Assembled: The Making of WandaVision

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Join Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany and WandaVision’s creative team as the episode pulls back the curtain on this highly groundbreaking series. Learn how the production’s surprising concept took shape by drawing inspiration from classic sitcoms. Witness how the crew went to great lengths to emulate various filmmaking methods used during the early years of television. Discover the unique challenges and ultimate rewards of performing an entire episode in front of a live studio audience. Spend time with exciting newcomers to the MCU, such as Teyonah Parris and Kathryn Hahn, along with returning favorites like Kat Dennings and Randall Park.

Assembled: The Making of WandaVision, premiering on March 12, is an all-encompassing look at Marvel Studios’ first, and arguably most unusual, streaming series. 

Special debuting Friday, March 12, 2021 on Disney+.

[phalange]

I love seeing how my favorite shows and movies are made, so this was great. It's almost strange seeing the 50s set in color, like when you see old black and white photos colorized. 

Clearly Teyonah Parris shares our feelings about Hayward; she was this close to calling him an asshole, lmao. Kathryn Hahn doing her witchy laugh was hilarious. I love how much fun she was having as Agatha. And all of the stunt work on wires looks like so much fun, honestly; I'm kinda jealous. 

It's obvious how much work went into this show in every single department. In addition to Elizabeth and Paul deserving all the acting nominations, the show deserves noms for writing, directing, music, set design, hair & makeup, VFX, everything. If WandaVision gets ignored come Emmy time, it'll just be complete clownery on Hollywood's part. 

Of course it ends with the quote about grief, just because they wanted to make sure I cried one more time. 

[Kromm]

The wooden folding chairs in the studio audience?  Hilarious. A detail NOBODY at home would see (even in the later scene with Agatha you can't really see that area well enough) but they did it anyway. 

Loved that Debra Jo Rupp picked her own hat. 

Emulating the LIGHTING tech of those eras is an utterly insane level of detail. 

We definitely learned Paul Bettany is a total clown.  In a good way. 

The bit about the themes and musical signatures was pretty interesting. 

The complex nature of the flying harnesses was neat to see. They were basically making it up as they went along, it was so complicated. 

I already knew about Blue Vision, but it was cool to see. 

 

[Brn2bwild]

This had a lot of really good/fascinating bits in it.  The show was made with a lot of love, for certain.  The special reminded me of the Game of Thrones "making of" that followed Season 8, but without the bitter aftertaste of knowing that so many talented people came together to create a steaming pile of crap. (Thanks D&D!)

One bit I found interesting was when Elizabeth Olsen said that the decades changed whenever something went wrong during the current decade.  While that was true from the second episode onward, I'm not sure the choking incident from the first episode would be something wrong, considering Vision was able to rescue his "boss" and got a promotion out of it.

Edited March 13, 2021 by Brn2bwild

[johntfs]

1 hour ago, Brn2bwild said:

This had a lot of really good/fascinating bits in it.  The show was made with a lot of love, for certain.  The special reminded me of the Game of Thrones "making of" that followed Season 8, but without the bitter aftertaste of knowing that so many talented people came together to create a steaming pile of crap. (Thanks D&D!)

One bit I found interesting was when Elizabeth Olsen said that the decades changed whenever something went wrong during the current decade.  While that was true from the second episode onward, I'm not sure the choking incident from the first episode would be something wrong, considering Vision was able to rescue his "boss" and got a promotion out of it.

It probably wasn't the choking incident so much as the boss asking Wanda and Vision questions for which they had no answers.

Edited March 13, 2021 by johntfs

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Brn2bwild said:

One bit I found interesting was when Elizabeth Olsen said that the decades changed whenever something went wrong during the current decade.  While that was true from the second episode onward, I'm not sure the choking incident from the first episode would be something wrong, considering Vision was able to rescue his "boss" and got a promotion out of it.

I thought she meant the decades changed when something pushed Wanda to question what was happening. Mr. Hart’s questions made her realize she didn’t remember the past. The decades changed as she slowly moved back towards awareness in the same way sitcoms transitioned over time to be more reflective of reality. 

