Revealing his inspiration, Shawn Levy revealed how he used his vision in his All the Light We Cannot See and made it aesthetically rich.

‘All the Light We Cannot See’ Director Shawn Levy Reveals His Inspiration and Truth Behind His Unique Aesthetics

Shawn Levy is the kind of filmmaker who does not have the experience of only one
genre. From coming-of-age sci-fi to action-thriller to now, the war series, the
Canadian director has done it all. To add to his creative genius, he recently
delivered All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix. The mini-series is a tale of a
visually impaired girl and a German soldier trying to survive World War 2. While
putting his brilliant vision into the creation, the director has delivered one
of his best aesthetic works.

Amidst the success of the series, Levy opened up about who inspired him along
with the explanation of his unique aesthetics.


SHAWN LEVY GETS INSPIRED BY MANY BRILLIANT FILMMAKERS

The 55-year-old director sat down on Salon Talks to discuss the Netflix series.
During their conversation, the interviewer pointed out the commonality in all of
Shawn Levy’s work and asked him about his inspiration. The first and foremost
name he uttered was Steven Spielberg, whose Saving Private Ryan he rewatched for
war presentation references. Shawn Levy said his work had always been inspiring
to him.



Additionally, he mentioned Peter Weir, the director of Dead Poets Society,
Master and Commander, and so on. Levy accepted he would never achieve the same
style as these legendary filmmakers. However, explaining his own style, he said,
“I take my aesthetics and my style from the tone of the story.” Citing an
example of his previous film Free Guy, he said, was more poppy, primary, and
video game-inspired. However, this was not the case with All the Light We Cannot
See.

ALSO READ: Shawn Levy Exposes the “Heartbreaking” Feelings Over the Timely
Release of ‘All the Light We Cannot See’
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-shawn-levy-exposes-the-heartbreaking-feelings-over-the-timely-release-of-all-the-light-we-cannot-see/]

With war as the base of the story, photography of the ’30s and ’40s actually
inspired the aesthetics of the 4-part series. Apart from the set designs and
costumes, there were some very specific advances made by the creator to bring
the war-ridden yet beautiful world to life.


HOW DID THE DIRECTOR CREATE ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE TO BE AESTHETICALLY
RICH?

It is the smallest details that can create an enormous difference in the
portrayal. Keeping that in mind, Shawn Levy explained how he made the series
aesthetically rich. His focus was on the way the light had a certain softness to
it, and “the way the history of French designs and French aesthetics you see a
collision of pattern and color but all with the patina of age, of a history“.

> All the Light We Cannot See is now streaming. pic.twitter.com/pWVrqZP4qt
> [https://t.co/pWVrqZP4qt]
> 
> — Netflix (@netflix) November 2, 2023
> [https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1720063209737011543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw]



So, he, along with his production designer and cinematographer, looked at the
aesthetics of the time rather than the films of the era. While taking
inspiration from the pioneers, Shawn Levy used his instincts and vision to
create a work of art in cinema. Much like his instincts for the newcomer, Aria
Mia Loberti
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-nrews-shawn-levy-narrates-how-netflixs-all-the-lights-we-cannot-see-follows-a-tried-tested-method-he-used-in-stranger-things/],
his instincts to represent the mood of World War 2 did not fail him.

ALSO READ: How Shawn Levy’s Personal Relationship Beautifully Translated Into
‘All the Light We Cannot See’ With Aria Mia Loberti
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-hollywood-news-how-shawn-levy-personal-relationship-beautifully-translated-into-all-the-light-we-cannot-see-with-aria-mia-loberti/]

What is your take on Levy’s inspiration and how he used it to represent his
aesthetics in his works? Drop your views in the comments below.

Neha Chande

Comment

‘All the Light We Cannot See’ Director Shawn Levy Reveals His Inspiration and Truth Behind His Unique Aesthetics - Netflix Junkie

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Meet Neha Chande, an entertainment writer at Netflix Junkie, who has written more than 1100 articles. With a Master's degree in English Literature, Neha believes in unbiased journalism. Before delving into her passion for writing and cinema, she taught English and communication skills as a facilitator and lecturer. Writing has been Neha's passion since childhood, and with a degree in Theatre Arts, she enjoys analyzing movies and shows of all genres. Recently, while watching My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Neha was deeply moved by Will Smith's spiritual journey, which led to a lot of self-discovery. She has a deep appreciation for poetry, regardless of the language, and prefers to lose herself in the romantic world of books and movies rather than the chaotic reality.

