
The psychological thriller Homecoming returns for its sophomore season with fresh twists, nail-biting cliff-hangers, and more of the unnerving cinematography that characterized the critically acclaimed first run.
Cinematographer Jas Shelton and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez took the reins for all of Season 2, following the work of DP Tod Campbell and director Sam Esmail on Season 1. For Shelton and Alvarez, who had previously collaborated on the features C.O.G. and The Stanford Prison Experiment, their challenge with Homecoming lay in maintaining continuity with the storytelling that made the first season of the Amazon Prime original so distinctive while finding a new visual language for a timeline that overlaps and extends the drama.
Our intent was to deliver continuity with Season 1, for example in color palette, the use of long takes, and a subjective point of view, but to find a new camera language to tell some new ideas, Shelton explains.
The setup for Season 2 finds lead character Jackie (Janelle Monae) waking up in a row boat adrift in a lake, unable to recall her name, birthday or address. Her ensuing search for identity will lead her into the heart of the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company for war veterans behind the Homecoming Initiative.
Our camera package was guided by Season 1, but that was not the only reason for continuity with the Millennium DXL2, Shelton explains. We wanted to shoot with a large sensor and shallow depth of field. The Light Iron color science in the DXL2 maximizes these attributes to create beautiful images.
He continues, I've worked with the DXL many times before [including on the feature Like a Boss and the series Soundtrack] and I keep coming back to it. Each digital cine camera can be treated like film stock in that you select the sensor that will give you the right look for the particular project at hand, but I really like the color science of the DXL. It's not just what you can capture off the sensor, its what the Light Iron color science is able to do with the image that is impressive.
As with Season 1, Shelton paired the camera with G Series anamorphic lenses that were modified for the show. Panavision's Guy McVicker explains, Through the use of some new proprietary processes and unique adjustments, we were able to give Jas the opportunity to really embrace the aesthetic that anamorphic has to offer. The larger imager of the DXL also gave us more negative to exploit and stretch.
Shelton adds, The uniqueness of the anamorphic aesthetic was heavily embellished, yielding a much stronger curvature of the field and additional obliqueness in the bokeh. Also, the contrast was lowered, the sharpness reduced, and the gradation of focus from sharp to soft enhanced.
We recorded full-resolution 8K in compressed 7:1, sometimes dropping to 3:1 for scenes with heavy VFX, he continues. It was important to obtain the maximum information from the sensor and to cover the anamorphic glass, which lends a 3D quality to the visuals.
While the first series used changing aspect ratios to relay different story timelines, Season 2s filmmakers opted to lean into a cleverly calibrated color design. Shelton explains, We decided to keep anything that takes place in Geist's headquarters as sun-kissed and warm, and we made a different LUT for scenes with Jackie. This is apparent from the moment she wakes up in the boat and goes on her journey of self-discovery. It emphasizes dark blues, cool greens, and a gothic palette especially in the first part of the show with lots of fluorescent lighting built into the sets.
Because of the complex nature of the show, Shelton used meticulous storyboards. This is also reflective of his close collaboration with production designer Nora Takacs Ekberg. The wide range of locations meant, for instance, shooting exteriors at the Big Sky Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, Calif., and then traveling south to Torrance for Geist HQ interiors, which posed their own complications because there was only eight hours of daylight and the facility had a giant sun roof. Trying to create a daylight look in there that we could use for 12 hours rather than eight was challenging, the cinematographer says. Then we went up to Lake Arrowhead for a week, shooting out on the water quite a bit for the opening sequence.
Touch points for Season 2s tone included Alan J. Pakula's 1970s conspiracy films like The Parallax View and Todd Hido's dark and moody landscape photography.
Kyle wanted shots of Jackie to have this subjective point of view so that the audience is always following with her and experiencing her discovery, Shelton notes. The idea was to never let the camera settle until she comes face to face with Audrey Temple [played by Hong Chau] at the end of the second episode.
