality, Which Took Five MONHS TO FILM. In the Same Episode, There’s A Sweeping One-Shot of Mark Coming Down in the Elevator, Unsevering and Stepping Into The Lobby While the Camera Wraps around Him. “That was done with a Bolt Arm, WHICH is this big robotic camera,“ gagné explails. “There Are Walls That Missing That Were Put Back In Post to Make This Thing Fit Into The Lobby.”

Gagné also received a nom for her directorial debut on “Chikhai Bardo,” the episode that delves into Mark and Gemma’s (Dichen Lachman) BackStory and Howned. “My Biggest Concern for that Episode Was, Will We Feel For Gemma?” Gagné Says. “I FELT VERY THREATED BY MARK AND HELLY [Britt Lower] – In how people love them, and how Much of a symbol they are – and gemma ONLY GETS ONE EPISode and 13 Flashbacks for Us to Fall in Love with Her. SO My Focus Was to Make Her Feel Like A Real Woman, A Woman With Depth, and I Wanted People To Love Her. That was the challenge: doing all that in one episode. ”

Gagné’s work as a dp on Severance Helped Her with Directing that Episode. “I didn’t have to worry how to shoot a scene. The backstory of being a dp on this show and understanding the language on the actors, ”she explays.

Now, Gagné Plans to Focus on Directing and Take A Step Back From Dping. “I’M look for work with cinematograpphers who are better than me,“ She Says.

This Story First appeared in an august stand-alone Issue of the Hollywood Reporter Magazine. To Receive The Magazine, Click Here to Subscribe.