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‘All the Light We Cannot See’ Director Shawn Levy Reveals His Inspiration and Truth Behind His Unique Aesthetics - netflix-junkie

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Shawn Levy is the kind of filmmaker who does not have the experience of only one genre. From coming-of-age sci-fi to action-thriller to now, the war series, the Canadian director has done it all. To add to his creative genius, he recently delivered All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix. The mini-series is a tale of a visually impaired girl and a German soldier trying to survive World War 2. While putting his brilliant vision into the creation, the director has delivered one of his best aesthetic works.
Amidst the success of the series, Levy opened up about who inspired him along with the explanation of his unique aesthetics.
<h2>Shawn Levy gets inspired by many brilliant filmmakers</h2>
The 55-year-old director sat down on Salon Talks to discuss the Netflix series. During their conversation, the interviewer pointed out the commonality in all of Shawn Levy&#8217;s work and asked him about his inspiration. The first and foremost name he uttered was Steven Spielberg, whose Saving Private Ryan he rewatched for war presentation references. Shawn Levy said his work had always been inspiring to him.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Shawn Levy on “Deadpool,” Taylor Swift and making cinematic TV with “Stranger Things” | Salon Talks" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j3VBwoFN6Gg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Additionally, he mentioned Peter Weir, the director of Dead Poets Society, Master and Commander, and so on. Levy accepted he would never achieve the same style as these legendary filmmakers. However, explaining his own style, he said, &#8220;I take my aesthetics and my style from the tone of the story.&#8221; Citing an example of his previous film Free Guy, he said, was more poppy, primary, and video game-inspired. However, this was not the case with All the Light We Cannot See.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-shawn-levy-exposes-the-heartbreaking-feelings-over-the-timely-release-of-all-the-light-we-cannot-see/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shawn Levy Exposes the “Heartbreaking” Feelings Over the Timely Release of ‘All the Light We Cannot See&#8217;</a>
With war as the base of the story, photography of the &#8217;30s and &#8217;40s actually inspired the aesthetics of the 4-part series. Apart from the set designs and costumes, there were some very specific advances made by the creator to bring the war-ridden yet beautiful world to life.
<h2>How did the director create All the Light We Cannot See to be aesthetically rich?</h2>
It is the smallest details that can create an enormous difference in the portrayal. Keeping that in mind, Shawn Levy explained how he made the series aesthetically rich. His focus was on the way the light had a certain softness to it, and &#8220;the way the history of French designs and French aesthetics you see a collision of pattern and color but all with the patina of age, of a history&#8220;.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
All the Light We Cannot See is now streaming. <a href="https://t.co/pWVrqZP4qt">pic.twitter.com/pWVrqZP4qt</a>
&mdash; Netflix (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1720063209737011543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So, he, along with his production designer and cinematographer, looked at the aesthetics of the time rather than the films of the era. While taking inspiration from the pioneers, Shawn Levy used his instincts and vision to create a work of art in cinema. Much like <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-nrews-shawn-levy-narrates-how-netflixs-all-the-lights-we-cannot-see-follows-a-tried-tested-method-he-used-in-stranger-things/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his instincts for the newcomer, Aria Mia Loberti</a>, his instincts to represent the mood of World War 2 did not fail him.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-hollywood-news-how-shawn-levy-personal-relationship-beautifully-translated-into-all-the-light-we-cannot-see-with-aria-mia-loberti/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Shawn Levy’s Personal Relationship Beautifully Translated Into ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ With Aria Mia Loberti</a>
What is your take on Levy&#8217;s inspiration and how he used it to represent his aesthetics in his works? Drop your views in the comments below.

How Shawn Levy’s Personal Relationship Beautifully Translated Into ‘All the
Light We Cannot See’ With Aria Mia Loberti

Shawn Levy Exposes the “Heartbreaking” Feelings Over the Timely Release of ‘All
the Light We Cannot See’

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK &#8211; MAY 14: Shawn Levy attends Netflix&#8217;s &#8220;Stranger Things&#8221; Season 4 New York Premiere at Netflix Brooklyn on May 14, 2022 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Netflix&#8217;s &#8220;Stranger Things&#8221; Season 4 New York Premiere

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‘All the Light We Cannot See’ Director, Shawn Levy, Reveals His Inspiration and Truth Behind His Unique Aesthetics

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‘All the Light We Cannot See’ Director Shawn Levy Reveals His Inspiration and Truth Behind His Unique Aesthetics

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