[arc]

I am shooketh seeing Bettany painted red (or blue) with with his ears. I know he said they’re taken out by CGI, but somehow I thought on some of the movies they just put him in an ear-restraining helmet or something.

[Cotypubby]

6 hours ago, arc said:

I am shooketh seeing Bettany painted red (or blue) with with his ears. I know he said they’re taken out by CGI, but somehow I thought on some of the movies they just put him in an ear-restraining helmet or something.

That’s what I thought! I just figured he was wearing a headpiece, I never would have guessed the metal bits of his head were CGI!

[arc]

I vaguely understand it was a practical effect back in AOU but it’s mostly to entirely CG now.

[Ailianna]

I saw an interview where Paul Bettany discussed that. He said the ear caps hurt his ears after a day or so. When he told the production staff, they immediately removed the caps and started CGI to cover them. I really liked the way he told it, and the sense I got that they were genuinely concerned for his comfort, even though it would add time and money in post to every scene he's in.

[bethy]

On 3/12/2021 at 3:58 AM, phalange said:

Of course it ends with the quote about grief, just because they wanted to make sure I cried one more time. 

I totally teared up at that! Which actually took me by surprise, because while I found the line touching the first time I heard it, it didn't makes me cry.

I loved this special. I had no idea the lengths they went for the sitcom feel especially in the first episode. They talked to Dick van Dyke! They emulated the lighting! They used wires and old methods of special effects! What a labor of love the whole thing was.

Edited March 14, 2021 by bethy

[Brn2bwild]

One detail I noticed on rewatch of the series, that I wasn't sure where to put: I notice that in the intros (at least through the first three episodes), Vision wears glasses when he is "normal human," but not during the episodes themselves.  It sounds like an idea they abandoned.  I wonder why.

[arc]

For what it's worth, Vision had glasses on when he was in the office (eps 1, 2, 5) and at the library in ep 2.

It's kinda freaky how high and fast they sent the actors (and esp the stunt doubles?) in the air for the wire flying. 

[festivus]

I think I love Paul Bettany now. Him saying he should have been doing comedy all these years. He is pretty damn funny so I think he's right! 

It was so cool seeing all they did to get the vibe of the old shows just right. I wish they would have had more about why red Vision didn't work and why he had to be blue. Would have loved some pictures highlighting the difference. That's the kind of stuff that fascinates me. 

The wire stuff looked great fun. I'm scared of heights but I think I would still be down for it. 

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, festivus said:

I think I love Paul Bettany now. Him saying he should have been doing comedy all these years. He is pretty damn funny so I think he's right! 

Yea, he's really grown on me. I wish he wasn't friends with Johnny Depp. I just have to try to pretend I don't know that lol.

[BaggythePanther]

On 3/13/2021 at 8:09 PM, bethy said:

I loved this special. I had no idea the lengths they went for the sitcom feel especially in the first episode. They talked to Dick van Dyke! They emulated the lighting! They used wires and old methods of special effects! What a labor of love the whole thing was.

I found this amusing because a friend of mine was convinced Dick van Dyke was the special guest star that Paul Bettany was referring to. And it turns out he was involved in a way.

This special was great, I just wish they had touched on the making of the commercials too, especially the claymation commercial from the 90s. 

[lynxfx]

On 3/14/2021 at 5:28 AM, festivus said:

I wish they would have had more about why red Vision didn't work and why he had to be blue.

I just did some photo editor tests with red Vision and a blue Vision from the behind the scenes twitter account. Turned both to grayscale and red becomes very dark, more on the black side. Blue is lighter, more light gray. Doing this on my phone so hope it works correctly. 

[arc]

On 3/15/2021 at 11:28 PM, lynxfx said:

I just did some photo editor tests with red Vision and a blue Vision from the behind the scenes twitter account. Turned both to grayscale and red becomes very dark, more on the black side. Blue is lighter, more light gray. Doing this on my phone so hope it works correctly. 

Yep. In theory one could map different colors to greys differently so the reds would come out lighter, but the problem is that Bettany had to be with Olsen in the same shot sometimes. So between Olsen's hair color (though she could theoretically have worn a blue wig) and esp her skin tones, they were likely very limited in how they could tune how reds converted to greyscale without messing up how Olsen would turn out in b&w.