To underscore her state of mind, he adds, we borrowed ideas from the movies of Pakula and Brian De Palma where the camera has a very probing quality to it.
Shelton mounted the DXL2 on an Oculus gimbal head and moved it on a dolly to convey a floating camera movement. The design of the camera makes it easy for me to devise shots, he reports. We play with POV by using wider, more deliberate angles and longer takes in the early episodes, and then, as we unravel the mystery of what happened to Jackie, we employ tighter, more frenetic handheld shots in the later episodes.
DXL2 just suits the way I want to work, he adds. Its look is very filmic and soft, especially when using depth of field. The colors are muted, not overly punchy, whereas with other cameras the results are more saturated and I have to reign them in.
The final shot of Episode 1 features one of the series' elaborate long takes. The setup starts with a close-up of Chris Cooper (portraying Leonard Geist) in a farm field. As Cooper walks into his fa
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
17/09/2025
Tech Focus: Audio Training, Part 2 - Manufacturers Offer Extensive Online Learni...
17/09/2025
Tech Focus: Audio Training, Part 1 - A1 Shortage Remains a Major-League Challeng...
17/09/2025
It was the ultimate convergence of pop culture and literary prestige: Last night, Dua Lipa brought her Service95 Book Club podcast to the stage for a special li...
17/09/2025
During August, streaming's share of TV viewing in Mexico showed an increase of 0.4% compared to the previous month, accounting for 25% of TV viewing.
Discl...
17/09/2025
CYPRESS, Calif. FOR-A America has named Jo Aun as senior manager of product engineering, a new role responsible for guiding the planning, development and rollou...
17/09/2025
PlayBox Neo, in partnership with CIS Group, a leading provider of media and broadcast technology solutions, has successfully deployed PlayBox Neo's Dual Cha...
17/09/2025
In a relationship that mirrors societal advances in sustainability, Brightline Lighting and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Headquarters have en...
17/09/2025
Clear-Com is proud to support the world-class productions of Alley Theatre, one of the oldest and largest nonprofit resident theatres in the United States. With...
17/09/2025
Arch Platform Technologies (www.archpt.io), a pioneer in automated, scalable cloud infrastructure for high-performance workflows, today announced a Strategic Co...
17/09/2025
Over 300 selected decision-makers from start-ups, corporates, and VC funds worldwide will gather for the third edition of the event, united by a single goal: to...
17/09/2025
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, is excited to announce that its flagship Vantage platform and its next-generation AI capabilities re...
17/09/2025
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions that profitably connect the right content to the right audience, proudly announces its three Best of Show...
17/09/2025
In a move to further establish a firm foothold across South East Asia, PlayBox Neo, the well-respected name in broadcast playout and channel branding, has appoi...
17/09/2025
Wisycom, a global leader in advanced wireless audio solutions, announced two major wireless solutions at IBC 2025 (Stand 8.D30). This includes the Portable RF-o...
17/09/2025
Six Berklee Alumni Win Emmy Awards The recipients were recognized for their contributions to acclaimed programs Severance, The Studio, The Penguin, SNL50: The...
17/09/2025
Applications Open for Berklee in Santo Domingo The weeklong contemporary music program will run January 5-10, 2026.
By
Colette Greenstein
September 17, 2025
...
17/09/2025
Ukrainian Students Find Creative Consonance' at Berklee Valencia Through ELIA's UAx Platform, six students from Kyiv joined Berklee Valencia for a week...
17/09/2025
Earlier this year Avid announced Kenna Hilburn as its new senior vice president of product. Recently Hilburn was promoted to Avids new Chief Product Officer, su...
17/09/2025
Transatlantic collaboration combines experience and agility to drive innovation in network design and delivery
Luxembourg, September 16, 2025 - SES, a leading ...
17/09/2025
NEW YORK Madhive has announced that the Fox Television Stations have joined its Live Sports Marketplace....
17/09/2025
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Sony Electronics has announced that it is partnering with the Newhouse School at Syracuse University to provide state-of-the-art equipment, hands...
