Published 16:54 IST, January 16th 2021
WandaVision's Matt Shakman talks about direction, from 'GoT' to 'Its always sunny'
Wandavision's Matt Shakman opened up about directing shows like Game of Thrones, It's Always Sunny, and Wandavision. Read on to know more about his interview.
WandaVision's Matt Shakman has had quite an unusual journey in films and series from Eureka and South Philadelphia to Westeros and Westview. Wandavision is the first Marvel Studios' first series to release on Disney+. The popular director started his cinematic journey as a child actor in the 1980s and in 2002, returned as a director. Matt Shakman's series include The Great, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Fargo. Shakman also took up some episodes of the very popular series, Game of Thrones, and was praised for it as well.
Matt Shakman talks about his career as a director
In a recent interview with Hollywood Reporter, WandaVision's Matt Shakman talked about his journey in films as a director. He started by saying that he had done a lot of drama series before taking on Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which made people wonder why a drama guy was turning to comedy. He further said that he has done a lot of shows with VFX and stunts before Game of Thrones came his way. He added that he is from a theatre background and in theatre, they are expected to do anything and it's about figuring out the best way to tell a story.
In a previous interview with the same portal, Matt discussed the importance of shows like WandaVision, for recapturing the aesthetic of classic sitcoms, and directing his actors in front of a live studio audience. WandaVision was tailor-made for Shakman since he’s able to combine his sitcom experience, as both an actor and director, with his eye for action set pieces by directing Game of Thrones. And because he was a part of Just the Ten of Us, Shakman already knew the perfect location for Wanda and Vision’s house.
Talking about Just the Ten of Us, Shakman stated that they shot it on Warner Bros' Ranch, and on his lunch breaks every day, he would skateboard down the road, where he found all the sitcom-worthy houses. He said that he wanted to put Wanda and Vision's house there so that it can be a part of ghosts of sitcoms past. Other sitcoms that were filmed there are Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Partridge Family among others.
When asked about which production was more secretive, Marvel, or Game of Thrones, Matt mentioned that they were both very secretive and for the same reason. He added that both of the productions loved surprising their audience, which he loved about them. He concluded his answer by saying that he is glad WandaVision is going to be weekly, just like Game of Thrones.
Talking about how he got the right look for WandaVision, Matt Shakman said that they wanted it to be authentic and not cross into satire or spoof. He added by saying that it wasn't a parody and which is why they were extremely careful with the vintage lenses, production, and costume design, and the actors getting together with him and studying what those old shows looked like. He mentioned that they tried to put their finger on what comedies looked like back in the 50s and 60s, cause they were different from each other. He also stated how they worked with a dialect coach who taught them dialects of different eras and showed them how to walk, talk, and move.
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Image Credits: Marvel Studios Official Instagram
Updated 16:54 IST, January 16th 2021