by The director of photography for Echo DP gave information on how they created a momentous scene for the MCU and the Choctaw Nation.
It goes without saying that how the Indian nation is portrayed matters to a lot of people all around the world.
Recording the Historic Choctaw Scene for Echo DP
Cinematographer Kira Kelly of Echo discussed how they shot a historic Choctaw scene for Marvel Studios’ newest series in an exclusive chat with The Direct.
The scene in question was the show’s beginning, which the director called the Dawn of Time. “This is the first time that the Choctaw story of creation had ever been shown:”
“So that whole sequence, there was so much prep and just so much thought going into it. For us, this is the first time that the Choctaw story of creation had ever been shown, it’d ever been filmed. And so, for us, it was an honor. And then also just like, we have to get this right, really sort of, like, visually tell this. And so we were trying to figure out a way to create this cave and do this world that had never been seen before.”
Chris Trujillo, the production designer, received accolades from Kelly for applying “so much care” to the scenes:
“There’s also the practical elements and there’s the VFX stuff. We had a really incredible production designer named Chris Trujillo, and Chris just put so much care into creating the cave and all the spirals and the water elements and things like that. The whole stage itself was like on a huge platform. I think it was at least 20 feet up so that we could have space for all the water.”
The cinematographer described how they constructed a complex pool in the middle of the space that would change with a hole to allow the actors to pass through:
“And then in the center of it, [we had] that tube in the middle, there was like the pool, that’s just like a pool, and then we’d have to swap it out and create this hole that the cast could be able to come down through so… they’re sliding down this tunnel with like all these lights shining through as we get the shafts of light up. And then the other big part was the stuff up beyond on the top. There were VFX effects elements, obviously, but we had to have her interact with—like, the character is holding up the ceiling, basically.”
She went on to explain how they constructed a setup to make viewers believe the figure was raising the ceiling:
“So on chain motors, we had this circular, I think it was about eight feet in diameter, set piece that they built that was translucent, so we could still put the lighting down through it. And she’s pushing against it. So it was like this whole, there were a lot of elements that we’re just like, ‘Oh, gosh…’”
Regarding the location’s appearance, Kelly remembered “looking at examples of glow worms and cabins and in Australia somewhere” to determine what the possible appearance of the Earth’s core may be:
“I remember we all spent weeks looking at examples of glow worms and cabins and in Australia somewhere and really sort of figuring out what the core of the Earth looks like. And then to see the amazing jobs that the VFX department did to sweeten all that was just really, really satisfying by the end.”
“was the one that gave [her] the most sleepless evenings:” she said, referring to the Dawn of Time scenario.
“I would say the Dawn of Time, technically, was the one that gave me the most sleepless evenings. And also just because there were so many departments involved with that. That was a big one. I would say also… the powwow was—actually, it wasn’t as hard. It was just logistically trying to get all the people in the same space and have such a big area to light for the night. No, I think probably Dawn of Time. I think Dawn of Time was like a big one…”
Kelly mentioned that although she was not familiar with the Choctaw, she was aware of the group before aboard Echo:
“I honestly was not. I really, I was not familiar, like, obviously, I’ve heard of the Choctaw. But that was it… I didn’t have any sort of knowledge. And it was really great, during prep, it was August of 2021. And Sydney [Freeland] and Chris [Fields], our production designer and our costume designer, all went to the Choctaw Nation because they were in Oklahoma and they were having a powwow. And so we had never experienced a powwow. So it’s like, Okay, let’s go check this out.”
Kelly remarked, “We also got to see a stickball game,” and even participate in a powwow:
“And we also got to see a stickball game, which is featured in Episode 2. They had stickball there. And it was just kind of amazing just to kind of be in the powwow and just see it and just see just these beautiful, just gorgeous regalia and costumes that people had that like had been built–these are, these are not things that you can rent. We could not have rented those. When we did our power [Episode] 5, those were some of the same people that were in the powwow that we saw in 2021.”
About the massive powwow sequence in Episode 5, the director said it was“an honor to be a part of something you’re not used to:” and that it was “the most emotional” moment to film.
“But the coolest thing for me to shoot really was the powwow scene in [Episode 5], I think the most emotional one. Because it was just like you kind of get there. And, like, we were within that powwow… I think powwows obviously have been depicted before in film. But there was something really nice about being ground-level cameras inside of it and doing it at night…”
She remembered the team being involved as they worked “over several nights:”
“I remember… We shot that over several nights, and after we wrapped the first night, the crew was just so into it, and the powwow, even though we cut, it was still going. And so the crew got to then, like, be a part of it. And we had the sun coming up and then our lights coming down. It was just one of the most emotional; I think that not only for me but for the whole crew really felt like we were, it’s an honor to be a part of something you’re not used to.”
