Severance creator spilled his own blood to convince Apple to make the show 

In the highly competitive television industry, contending creators come up with all sorts of things to stand out. None came closer to doing this literally than Dan Erickson, creator of the Severance series. He put some of his blood into pitch materials that would be presented to Apple TV+.

The official summary for Severance reads as below:

Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer. Reader discretion is advised.

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The genesis of a unique pitch in Severance

The series apparently derives its premise from the disturbing idea of surgically "severing" the work and personal memories of employees, which in itself casts a dark light on corporate culture and work-life balance.

According to Erickson, the standard pitch techniques might not do justice to the show's unique flavor and depth. In the Severance podcast, Erickson revealed his creative process stating,

"We worked with Ben [Stiller] and Jackie [Cohn] on this pitch document. I got it in my head that what this needs to have is a bloody coffee mug print, as though somebody took a bloody coffee mug and laid it down on the page."

First, Erickson used food coloring, but it wasn't authentic enough for him. To make a great impression, he decided to use his own blood. He bought a lancing needle, took a small quantity of blood, and created an authentic bloody coffee mug stain on the pitch document.

This process was not shared with many of his collaborators, including director Ben Stiller and actor Adam Scott, as he feared they might think he was "crazy." However, executive producer Jackie Cohn knew the process and remembered they went through so many iterations to get the blood stain effect right.

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The impact of Erickson's commitment

Erickson's commitment was carried through into his vision in terms of the material surfaces used on the grounds. Severance is one of those shows that seems to be based on Erickson's personal life experiences in office work.

He says there were offices with no windows and the kind of repetitive work for which he wished he could have been disassociated from the workday.

Apple TV+ bought the pitch that stroked something honest and passionate in Erickson, which would later turn into Severance. The show has garnered praise for its mind-bending narrative, powerful performances, and intellectual themes.

Critics have hailed the ability to balance psychological thriller elements with a fine satire of the corporate world.

The show features a cast comprising Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken and is directed by Ben Stiller. The engaging craft of the world-building and characterizations keeps viewers hooked for more.

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If a literary work is to be at all a work of art, it has to dramatize the quality of life and creative excitement that fills all great works; and it must extend out of one's own experiences and be affected by them.

Erickson's ripping himself open to pour out his "lifeblood" into the project, in metaphor and reality, did produce something. It is a show that causes viewers to evaluate their own definitions of boundaries and worth in terms of time.

There's one more thing that makes waiting for the new season, which is going to premiere on January 17, 2025, more thrilling: the story behind the very inception of the show.

To have come from a disillusioned office worker to become the creator of a highly acclaimed series is an inspirational journey for aspiring storytellers: dedicate yourself to the craft with authenticity and take creative risks.