The insanity of the Shadowhunters winter finale left many refreshed and geared up for the show’s return in June, and one such person responsible for making it happen was filmmaker Joshua Butler.
When he’s not directing episodes of shows such as The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals, The Secret Circle, Nikita, Pretty Little Liars, State of Affairs, Limitless, and The Magicians, Joshua supports the development of other filmmakers through his production company, Iceblink Films. His dedication to independent projects also sees him working with Scenarios USA, a non-profit production company that pairs teenaged storytellers with Hollywood directors to produce authentic, powerful short films about youth.
We had the wonderful privilege of chatting with Joshua about his work on Shadowhunters, where he discussed the things he couldn’t wait to film upon receiving the script, some of the challenges involved, and how he went about making it all happen. See our interview below!
What was your first impression of the show and what kinds of things did you want to implement in the direction of your episode?
First of all, thank you, Sam, for the chance to talk about this amazing show! You and the Shadowhunters fandom have been so incredibly supportive of ‘By the Light of Dawn,’ a.k.a. the Season 2 winter finale, a.k.a. 2×10. This really was one of the best directing experiences of my life. As part of my preparation on any series, I binge-watch all the episodes and binge-read all the scripts leading up to one I’m directing. While I found Season 1 entertaining – and the cast uniformly excellent – I felt that it was on the broader side of storytelling, where character details and human moments were not prioritized as much as they could have been. When my dear friend Matt Hastings told me he was spearheading a lot of changes in Season 2, I knew the series was going to be in great hands. Matt, as he did when I worked with him on The Originals, shares my opinion that genre shows should not be cartoonish or over-the-top, but instead should be grounded in reality with relatable performances and emotional truth. Even if a series is considered young adult or science-fiction or fantasy or all of the above, it is most successful when it gives the audience major feels. That’s what I very much wanted to implement in my direction of ‘By the Light of Dawn.’
Which scene were you most excited to film when you first got the script?
Of course, the Malec scene. My second choice would be the climactic Jace/Valentine confrontation. I love directing action sequences in television shows, and the idea of choreographing a sword fight on that scale was exciting to me. But what really gives that scene so much weight is that it starts as an epic father/son showdown and ends with the game-changing revelations that not only is Valentine not Jace’s father but Jace can now feel free to express his love for Clary, who is not his sister. And in the middle of that awesomeness, Clary creates a new rune and stops Jace from killing Valentine. It was a challenge pulling all that off in about eight hours of shooting time, but thanks to the great cinematographer David Herrington, a kick-ass crew and the jaw-dropping talents of Kat McNamara, Dom Sherwood, and Alan Van Sprang, I think we pretty much nailed that scene. And extra props to my good friend Isaiah Mustafa – who I also worked with on Nikita – for lying naked on the ground for hours in the freezing Toronto weather without complaining once. What a trooper.
There was a lot going on this episode and many characters to give screen time to. How did you juggle it all and keep the pace as seamless as it was?
Luckily, I got a terrific script by showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer, who did most of the narrative juggling for me. It is a huge challenge writing a finale on any show, as the goal is to make the finale the most mind-blowing episode of the season thus far in order to inspire the audience to wait for the series to return. It’s important to service all the cast members and ideally give them all ‘hero moments,’ which will make viewers fall in love with their favorite characters all over again. I think Todd and Darren did an amazing job, and it was my job to break down the script into its smallest pieces and make sure that as we put it on film, every moment and nuance and narrative beat would be well-represented. As for pacing, the idea is always to keep the camera moving, stage the action as vigorously as possible, and make sure the editing is fluid and dynamic without speeding past the important emotional beats.
You’re probably aware of how sacred Malec is in this fandom, and those ‘I love you’s’ will go down in history as one of their most defining moments. What did you hope to accomplish with that scene and how did it all come to be?