The majority of the series was filmed in Georgia, even though the story is set in Oklahoma.
Even while “Georgia is great,” the cinematographer acknowledged that it was nevertheless difficult to match the state’s appearance to that of Oklahoma, with the abundance of trees in the state being a particularly noticeable barrier:
“Georgia is great. I guess the biggest challenge was just like, there’s so many trees, and it’s so green there, that you’re constantly trying to either take down the green of the trees or, like, try to not show as many trees. So that was a bit of a challenge. But our locations department did a great job of finding places for us. We shot mainly, on the Marvel stage is about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, and then we shot like an hour south of that. So it was pretty south of the city.”
Viewers get to meet a few of Maya Lopez’s Choctaw ancestors during the series, each of whom gives Echo a special ability.
Kelly said that for Lowak in Episode 2, they “shot with spherical lenses” in response to a question about how they tried to make each of them seem distinct.
“We definitely had like the glowing hands that were part of it, like kind of symbolized when it was coming up. In 102 for that ancestor, Lowak, we shot with spherical lenses, mainly like a 12 mil, and we really just got in on the action, and we’re really like wide going close. We also went full frame with that. So you lose the anamorphic frame lines.”
Kelly explained how it wasn’t just “black and white photography” that the team used in Episode 3 but also “infrared photography:”
“[Episode] 3 was [directed by Catriona McKenzie]… and also the DP was Magdalena Gorka, and they did some really beautiful infrared stuff for that black and white stuff. So, it’s not just black-and-white photography. It’s infrared photography, which was kind of stunning to show the beginning of that character… We really tried to make each one have its own visual touchstone. And we wanted to, of course, like with Maya’s mom, really play that in a way that was [a] little bit of a flashback… It was fun to have the ability and have production being open to us using various techniques to be able to show that.”
When asked which of Maya’s skills was most difficult to depict visually, the director said that Lowak’s capacity “to see all angles” and “think ahead and outmaneuver people:” would be it.
“I would say Lowak. Yeah, because it was, her ability was more of just being able to see all angles and see the stickball… her being able to see and kind of play out each different angle and the sort of cunning or the sort of, the ability to think ahead and outmaneuver people. That was probably the hardest one to show.”
How Disney+’s Echo Showcased Its Distinctive, Cultural Side
The Choctaw Nation’s limelight is home to some of Echo’s most distinctive and fascinating features. Not everyone has had the opportunity to explore their neighborhood and culture, so having the opportunity to do so in a Marvel Studios production offers them some great exposure.
Echo has already cemented its spot in the vast MCU pantheon as a result of those storylines.
Marvel Studios explored other indigenous characters this year besides Maya Lopez.
For Season 2, the animated What If…? series developed a whole new superhero, Kahhori, a Mohawk tribal member who encounters the Tesseract’s abilities. In her first role, Devery Jacobs, who plays Bonnie in Echo, provides the voice of the Multiverse hero.
Even if Marvel Studios is still working to turn things around, it’s always a good idea to explore new cultures and people from lesser-known backgrounds and situations.
Disney+ now offers Echo for streaming.
Is Echo deaf in the comics?
Echo, also known as Maya Lopez, is physically superhuman and has reflexes like a camera. She is deaf, a genius, and a skilled fighter.
Who is Echo’s father?
Maya Lopez is a deaf Choctaw tribal member who left her village when she was a little girl with her father William Lopez. She later grew up as Wilson Fisk’s protege. After Ronin’s pursuit of criminals claimed her father, Lopez rose to prominence as the Tracksuit Mafia’s leader and vowed to exact revenge on Ronin.
Where is Echo from Marvel?
Where is the “Echo” series from Marvel set? Tamaha, the rural Oklahoma settlement where the main heroine Maya Lopez lives, is the setting for most of the action. The town of Tamaha, which was formerly a part of the Choctaw Nation, is based on an actual community in eastern Oklahoma.
Who killed Echo’s dad in Hawkeye?
But at some point during the Blip, Clint Barton, who was posing as the homicidal vigilante Ronin, kills Echo’s father. Echo believes the assassin has returned and follows Barton through Hawkeye after noticing Kate Bishop donning Barton’s Ronin costume.
Is Echo’s real name Ash?
As it turns out, Echo’s true name is Ash, but she was made to kill her closest friend, the actual Echo, who had been assigned the mission of killing her, as part of Queen Nia’s loyalty test (Brenda Strong). Her life as an assassin began when she was forced to take on Echo’s identity for her first assignment.