17/09/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has announced that the first smart projector using its Roku TV operating system, the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube, is now avail...
17/09/2025
Wednesday 17 September 2025
UK artists capture icons of stage and screen, inclu...
17/09/2025
Jo Returns to FOR-A as Senior Manager of Product Management and Engineering...
17/09/2025
For the Moon Safari anniversary tour, AIR opened the doors to their backstage. Just a few hours before the Paris concert, DPA met with two key figures of the te...
17/09/2025
Auditions will be held in Dublin, Cork and Galway
The County Parade returns f...
16/09/2025
SVG All-Stars: Leigh Michaud, Manager, Remote Operations, ESPNThe UConn grad rose from ESPN's mailroom to become one of its most valuable ops leadersBy Bran...
16/09/2025
Live From IBC 2025: Friday's Latest From Halls 1-4, Outdoor Exhibits in Amst...
16/09/2025
Live From IBC 2025: Saturday's Latest From Halls 5-7 in Amsterdam By SVG Staff
Friday, September 12, 2025 - 17:00
Print This Story
The SVG Europe and ...
16/09/2025
Live From IBC 2025: Sunday's Latest From Halls 8-10 in Amsterdam By SVG Staff
Saturday, September 13, 2025 - 17:00
Print This Story
The SVG Europe and...
16/09/2025
Live From IBC 2025: Monday's Latest From Halls 11-14 in Amsterdam By SVG Staff
Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 17:00
Print This Story
The SVG Europe and ...
16/09/2025
Amazon Prime Video Picks Up Four Hours of Early-Round Masters Coverage in 2026 By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 10:15...
16/09/2025
VERSANT Inks Deal for League One Volleyball as Women's Sports Rights Slate G...
16/09/2025
ESPN VP, Corporate Communications, Katina Arnold Named SVP, Disney Advertising C...
16/09/2025
IBC 2025 in Review: SVG Europe's Full Collection of Video Interviews From th...
16/09/2025
Hace una d cada, la m sica latina representaba apenas el 8% de las reproducciones globales en Spotify. Hoy, constituye m s de una cuarta parte (27%) de toda la ...
16/09/2025
A decade ago, Latin music made up just 8% of global Spotify streams. Today, it a...
16/09/2025
Spotify is expanding our video lineup with a new partnership with Zoo 55, part of ITV Studios. For the first time, acclaimed content from ITV Studios is landing...
16/09/2025
At DSEI 2025, James Dunne of L3Harris Maritime UK chaired a panel on aligning the supply chain to the warfighter, where leaders discussed modernising support fo...
16/09/2025
Calrec has strengthened its collaboration with audio metering expert RTW by integrating RTW's new TMxCore metering platform across its full range of Argo IP...
16/09/2025
College Football Scores Top Telecast in August with 16M+ Viewers on FOX, Followe...
16/09/2025
Collaboration marks the first SSP integration of Gracenote IDs, enabling show-le...
16/09/2025
AMSTERDAM The organizers of IBC2025 are reporting that 43,858 visitors from more than 170 countries attended the event, which had more than 1,300 exhibitors and...
16/09/2025
Wooden Camera announces the release of its new Accessory Collection for the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55. The highlights of this collection include vital power soluti...
16/09/2025
Anton/Bauer, a leading manufacturer of mobile power solutions for broadcast and cinematic equipment, has announced the launch of Anton/Bauer Fleet Management, a...
16/09/2025
Teradek, a leading provider of video transmission and live production solutions, today announced the launch of Prism Jetpack, a groundbreaking 5G video contribu...
16/09/2025
Astera, the leader in wireless LED lighting solutions, announces the ultra-versatile SolaBulb. Building on the success of the Astera bulb family, SolaBulb intro...
16/09/2025
As the world gathered at TED2025 to explore the provocative theme "Humanity Reimagined", Clear-Com , supported by NETGEAR networking infrastructure, delivered f...