Snowfall Ep 402 – FX on Hulu

Episode 402

Rooted in paranoia, episode 402 of Snowfall is emotionally-charged and fast-paced. With the characters making desperate attempts in a constant life-or-death battle, Karena intended for every frame to capture the intense emotions driving this story. Giving the camera a human-like, constant energy, she pulls the viewer around to convey the weight that each character is carrying.

In making this episode happen, Karena loved the close collaboration from everyone involved. Starting with a phenomenal script from Leonard Chang, the whole team behind the production are incredible storytellers – from the post-production crew, to the music composers, to the showrunner himself, Dave Andron. And beyond his storytelling, Dave is meticulous when communicating his vision and the intention of the writers. With Karena, he always found the right balance between being very direct, but also encouraging creative freedom. This gave her a space to play within, and she felt empowered and supported to do so. Using this space, Karena brings her own perspective, voice, and sensibilities to the show.

The cast too were so deep into their characters that they knew them inside and out. So coming together, there was a spark in the group. They all challenged each other, meeting each other’s passion and pushing each other beyond where they had been before.

With Karena, rather unnervingly, part of her contribution also meant bringing first-hand experience to the shootout scene that opens the episode. Right before filming, Karena was actually in a bar that had 3 shots fired through the window. Getting caught in the crossfire, she felt that terror, and the tension of being in pure survival mode. Bringing this into the shootout sequence in the show, in one frame in particular, she uses the experience to capture the intense, isolated emotion of a single character.

Thankfully, no one was harmed in the real-life shooting. Although the same cannot be said for this episode of Snowfall.