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‘Bridgerton’ Making a Scene Video Series: The Cast

The World of 'Bridgerton' Video Series: Love and Marriage

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(upbeat music) - Taking a sequence like the wedding is a huge undertaking and it starts with the concept of what speaks to me about the location, the characters, the elements that are required. I start putting together a shot list. So I know exactly how many pieces that I need or special equipment that I need to tell that story. If it's a crane or any type of camera equipment that's specific to pulling off we want whether it's certain types of lenses to give the dreamy effect when we kind of go into that dreamy moments. So it's kind of lining up all those elements and it starts with the production designer Will Hughes-Jones, who's brilliant. And then it goes to Tony Hood with locations. We start thinking about what's of the period, what shows the extravagance? Is it a location that facilitates the needs of the scene? Just because it might be big and beautiful, may not serve the needs of what we're after here. And then of course, it's working with the costume department, props department the writer making sure executing what is right. So all those elements, there's meetings with each of these things to talk explicitly about what we need, what their expectations are, working with the AD with scheduling it there's a lot of detailed moments in that thing and that's not something that can be done in one day. We did it over three days. (upbeat music) - Tom Verica is an incredibly special man. He's obviously an incredible actor first and foremost and has got such a high emotional intelligence. So creates a really positive and sort of exciting workplace where people can really like take risks. - With Tom what I really feel is a sense of mutual respect. He really respects me as an actor and knows that I would've come into it with my thoughts and my feelings on it and he is very receptive to that. - It's so important for me to have a set that people feel comfortable, they feel good about what they're doing. They feel encouraged. I respect everybody's department. I encourage input, most importantly, we work long hours and I've been on those sets as an actor, without our tents. And it makes the days go tougher and people are not happy. It's very important for me, whether it's putting on music or singing happy birthday to somebody as gets them to laugh a little bit. So it shakes it up and I feel it's important for my job as the director and as the leader of kind of the production to set that tone and set that pace. Our bishop. Say hello to Anthony here. - [Congregation] Hi, Anthony. (congregation applauds) - It is Anthony's birthday today. (crew applauds) It's gotta have a good feeling, a good attitude. People are gonna do their best work when they wanna do it for you. If they feel like they're being scrutinized or if they're being screamed at or feeling tense, it does not produce the best work, I don't think. And some people may oppose that, but I'm of the mindset that encourage people to do their best work, challenge them. If I'm not getting what I need, I'll challenge them to do their best work, but always be respectful and supportive of their decisions. - What the director does in this case, our beloved Tom Verica. They are the engine. They drive the scene, they refresh your narratives. They re-focus your eye for the detail that they need to make that visual story sing. But Tom's an actor as well as a director. So he's very good at being in the story from both sides of the camera. So it's really helpful for actors - Working with Verica, I've got to say, is one of the greatest things I've ever experienced ever. He's so is respectful, crew love him. It's like such a dream to work with. So for me, I wanna give as much respect and time just listen to the director. - There are definitely days where you can come in and feel like you kind of slip into the background but Tom has this way of making you feel like everything you do is really important. If you can feel like a lull in energy which obviously we do such long days, that can happen multiple times throughout the day. And he'll do like a (claps), everyone will like do the double clap and it just, I dunno what it is but it just makes you go, yeah, we're all together. So let's go, I love this. (Tom claps) (indistinct) There we go. (upbeat music) - Then we finally get to the day where we are filming I'll usually get there a little bit early just kind of program everything that I've had, but really kind of take in the environment and what it feels like, and just kind of visualize everything, 'cause that helps with the decision making when we get in the trenches and if we start getting behind, I'll know exactly what it is we need to get through a scene or get out of a scene. The director of photography, Jeff Jur, who I kind of tell him what I'm starting to think about we'll kind of exchange and collaborate those ideas about what I desire, how I want this to look and how big we can show this thing. And then the moments that are important about that. So it really becomes a layer. I kind of break it down into the bits of the scene and what's important to those elements of the scene and how we tell those stories. All right, ready and play back. I make notes, editing notes about how I usually want to come in and out of scenes. So then it's just working with the editor to sort of get around that idea of what I had and if they've done something that's taken it even further and made it even better, I embrace that. - If I wanna try some new things, it's like I know I can put this one in the editor's cut. It might not have been what he was thinking but at least it's something that he can see. And then when he comes in, he's like, I wasn't thinking that, but I like it. We can build upon this and create something new. And it's just good to have that kind of relationship going in 'cause sometimes, you'll get the footage and you're like, I know the director wants to do this. I wanna try this, but I'm not sure how they'll respond. And so I always know Tom's open to doing stuff like that. - The first time I watch it's tough for me because I become very critical of myself. Why didn't I... I should have moved to this point or I should have... Where's that shot? I thought I got that shot. Or I should have been closer on this one or I should have been- - Me and Tom had a handful of days working together and just kind of polishing everything and Tom, well, he does a great job of just planning ahead, setting up cool transitions. He did a great job on both Kate and Edwina. Their entrances coming into the wedding. - It's very enjoyable where it gets into getting the picture where you want it and then working with sound and design to create the ambiance and the environment that you want. Putting the right music to it. So those elements I really dig and I really enjoy kind of shaping that and really kind of blossoming it into the full essence of what the scene is and getting the most out of it. (soft music) - Cut (indistinct). (soft music)

Bridgerton's cast and director, Tom Verica, reveal how they worked together to create Anthony and Edwina's wedding scene in the second season's sixth episode.