THE CROWN PRODUCTION
SIGN OF THE TIMES Each season spans roughly a decade, with the series beginning in 1947 and ending in 2005 – a period characterised by stylistic evolution. “There’s a natural visual progression,” states Goldman. “I was always saying that we’re going to see new furniture, new costumes and new cars. We’re also going to shoot in new locations. I don’t think we need to overthink this.” Every two seasons, the Queen’s character changed hands, with Olivia Colman replacing Claire Foy and Imelda Staunton eventually replacing Colman. To differentiate these actresses and their narratives visually, Goldman opted for three sets of lenses: the Cooke Panchros for Foy, Zeiss Super Speeds for Colman and Cooke S4s for Staunton. “It gets a little sharper when you move ahead in time,” explains Goldman, mirroring the tech advances of the 20th century. In later seasons, Goldman utilised zoom lenses to capture Elizabeth Debicki’s Princess Diana, who is often seen from afar in a more ‘observational, voyeuristic’ manner – akin to how she was viewed by the press. “Little by little, the look and pace evolved,” explains Goldman. “For instance, Season 6, episode 3 is the most hectic one because it’s Diana’s last week.”
WHENEVER THE SCRIPT SUGGESTS a different approach, you do it ”
TRUE OR FALSE Although based on the British royal family, The Crown is a dramatisation of their personal lives as well as the historical, cultural and political events they influenced. For this reason, accuracy was important – though not essential – to the show’s creators. While Goldman researched the photos and footage of the royals, he was careful not to draw directly from too many existing images. “You feed your brain with references from the period,” he describes. Nevertheless, “There’s a specific shot which finishes Season 6, episode 2 with Diana on the yacht – the jetty. That’s an homage to a famous photo, but something we didn’t want to repeat often. It’s a lovely way to finish the episode, and everybody remembers that iconic picture. “We never tried to copy anything or mirror actual stock footage; there’s inspiration, but we never wanted to copy,” Goldman continues. “But for that one, I’m very happy we did it. It’s a very moving last shot.” The Crown ’s set-pieces are generally integral to maintaining the show’s true- to-life quality. “For instance,” begins Goldman, “the plane that brings Diana’s coffin back to London – where you see Prince Charles meeting the Prime Minister on the runway – is the same plane they actually used. I don’t know if anyone knows that,” he reveals. Similarly, Prince Charles’ Jaguar is also authentic.
She and Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla) are in Paris, battling paparazzi for their privacy. The pace quickens as the episode progresses and eventually concludes with the car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, which occurs off-screen. One episode prior, Two Photographs parallels Diana’s life with that of her former husband, Prince Charles. A steep departure from the series’ usual stability, it begins by documenting the contrasting lifestyles of photographers Mario Brenna and (fictional) Duncan Muir. “They live in different worlds, in different countries,” describes Goldman. “[Brenna’s] introduction is way more fun; he drives his convertible car, and the camera is attached to it while vibrating just a little bit. There’s a specific flavour there.” Goldman continues, “Then you cut to a much slower rhythm when you come to Scotland, and you’re building a parallel story between those two characters.” He concludes: “Whenever the script suggests a different approach, you do it.” The series’ look develops gradually, keeping the viewer immersed and convinced of its fit within that season’s given time frame. “We were never going to shoot Seasons 5 and 6 in the same romantic tone we did Seasons 1 and 2,” comments Goldman. “Between Seasons 4 and 5, I vividly remember Peter saying: ‘The show has to evolve; the look needs to evolve’. It’s less ‘period’ and much more contemporary.”
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