Pluribus: The Official Podcast
Season 1, Episode 2: Marshall Adams
Air Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Chris McCaleb
Guest: Marshall Adams (Director of Photography, Pluribus)
Episode Overview
This bonus episode features a deep-dive interview with Marshall Adams, Director of Photography for several episodes of Pluribus. Host and Pluribus editor Chris McCaleb (A) sits down for a one-on-one conversation with Adams (B) to explore the cinematographic craft behind the show, unpacking Adams’ techniques, creative process, and collaboration with creator/showrunner Vince Gilligan and the production team. Listeners receive insider stories about signature sequences, technical challenges, and the visual identity of Pluribus, including the acclaimed “oner” shot from episode 101 and inventive approaches to filming with practical effects, green screens, and set extensions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The On-the-Move 'Oner' Shot (Ep 101)
[01:19–06:16]
- The conversation centers on the ambitious single-take shot (“oner”) of Carol driving through the wreckage of Albuquerque. Adams details the technical and creative solutions behind the sequence.
- Original Concept: Began with Vince Gilligan’s vision to keep the camera “close and wide” on actress Rhea Seehorn (Carol).
- Lighting Innovation: Adams explains, “We surrounded the whole front of that car with a truck with an LED panel that was probably 12ft wide and 5ft tall.” (B, [02:47])
- LED panels displayed real-time images so Seehorn could react organically to her environment.
- The “Biscuit”—a modified Tesla with a flat bed—allowed for safe filming of the driving sequence.
- Practical effects: A crew member was hidden on the vehicle to spray water at the windshield in sync with an on-scene effect (fire hydrant burst).
- Adams emphasizes the intent: “Hopefully that's my job in a nutshell. ...Take all that stuff away...so that it feels like you're there and you're in it.” (B, [06:16])
Achieving the 'Kodachrome Look'
[06:25–08:42]
- Shifting to the show’s visual identity, Adams expands on the "Kodachrome" aesthetic.
- Vince Gilligan wanted a stylized, “timeless quality” that only “dials in” during episode 2, marking a narrative shift in the world.
- “It’s a very cool idea. And...has a kind of a timeless quality to it that you...recognize from, you know, old photographs.” (B, [07:32])
- The look involved careful camera and colorist (Dave Cole) collaboration, shooting tests, and fine-tuning hues for accentuated reds and selective desaturation.
- Trial and error, collaborative team reviews, and tweaks ensured authenticity and emotional resonance.
Making Planes and Crash Sites Real
[08:42–12:10]
- Discussing practical and VFX integration:
- Adams describes the challenge of compositing a C130 plane over background wreckage when the two could not physically occupy the same runway.
- Detailed planning involved building 3D airport models in SketchUp to determine precise camera placements and GPS coordinates.
- Two cameras, a half-mile apart, shot simultaneously: “They absolutely were. ...Shot at the same time, literally from the two camera positions that are facing the same direction. Exactly.” (B, [11:09])
- Ensuring lighting and angles matched so VFX could later stitch the footage seamlessly.
Building (and Extending) Air Force One
[12:10–16:55]
- Adams explains how set builds and VFX extensions blended to turn partial sets into believable Air Force One sequences.
- Collaboration with production designer Denise was critical, aided by more SketchUp modeling.
- Large green screens and a flexible grip crew enabled efficient coverage of stairway and fuselage shots; visual effects filled in the rest.
- Set interiors—like the Air Force One meeting room—were based on real-life references, mirroring practical lighting to maintain authenticity.
- “I've never been big on taking license...You’ve got to stay true to whatever the actual set is. You just have to.” (B, [17:33])
Shooting Complex Dialogue Scenes
[17:36–19:38]
- Focusing on the large ensemble lunch scene: 14–15 actors, multiple perspectives, and shifting light.
- Adams credits production design for providing a covered space, minimizing weather and sunlight shifts over a week of filming.
- Visual effects aided in blending background skies, but practical light modifications dominated, keeping the environment natural and unobtrusive.
Working with Directors and the Value of Preparation
[19:38–21:24]
- Adams discusses adapting his work to the visions and workflows of various directors:
- With Vince Gilligan, meticulous pre-planning is standard. “He has thought through every shot on so many levels that it's kind of a non-starter.” (B, [20:25])
- With other directors, flexibility is key; Adams offers ideas and adapts his approach to their comfort and preferences.
- Storyboarding and shot lists are tools used variably based on the complexity of scenes and directors’ working styles.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the LED-Panel Rigging:
“We surrounded the whole front of that car with a truck with an LED panel that was probably 12ft wide and 5ft tall.”
— Marshall Adams [02:47] -
On Practical Effects for Water:
“We literally had an effects guy riding on the car with us who hit the windshield at the moment we see it kind of go past or just in it. So it feels like it's organic.”
— Marshall Adams [05:34] -
On the Aim of Cinematography:
“Hopefully that's my job in a nutshell. ...Take all that stuff away if it exists so that it feels like you're there and you're in it.”
— Marshall Adams [06:16] -
On the Kodachrome Look:
“It's a great look. ...It has a kind of a timeless quality to it that you don't even realize that you recognize from, you know, from pictures, old photographs and things like that.”
— Marshall Adams [07:32] -
On Meticulous Technical Planning:
“So I built a SketchUp model of the airport and plopped the two cameras down and figured out what the exact GPS coordinates of the second camera would be.”
— Marshall Adams [11:00] -
On Staying True to Realism:
“I've never been big on taking license when things like that. ...But in my mind, it's just my own personal opinion, but you got to stay true to whatever the actual set is. You just have to.”
— Marshall Adams [17:33]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:19] – Breaking down the “oner” shot in 101
- [06:25] – Developing the series’ Kodachrome look
- [08:42] – Compositing plane and crash site footage with technical precision
- [12:10] – Air Force One set construction and VFX extensions
- [15:45] – Collaborating with production designers for authentic lighting
- [17:36] – Shooting large ensemble dialogue scenes over multiple days
- [19:38] – The process of working with different directors
Episode Tone
The episode’s tone is one of mutual admiration, technical curiosity, and behind-the-scenes camaraderie. Chris McCaleb is enthusiastic and respectful, prompting Adams to share both technical specifics and personal reflections. Adams is candid, humble, and deeply detail-oriented, repeatedly crediting his collaborators and expressing the joy and challenge of “making it feel real.”
This episode is a treasure trove for fans and filmmakers alike, offering rare technical insights, fascinating anecdotes, and a celebration of creative problem-solving on Pluribus.