By Robert Goldrich, The Road To Emmy, Part 2

On the surface it seemed a curious choice when the creative ensemble behind the two-time Peabody Award-winning Atlanta took on Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a Prime Video series sharing the same title as the 2005 theatrical film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But perhaps the incongruity was in and itself the allure for Atlanta creator Donald Glover as the Mr. & Mrs. Smith he envisioned resided in a far different place than the high-profile box office hit. While epic action thriller elements remained part of the equation for the series, Francesca Sloane, who served as supervising producer and writer on Atlanta, explained that the Mr. & Mrs. Smith she and Glover created–which marked her first turn as a showrunner–took a thoughtful detour into marriage. We see its joys, excitement, complexities, contradictions and at times outright messiness as the two spy protagonists who are initially strangers to each other, portrayed by Glover and Maya Erskine, navigate a course of espionage and intrigue while a committed, intimate and loving relationship develops between them. What starts out as a fictitious marriage that provides cover for their dangerous assignments turns into something genuine as the worlds of fantasy and reality mesh.

While gaining insight into what bonds two people personally and romantically is daunting enough under conventional circumstances, adding the overlay of a globe-trotting secret agent narrative makes the proposition all the more elusive, particularly when the attributes of a spy–being manipulative, adept at telling lies in the blink of an eye, and doing whatever is expedient to further the mission–are clearly detriments when it comes to falling and staying in love, somehow trying to create a long-lasting, meaningful marriage. It turns out that superhuman spies aren’t so superhuman when it comes to matters of the heart.

Acknowledging that she first did a double take when Glover told her of his interest in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sloane soon saw that they could take the story to a uniquely enlightened place, exploring the vulnerability and hardships of a marriage.

Bringing the Atlanta collaborative spirit to that subject matter made sense in retrospect, related Sloane. It’s a dynamic that she recalled Glover describing during a panel discussion as “you want to surround yourself with people whom you trust to argue with.”  That honesty coupled with a creative shorthand already finely honed over time, observed Sloane, made for fertile ground to tackle the intricacies, subtleties and emotional range in a couple’s relationship–and how two people overcome adversity, at times of their own creation.

Among the other members of the Atlanta family entering the Mr. & Mrs. Smith fold were Hiro Murai, who directed the first two episodes, and cinematographer Christian Sprenger, ASC. Murai and Sprenger are additionally executive producer and producer, respectively on Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Fittingly, just as the Atlanta brain trust looked to stretch the Mr. & Mrs. Smith narrative into new creative territory, so too were the artists themselves afforded the opportunity to expand their roles and creative reach–a prime example being Sprenger who not only shot multiple installments of the series but also made his TV directorial debut with an episode. 

Sloane said having Sprenger direct an episode was an obvious choice, describing him as “an unbelievable storyteller,” as reflected in his collaborations over the years with Glover and Murai. Sprenger, she assessed, has “a director’s mind,” adding that the “Double Date” episode he helmed is one of her favorites. Directing became seamless for Sprenger, continued Sloane–facilitated in part by the high level of communication among the collaborators, with “everyone speaking the same language.”

Also conversant in that language was Sprenger’s long-time gaffer, Cody Jacobs. So for the episode he directed, Sprenger naturally gravitated to Jacobs to serve as his cinematographer.

Sloane noted that having artists like Sprenger and Jacobs take on new pursuits is part of what’s gratifying about being part of the Atlanta and Mr. & Mrs. Smith family. While making TV is difficult–a fact that her showrunner experience on Mr. & Mrs. Smith reaffirmed–Sloane felt inspired and energized by the continuing family dynamic among all the collaborators, noting “how often in life do you get to make work of this magnitude–with this level of budget–with your best friends?”

Sloane said that both Sprenger and Jacobs “really get it,” coupling their visual acumen with a deep understanding of the emotions of the actors–and the characters they portray. 

Sloane added that the mix of visual references explored for Mr. & Mrs. Smith included 1970s’ cinema, reality shows about dating and bizarre love arrangements, and Alfred Hitchcock. “Nobody does thrillers–no matter how many films or TV there have been since–like Hitchcock,” said Sloane. Interestingly, Hitchcock directed his own Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a 1941 comedy starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a couple who learn that their marriage isn’t legally valid. 

Taking on new roles
Sprenger embraced the opportunity to direct–but perhaps even more so was buoyed by Jacobs getting the chance to serve as DP. Sprenger said that Jacobs has been his gaffer for nearly 20 years and “one of my dearest friends.” Sprenger recalled that he was first asked if he would like to both direct and shoot an episode–to which he responded, “Oh God, no.” For him, “the clear logical step was to have Cody step up and be the cinematographer.” 

Jacobs was already a union DP, had done some second unit and short-form work. But most importantly he and Sprenger had a rapport that went back to when they were at film school together. Furthermore on Atlanta, Jacobs had a collaborative bond and familiarity forged over the years with Glover, Sloane and varied others who moved onto Mr. & Mrs. Smith. 

From a directorial standpoint, Sprenger appreciated the support he received across the board. He was also a proponent of the conscious decision and effort to keep visual effects in camera whenever possible. While the spy/espionage genre necessitated high action-adventure James Bond-like visual standards, being able to have actors react to real situations–in the practical realm rather than visual effects conjured up in post–enabled Sprenger and the actors themselves to hone in on performance.

The focus, said Sprenger, for Glover, Murai, Sloane and the entire team was, as always, the characters–particularly the interpersonal relationship of the spy couple. “Everything is driven by the narrative–which is big for Donald and Hiro,” noted Sprenger. This meant that the cinematography, for example, had to be “grounded and believable,” shooting in real locations from the mountains of Switzerland to the streets of New York City.

For Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sprenger went with the ARRI Alexa Mini LF. The small size and agility of the Mini LF, coupled with a full-frame sensor, dovetailed well with the show’s narrative. Moviecam lenses were deployed, helping to realize the look and feel of 1970s/’80s’ cinema that Sprenger and his compatriots desired, capturing soft skin tones and warm highlights, in the process combining a sort of vintage sharpness with an emotional feel and empathy for the characters being portrayed.

In the roles of cinematographer and director, Sprenger added that Mr. & Mrs. Smith provided a rich experience, his first with a series of this scale shot in multiple countries, dealing with assorted elements including stunt units, second and third photography units, and a drone unit. The challenge was maintaining continuity throughout, having a small core team in the varied locales, curating talented crew members in different countries. You would spend two or three months in Italy, for example, and then drop the majority of the crew when you went elsewhere. Sprenger learned a valuable lesson, sharing that even with a language barrier at times and cultural differences, “the language of cinema transcends all of that.” He described working on a show in multiple countries, meeting people with different perspectives and bringing them all together as being “pretty special.”

Though he has no intention of quitting his day job as an accomplished cinematographer, Sprenger enjoyed his directorial experience on Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In fact, he plans to continue directing some short-form work down the road.

This is the second installment of SHOOT’s weekly 16-part The Road To Emmy Series of feature stories. Nominations will be announced and covered on July 17. Creative Arts Emmy winners will be reported on September 7 and 8, and primetime Emmy ceremony winners will be covered on September 15.)

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