8 Months of Work Unveiled: How Wednesday Season 2’s Wildest Scene Was Shot!

Season 2 of Wednesday was generally well-received by Netflix subscribers, but there was ONE scene in part 1 that truly captivated everyone. In the first episode, as Pugsley adjusts to his new life at Nevermore, he stumbles upon a thrilling tale: that of a former student with a mechanical heart, buried near a skull-shaped trunk.

To bring this legend (which turns out to be true) to life, the Wednesday team crafted an extraordinary black-and-white stop-motion sequence. This laborious effort took 8 months of hard work, as shown in the recently released behind-the-scenes video by Netflix. The production involved the creation of about fifteen puppets and ten different sets.

A Tribute to Tim Burton’s Career

In this fascinating documentary, the team explains that they aimed to pay tribute to Tim Burton’s fantastical universe and his legacy in stop-motion animation (Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, etc.). Burton himself designed the hero, carving a face from a piece of wood and adorning his skull with metal wires.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Burton shared that he wanted to nod to Vincent, one of his early short films, and encouraged the animators to embrace imperfection:

“I kept saying, ‘No, it’s too pretty. It’s too polished. We need to act as if I’m back in my student days, doing things the way I did at the start of my career’.”

The technique of stop-motion, which involves capturing each movement in photos and then stringing them together, is lengthy and arduous. However, it adds an enchanting and mysterious charm to the darker, more horror-oriented season 2 of Wednesday. The series’ team also shares various technical tips and details they used in certain shots, such as the exploding clock.

Will part 2 of Wednesday feature another sequence of this type? Find out on September 3 on Netflix.