Found out Dark on Netflix took 2 years to plan the first season

I was reading an interview with the creators on some German film site and they said they mapped out all 3 seasons before they even shot episode 1. That blew my mind because the show is so confusing already. They had a 900 page document just for the timeline. Makes me wonder how many shows actually do that kind of prep work. Has anyone else read about crazy pre-production for a show they loved?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollyscott6d ago

Sat down and watched a behind the scenes featurette for Breaking Bad where they talked about mapping out Walter White's entire arc on a huge whiteboard before they even cast Bryan Cranston. They knew exactly where they wanted him to end up by season 5. It's wild to think about because most shows seem like they're just making it up as they go. Dark sounds insane though. 900 pages just for the timeline alone. That's the kind of dedication that makes a show actually hold up when you rewatch it.

torres.riley6d ago

Not sure it's always that deep though. Plenty of great shows figured it out as they went because the best ideas sometimes come from seeing what works with the actors and audience. A big board sounds impressive but it doesn't replace good writing instincts when you're actually filming.

owens.laura6d ago

The wire did something similar... the writers had this huge map of Baltimore with different colored pins tracking all the characters and their connections. They knew where everything was heading years in advance. Really made a difference when you watch it back and notice how things from season 1 pay off in season 4. I tried doing something like that for a project I was helping with once, just a simple timeline on a corkboard, and it kept us from writing ourselves into corners so many times.