I directed the eighth of ten episodes of the second season of Netflix’s “Atypical”. This show is a gem. I’d say I stumbled upon it but something about my viewing habits told the ‘ole Netflix algorithm that I’d like the show and… well… I loved it. After that, I made it a mission to get a meeting with Sony and the show’s creator/executive producer, Robia Rashid, and executive producer Mary Rohlich.
Synopsis:
Sam, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum, decides it’s time to find a girlfriend, a journey that sets Sam’s mom on her own life-changing path as her son seeks more independence.
“Atypical” stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Keir Gilchrist, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Michael Rapaport.
Here are a few photos from my time on the show [5 days of prep, 5 days of shooting, 2 days of editing] as well as a brief overview [and I mean brief!] of the last three episodes I’ve directed.
[Shotlists / Diagrams via Hollywood Shot Designer App]
[Shooting “Sunlight” Into The Peer Group Location]
I started prep on “Atypical” two days after wrapping “Insecure” but the beauty of some cable and streaming shows is that you’ll receive a pre-production draft. This allows you to get familiar with the story and the stakes as a director well before you start prep. It allows you to let the story settle into your system over time, rather than a few days.
With that on my side, I was able to think about a design for the episode during any downtime and weekends while shooting “Insecure”.
Delivering my “Insecure” Director’s Cut was tough, because it had to happen during prep for “Atypical”, but late nights and early mornings can solve anything! It was something I was used to already, as I did the same thing on “Insecure” — delivering my “Greenleaf” Director’s Cut while prepping for that.
[Creator/EP Robia Rashid, EP Mary Rohlich, Co-EP/Episode Co-Writer Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal, and Co-Writer Jen Regan]
[Brigette Lundy-Paine Stars As ‘Casey’ — And Is Amazing]
I had a great time with the cast and crew of this show and really recommend you check out the show, if you haven’t already. Follow me on Instagram @petechatmon and let me know what you think of the episode when it airs.
I’ll be spreading the word once I know the date.
[Nik Dodani Brings All The Comic Relief As ‘Zahid’]
[The Mo-Sys Head: Allows Remote Triggering to Swivel The Camera 360 Degrees]