So 1899 is arriving on Netflix very soon, and after loving Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese's
Dark, you can say that I'm really excited to check out what they do with their new show. I
haven't done a video on 1899 yet and I wanted to discuss some of the reasons why I'm looking
forward to this, relating that to some of the things the creators have said about the show and
ultimately, why I believe it can be as great as Dark was. Before I get into it though,
if you want to see all my videos on 1899 when it releases on Netflix later this year, then don't
forget to support this upload by giving it a like rating, subscribing to the channel,
turning on your notifications and following me on social media via
the links in the description. But without further a do, lets discuss
why 1899 can be another brilliant series from the creators of Dark.
So after Dark spanned a worldwide following for its mindbending time travel and narrative knots,
1899 is set to become another closely followed show in whole new genres. The success of Dark
showed that Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese could create a show that would be told the way
they wanted it too, fully creator driven with 3 tightly knit seasons. In a recent interview with
Entertainment Weekly, Friese said, "there was a huge pressure because, first of all, we never
expected that kind of success, and then it grew season for season. And then after the third
season of Dark, there was this huge pressure on our shoulders, because everyone has expectations,
and everyone kind of either wants to go on the same ride or kind of the same ride." From
the other side of things, Odar added, "It was really nice that Dark was so well received,
especially because it is a very weird, complex show in
general. And it helped us see that we can trust our instincts, and there are people out
there that are actually interested in our voice and what we have to say and how we tell stories."
So there's both a pressure to make this a second success story after Dark, but then
there's also the excitement that these showrunners can use their signature traits once again in a
compelling way, this time for a whole new story. In fact one of the reasons that excites me about
Odar and Friese's work going forward, is that they are being tipped as showrunners who may
focus on different genres with each project, similar to a film auteur like with say Christopher
Nolan, Denis Villeneuve or Alex Garland when it comes to the big screen. A creator who can
apply their style to a completely different story or genre, informing you as a consistent
viewer that you are clearly watching their artistic vision. For the TV realm,
we have a creator like Vince Gilligan who has shown that with the
Breaking Bad Universe, alongside all of the co-creators and writers, that they can maintain
a visual and storytelling aesthetic that's present even in a different kind of show. And I
personally think that 1899 can be that show for these creators to really cement their artistic
vision across multiple projects and genres. As a fan of the fascinating structured
storytelling of Dark it's exciting to go into their show, anticipating how similar traits
will work with a new story but then also all the new things that it can bring to it too.
And that brings me onto another point. While we know very little about the plot of 1899,
what we do know suggests that when we start it, it's going be really interesting. 1899, which
follows the multicultural passengers of a migrant steamship heading west to leave the old continent,
is a journey that takes an unexpected turn when those onboard discover that another
migrant ship is adrift on the open sea. The synopsis states that what
they will find turns their passage to the promised land into a horrifying
nightmare. When it comes to similarities to dark, the current trailers and posters have
revealed cryptic clues, symbols, and melancholic imagery that fans of the previous show will
instantly recognise. But then things get more fascinating, because according to the show runners
and as suggested before with my auteur discussion, this new show is being dipped into multiple
genres, creating a unique structure from the outset. Originally we thought that the
show was a horror series, but co-creater Friese said in an interview, "I would say it's a drama
mystery show, or maybe a mystery thriller. I mean, we're always mixing genres, but the DNA
is not per se a horror show." On top of that Odar states that it's going to include a "very
interesting, weird theme. Friese further adds, "There's definitely a core theme in the center
of 1899, as well, and it's basically looking at that core theme through a narrative, but it's
not time travel. There is a lot in the DNA that is kind of close to Dark in terms of the puzzle
and needing an engaged active audience, but there are also things that are quite different
in terms of atmosphere and tonality, but also pacing and more action-y stuff happening too.
So it is truly a beast of its own, but shares a lot of the same maybe mechanisms as Dark does.
Hopefully it feels like something really fresh and new, while still being exactly what Dark fans
would like to watch." Finally, Odar commented, "We do love to play with genres and expectations.
I think you have to watch carefully, because every little piece means something."
Before I get into those aspects of 1899's central theme and mysteries, first, it's time to discuss
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Coming back to the promising new mysteries of 1899, what we've seen so far suggests that it's
going to go deeper than we could ever imagine. The 1899 poster itself is one that has us
speculating further about the what the theme could truly be, showing a ship about to descent
down a triangle pit in the middle of the ocean, adding to the mysterious Bermuda Triangle
myth that could play a part in the story. Again, it's a three sided symbol that may relate to a
three season arc of this show and follow in the footsteps of the Triquetra in Dark. We found
out that this symbolised the caves' closed time loops with each loop being 33 years apart,
with the past affecting the future and the future influencing the past. Friese and Odar were
asked about whether the symbol in 1899 has links to the structure and
overall theme of the new show, and they said, "It's definitely an association
that a lot of people have. But is it the right one? You will have to see." So like Dark,
I'm guessing this show's Triangular symbol is only going to add in building out the mythology and it
again links to their previous work with symbols and objects, tying to the central
characters of this new story, and then eventually into the main theme
that's on display. Friese said, "slowly you build your own mythology and set
of rules. It's really a long, long process. And that's the same here again, now with the pattern
pyramid and the triangles. It's all rooted in one core idea. And then you try to find ways
to incorporate it throughout the story." All of this stuff just adds to the reasons to be excited,
further expanding on my point about auteurs from before, showing that the artists are
truly behind most of the intricate details and construct their importance when it comes
to the story they are telling. We've seen how successful auteurs have kept signature trademarks
across all of their work while still understanding that a new project has to be different and excel
based on its own merits. They know what the audience loves, what they love making, but
they also know what drives them artistically with each varying project. And that to me is
probably the main reason why I'm looking forward to this show as much as I am. It shows that they
are behind it rather than the influence of commitee, which we see in many big projects
today. And don't get me wrong this still could all backfire and the story we get might be light in
comparison to a great show like Dark. On that point though, we'll just have to wait and see.
