EPISODE NOTES 209 – “Long Ago, Not Far Away”
With this episode we delve into Demerzel’s backstory – specifically, how she came to be a captive of Empire. Curious to see how people feel about Demerzel once they’ve viewed this episode. Demerzel, of course, has lived for millennia prior to falling into Empire’s hands (at least 18,000 years). If the show goes on long enough, I’d love to fill in the story of Demerzel walking the Spiral, why she chose this current face/skin to wear, her participation in the Robot Wars, and her actual origin story – but we’ll have to run at least 7 seasons to get there, so who knows?
From the get-go (as evidenced by this episode’s title) we wanted this short film to have a dark fairytale feel, so we were deliberately evoking Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights. (Note how more classically feminine Demerzel’s dress is here – how less robotic she looks when Cleon1 gives robes her.)
This sequence was very difficult to lock down visually. I had a very specific picture in my mind as to how Demerzel should be sliced and how Young Cleon would interact with her. I made some very primitive sketches, which were then rendered by a concept artist. From there we came up with the idea of printing a series of textured, metallic slides, which would then be mounted on glass.
Rory and the art department then built a scale model of the Demerzel slices. Once approved, we built a full-sized version. We then made a full-body cast of Laura Birn and used sliced, full-body prosthetics for the slides at either end. VFX were used to fuse all the pieces together.
For the Salvor/Loron fight, Leah Harvey, Dan Macpherson (Hugo), and Michael Akinsulire (who plays Loron) spent weeks learning the choreography and then days rolling around in the rain and mud. (You can see one of Leah’s stunt doubles frame-left.)
I was adamant that we take Day to Terminus this season – so that was something we “wrote towards” (a way of working I learned from James Cameron). Simply put; if you have an idea you love, but have no idea how to get there, just commit to it and have faith that you will be able to work out the mechanics. We did and I think the whole sequence is a barn-burner.
We knew we were building toward a “face to holo” confrontation between Day and Seldon in the Vault and we were really excited for that scene. Jared, Lee, and Laura didn’t disappoint. It was a long scene, filmed over 2 days and we were able to rehearse it at the location the week before (which is critical for scenes like this). These scenes end with Dr. Seldon giving Demerzel the Prime Radiant, which will have massive repercussions for Season 3.
Once Day decides to destroy Terminus, we spent a few days filming on our exterior sets in Fuerteventura (which we’d kept standing since Season 1). On our final day there, which happened to be St. Patrick’s Day (we have a lot of Irish crew) there was a massive rainbow arcing over “Terminus”.
In the Four Moons Pub (which we saw a bit of in 208), there are some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it micro-brew vats of ale. As we were filming, I turned around and noticed that the art department had named one of the ales “Goyer”. Just a detail I’d been around for weeks and not even noticed.
For the scenes showing the various citizens of Terminus reacting to their impending doom, we had about 300 extras and brought in extra cameras. Mother nature helped by providing a dramatic sunset.
Normally, we have stand-ins that will allow us to set up a shot while the actors are finishing their hair and makeup. For whatever reason on this particular day, we didn’t have anyone on hand to stand in for Sermak and Pater, so Owen McPolin (one of our directors of photography) and Roxann Dawson (who directed this and many other episodes) took a Pietà position for the cameras.
This particular day was our last day of filming in the Canary Islands, so we had a celebration on and off the set.
Me with Tyler Holmes, my former assistant and now associate producer on Foundation.
Jared Harris wasn’t filming that day, but came by to celebrate and posed by the Seldon statue, alongside Tricia McLeod, one of our crewmembers.
Related Posts
4 Comments
-
Lance Manley
The Terminus destruction was similar to the scene in the book where 50 martyrs on Trantor were killed to preserve the location of the real Second Foundation. The people who died on the Invictus and on Terminus were martyrs who volunteered for the job. The actual Foundation had previously moved somewhere else.
-
Jake Nightingale
Wow! What a brilliantly executed episode, seamlessly weaving together and concluding numerous intricate story threads. As a devoted sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast who has immersed myself in the Star Wars universe for as long as I can remember, I couldn't contain my excitement when I learned that "Foundation" was being adapted into a live-action series. In an era rife with disappointing adaptations, I couldn't help but approach this project with cautious optimism. Imagine my delight when I began watching this particular endeavor, only to discover a well-crafted masterpiece. Amidst the chaos unleashed by the various characters and narrative choices, the show manages to maintain a clear sense of direction. It's a testament to the talented team behind it, who skillfully balance the disorder with a coherent and engaging storyline. I typically don't leave comments or reviews, but I felt compelled to extend a massive thank you to David S. Goyer and the entire team. I've been thoroughly captivated by the show thus far, and cannot describe how delighted I am (& in massive anticipation) to witness the rest of the story unfold. "Foundation" has exceeded my expectations, and for that, I am truly grateful. THANK YOU!
-
Jake Nightingale
Wow! What a brilliantly executed episode, seamlessly weaving together and concluding numerous intricate story threads. As a devoted sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast who has immersed myself in the Star Wars universe for as long as I can remember, I couldn't contain my excitement when I learned that "Foundation" was being adapted into a live-action series. In an era rife with disappointing adaptations, I couldn't help but approach this project with cautious optimism. Imagine my delight when I began watching this particular endeavor, only to discover a well-crafted masterpiece. Amidst the chaos unleashed by the various characters and narrative choices, the show manages to maintain a clear sense of direction. It's a testament to the talented team behind it, who skillfully balance the disorder with a coherent and engaging storyline. I typically don't leave comments or reviews, but I felt compelled to extend a massive thank you to David S. Goyer and the entire team. I've been thoroughly captivated by the show thus far, and cannot describe how excited I am (in massive anticipation) to witness the unfolding of the rest of the story. "Foundation" has exceeded my expectations, and for that, I am truly grateful. THANK YOU!
I identify as Foundation 💅
What a brilliant episode that was, genuinely blown away. I watched Foundation the first day it released and I knew it would be legendary but it surpassed even my highest expectations. Episodes 8 and 9 were marvellous, especially Demerzel's arc, seeing her put Day in his place this episode was very satisfying. Once again the visual effects, costumes and sets were amazing and the destruction of the first foundation was harrowing but beautifully made. Excited for what the final episode holds for all of us. Thank you for all of your work on Foundation, haven't enjoyed a series this much since Raised By Wolves