“It just pounded snow:” Severance production designer opens up about the challenges of filming Season 2 Episode 4

Severance Season 2, Episode 4, 'Woe’s Hollow,' led viewers out of the cold, mazelike corridors of Lumon Industries and into the rough, frosty wilds. But filming outside was no walk in the park. Production designer, Jeremy Hindle, said it was the toughest episode to make this season.

The actors and the crew had to deal with unpredictable weather, far from civilization, and real-life snow with CGI magic. They looked for the perfect spots to film in upstate New York for weeks. But Mother Nature had other ideas. Hindle talked to Variety and said:

"We got the most mind-blowing amount of snow at the beginning of the shoot, and then it all got really hot and melted."

So, they used fake snow and CGI to keep the winter look consistent throughout the show. Plus, they had to follow strict rules to keep the beautiful, protected forests they were filming in as untouched as possible.

But, there was a scene on Severance with Irving's dream sequence on a mountain that they filmed with real snow. Hindle said:

"Luckily, it just pounded snow. We shot it in an afternoon for real."

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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Filming locations of Severance Season 2 Episode 4

The search for the perfect spots to film was quite the challenge. Hindle and his crew dedicated 20 days to exploring the beautiful, but sometimes tough, terrain of upstate New York. They would often walk for miles just to see if a place had the right vibe for the scenes they had in mind. Hindle explained to Variety:

"When scouting, you’re going out for full days where you just hike and hike because a lot of these areas weren’t accessible by car."

One spot that stood out was Awosting Falls. It was picked for the part where Irving, played by John Turturro, has to plunge Helly, played by Britt Lower, into freezing water to reveal she is Helena Eagan. Getting this scene right was delicate because it had to be dramatic and safe for the actors on Severance. Turturro talked to Collider about it, saying:

“It was hard for Britt, and it was hard for me in other ways, because part of my brain was thinking about, “OK, I gotta take care of her, and I’ve got to do what I have to do at the same time.””

Another place they used was Minnewaska State Park Preserve. It is where they put up the tents for the Outdoor Retreat and Team-Building Event (ORTBO). Hindle had a clever idea to make these tents glow blue to hint at Lumon's constant presence, even when everyone's out in nature.

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CGI effects in Severance Season 2 Episode 4

While the team wanted to make sure everything looked real, the weather didn't always cooperate, so they had to use a lot of computer-generated images (CGI) to keep the scenes looking like they were all happening at the same time. Variety says that about 70% of the snow we see in the show was put there by CGI.

To make other parts seem more real, they sprayed water on trees to make them icy and spread fake snow on the ground.

Beyond the snowy landscape, the lighting was a key player in telling the story in this episode. In the tent scene with Mark and Helly, the director strategically used bright red backlighting to create a stark difference with the generally chilly, blue-hued surroundings.

This artful choice helped the nature of their intimacy, making it stand out from the rest of the visually cold settings on Severance:

"I wanted the inside of the tents to feel like a cage, almost like the ribs of an animal," Hindle noted.

This visual reflects the feeling of being trapped, even when the employees are out in the open environment. It's quite an interesting concept.

Even with all the hurdles they have faced, Severance Season 2 is still knocking it out of the park. It has a high rating of 98% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which is even more than the first season's 97% score.

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Severance Season 2, with 'Woe's Hollow,' is available to watch on Apple TV+.