But when it comes to excitement going in and what we already know about the complex formula
they wish to employ once again, I can't help but expect another great narrative
from the creators behind one of the most brilliant shows in recent memory.
Now we've talked about the anticipation surrounding a show from television
auteurs who connect everything they put on screen,
but a lot of that isn't possible without both a talented cast
or efforts from behind the camera to make something as visually stunning as the work we've
seen from them. Starting with the cast, another element of the series that has me looking forward
to it's importance, is that unlike Dark, 1899 would not entirely be in German, nor would it
be in any single language. Odar said, "we do love challenges, and we wanted to do a multilingual
show that you treat all of these different cultures with respect, and you don't just do it
in English, or whatever language, and just pretend that they're all from these different cultures.
We wanted to have this beautiful mix of voices and languages." According to the creators the scripts
of 1899 include English, Cantonese, Danish, and many more languages, and then apparently
they wrote the scripts in English, and then writers and translators advised on the parts
that needed to be in other languages. Language assistants and phonetic scripts also helped them
direct scenes in a way that nothing was lost in translating these moments. And it benefitted them
to have a talent international cast, including returning Dark member Andreas Pietschmann,
Emily Beecham, Aneurin Barnard, who you may recognise from Dunkirk, alongside many more.
I'm guessing that this multilingual backdrop will probabaly also link into the deveolped theme and
mysteries of this show, especially when you've got a story functioning on a group of international
migrants coming in contact with mysterious findings in the open sea. But overall, it's
what only extends the level of detail these television creators aim to produce, and that
is far from average. They want to raise the bar narratively, thematically and also technically.
And when it comes to addresing that technical point, I think what we've seen so far from the
behind the scenes production on 1899 is nothing short of mind blowing. According to the
creators, 1899's filming was done in a newly custom built virtual production stage known as
the Volume. It's the biggest LED Volume stage of its kind in Europe, giving the directors and
crew the ability to produce complex visual effects in-camera using virtual sets and locations rather
then the dreaded green screens we get in a lot of big productions today. We saw this
volume technology used in shows like The Mandolorian and when it comes to feature films,
we've seen it being used on The Batman, which I've talked about a lot on the channel before, and
also a personal favourite of mine with 2013's Oblivion. These examples look brilliant with
this volume technology and it helps to limit the use of green screen, which typically takes
viewers out of the authentic experience, because you have to realistically provide authentic
lighting and composed backgrounds that fit that environment. It's almost impossible to do that
well with green screens, but the Volume technology solves a lot of those problems, creating realistic
sets for the actors and making the shot look realistically composed. The creators hate
using green screen and they made it clear that during Covid, this technology was helpful but
also difficult to use at the same time. Odar said, "It's definitely not easier, really. We
prepped a year to get there, because it is a beast that you have to understand. But you can
create huge worlds with it." With reference to how they captured the ships dining room scenes,
he said, "it's actually just four pillars and a couple of tables and a couple of extras. And the
rest is just virtual, even with digital extras, which we used for the first time. We could
create a huge dining room only with the volume tech." So just like Dark, the creators are
focussed on taking risks to build something just as cinematic and technically astonishing, with
tools that make certain frames look all that more authentic. The methods they are using are
more atuned with what a theatrical auteur would do, and to me, that shows that they truly put
their heart and sould into every element of a production. What we've seen from 1899 so far
looks breathtaking and honestly, I can't wait to see how they push the bar of TV further using a
completely new story, other genres and technology.
But that was my video on the potential of 1899 on Netflix. According to the creators,
if the first season of 1899 is successful and lots of people tune in like they did with Dark, they
aim to make it another three-season mystery puzzle for viewers to find the answers to. They said,
"the way that we approached development and how season 1 is ending, you kind of want to
have another one. So hopefully, ultimately, that is happening. That's how we laid it out as a plan,
and let's see if the world agrees." Of course, we'll all soon find out if that's the
case when 1899 releases this November, but just from considering their previous success
at writing, the longjevity of their stories, and the effort being put in behind the camera to
capture all of this, it makes me think we're on track to recieve more greatness from them with
this new show. We'll have to see, but to those who've seen Dark or the trailers for 1899,
what are your thoughts on the upcoming series and are you excited for this
brand new story from Odar and Friese? Let me know down below in the comments section.
For more videos on Netflix's 1899 when it releases this November, then subscribe to the
channel and turn on your notifications. Also if you enjoyed this video remember to leave a like
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I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.