[Laughs] Yes, I am probably aware of the sacredness of Malec at this point. As incredible as the characters Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood are on-screen, I think it’s also important to recognize how truly groundbreaking their relationship actually is. Film and television have been inexcusably late to the party when it comes to both LGBTQ representation and the depiction of interracial relationships, both gay and straight. For Malec to even exist is an artistic triumph on a historic level. Harry Shum Jr. and Matthew Daddario being so incredible at portraying these characters is a gift not only to this fandom but also to the world at large. I was truly honored to be hired to direct this episode, because the moment I read the Malec scene, I knew that it would be – as you said – one of their most defining moments and indeed one of the most defining moments of the series. When Harry, Matt, and I rehearsed the scene before shooting it, we were all on the same page and we all knew what we needed to accomplish from an acting and directing perspective. The biggest challenge turned out to be the fact that we were filming the scene in busy downtown Toronto and, as always, there was a big group of fans who knew where we were shooting. We had to send production assistants out to make sure no one was looking or taking pictures, and I helped the cause by staging the scene in front of a big brick column, which blocked Harry and Matt from being seen from the street. Security has to be tight on shows like Shadowhunters because it is really disappointing to all involved when photos of upcoming plot points get leaked. We had to preserve the sacredness of this Malec encounter at all costs.This cast really blossoms under the right direction. Was there any particular push or guidance you gave to get them where they needed to go? Or, completely opposite here, any moments where they ad-libbed that you liked?
This is one of the most uniformly talented casts I’ve ever worked with. They all push themselves to be the best they can be, and they are all very open to direction that allows them to experiment and play and find new moments and beats. As for ad-libbing, the key to directing Shadowhunters is that, in any scene where Dom Sherwood and Alberto Rosende are together, you have to do at least one take where they ad-lib. Dom and Alberto have such great comic timing and their banter is priceless. Todd and Darren wrote their dialogue so well, it was often unnecessary to stray from the script, but there are a few nuggets from the ad-libs that made the show. My favorites are in the scene where Simon is trying to apologize for feeding so deeply on Jace as they creep through the Institute hallway. (For the record, I would totally watch a Jace/Simon spin-off series.) Another great ad-lib moment that made the show was between Alberto and Kat, once Simon discovers that he is a Daylighter. It was important to portray Simon and Clary happy and very much in love so that Jace would stop himself from telling Clary about his own feelings. Alberto and Kat have such a natural chemistry; it was very easy for them to come up with believable things their characters would say to each other.
Was there a particularly challenging or difficult scene to film? And what made it difficult?
The Downworlders attack was a bit of a challenge in that, in addition to the main cast members, there were so many background artists who needed to give credible performances. David Castro, who is truly amazing as Raphael, was leading the group of vampires; Joel Labelle, so excellent as Alaric, was leading the werewolves; and Jade Hassouné, great as Meliorn, was leading the seelies in that scene. David, Joel, and Jade were extremely helpful in rallying the dozens of other performers who had to rush into the Institute take after take, react to the Soul Sword, and collapse to the ground in exactly the right spots. Not an easy task!
Tell us about filming the fight scenes. They were some of the best we’ve seen on this show! What are the steps that go into the filming of a complex scene like that?
They’re awesome, aren’t they? Credit goes to Darren McGuire, the show’s stunt coordinator, who is one of the best in the business. He really has a mind-blowing talent. Darren and I had a long meeting in prep and exchanged ideas on how to choreograph the fight scenes that were in the script. Then Darren rehearsed for days with his world-class team of stunt performers, and he would put those rehearsals on video for us to watch and discuss. Once we agreed on the fight moves, Darren would train with Kat, Dom, Alberto, Matt, Emeraude, Isaiah, Alan, and the rest of the actors in those scenes, as well as making sure all of the actors’ stunt doubles were prepared to jump in at any moment during filming. One of the biggest pleasures of working on Shadowhunters is that we very rarely had to use stunt doubles for the beloved series leads. They are all incredibly athletic and very much game to do as many of their own stunts as possible. Which, of course, makes it much easier to shoot and that much more fun to watch.
What was your favorite scene to film, and why?
Well, when you have Magnus and Alec saying ‘I love you’ to each other for the first time, that’s kind of impossible to top. But another scene I loved filming is the one where Izzy gets to kick major ass. Emeraude Toubia did such a remarkable job that we didn’t have to use her stunt double at all.
What was the most enjoyable aspect of the production for you?
The fact that all the actors genuinely enjoy each other’s company. They are such solid human beings overall that it is an extra bonus pleasure to see them get along so well, even when the cameras aren’t rolling.
You’ve worked with Matt Hastings before, and you seem particularly pleased with this project. Do you have any plans to return and direct Shadowhunters again?
Yes.
Shadowhunters returns Monday, June 5th 8/7c on Freeform, and Tuesday, June 6th internationally on Netflix.
