How ‘A Christmas Carol’ Inspired Paul Giammati’s ‘Black Mirror’ Episode

by

The thought-provoking series ‘Black Mirror’, in its seventh season, titled ‘Eulogy’, draws inspiration from the classic tale ‘A Christmas Carol‘. It delves into the tumultuous finale of a relationship, marked by discord.

Charlie Brooker, along with co-showrunner Jessica Rhoades and co-screenwriter Ella Road (who is primarily a playwright and whose dystopian show “The Phlebotomist” caught their attention), were participating in what they call a Black Sky meeting. This seasonal ideation session before drafting each new set of episodes led them to often revisit the familiar trope of a man encountering three spirits. However, this concept didn’t seem quite fitting for “Black Mirror,” as it was missing the unique, subtly unsettling flavor that Brooker believes every story should have – a “slightly creepy, umami taste.

Ultimately, they managed to solve it. The narrative would then center around a cranky character, engaging with a single spirit from his past, transforming the plot into a mystery. As Brooker explains, “We chose to create technology designed to supplement historical details, making the story feel more authentic to us.” The fictional device is an AI-driven memory restoration company that assists mourning families in customizing funeral services for their deceased relatives.

In the TV show “Eulogy,” Paul Giamatti portrays Philip, a character who employs a software to reconstruct a decades-old breakup with his late ex-girlfriend Carol, whose name is a tribute to the initial concept of the team. The program allows him to input photographs from their shared past. As “Eulogy” only has two major characters and spans 47 minutes, the success of the episode relied heavily on casting. Giamatti was the preferred choice among all, as Brooker is a long-time admirer of his acting talent; however, the showrunners initially thought it would be a stretch. They consulted with casting directors Jeanie Bacharach (known for “The Bear” and “Station Eleven”) in the U.S., and Jina Jay (“Star Wars: Rogue One” and “Dune: Part One”) in the U.K., to identify alternative leads, just in case. However, they never needed to use that list.

Since the first season, Giamatti had admired the show – “It aligns with one of my perspectives,” he stated – and had secretly yearned to be part of it. “I didn’t need to read it; I was practically saying yes already,” he admitted. After actually reading the script, Giamatti confessed that he was touched by its themes: “I view it as a tale of haunting, how his character has been haunted by this person, and even the photos from his personal history.

The team responsible for overseeing the show (showrunners) were uncertain about how to handle casting the character of The Guide, an AI-generated voice that later takes on a physical form and accompanies Giamatti’s character in their exploration through photographs. “It’s a challenging and peculiar role since it begins as just a talking oracle,” explains Brooker with a chuckle.

Jay proposed Patsy Ferran, a highly acclaimed British actress, who was then starring as Blanche DuBois alongside Paul Mescal in the West End revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire“. As Brooker explains, “She exhibits a subtle playfulness, yet maintains a strong and powerful presence. Moreover, she and Paul established a great rapport from their very first encounter.

It was noted that Ferran’s appearance might lead viewers to think she is Giamatti’s daughter in the show, so the writers intentionally included details in the script to prevent such confusion. As Rhoades explains, “People are always trying to guess Black Mirror‘s twists before they happen, so we constantly consider that.

A preliminary chat with the newly chosen actors additionally confirmed a cherished part of the script for Rhodes. During their dialogue concerning the scene where The Guide’s true identity (being Carol’s daughter from a one-night stand) is disclosed, the actors questioned why this topic wasn’t brought up earlier in their characters’ exchanges. Brooker then revisited the script, devising Rhodes’ preferred line: “You said, ‘Jump to the main part.’

Rhoades remarks, ‘For me, that was the point where this episode became a tale reminiscent of Black Mirror.’ He’s illustrating how we all mindlessly bypass technology introductions, and in doing so, he underscores the significance of him missing crucial details.

In each season of Black Mirror, they bring in new creative minds for each episode. The unique visual aspects of “Eulogy” required a particular director, so the showrunners decided not to use greenscreens and instead constructed custom sets to animate Phillip’s old photos. While scouting for directors, Rhoades found the directing duo Luke Taylor and Chris Barrett. They are well-known for music videos like the Rolling Stones’ “Scarlet” featuring Paul Mescal, but it was their phone commercial that caught Rhoades’ attention. “We’re not elitist,” she stated. “We put in a lot of effort to find the perfect candidates, and we enjoy taking risks because what’s the point of this job if you can’t do that?

The decision to bring on the team was risky due to their limited storytelling background, but they presented an impressive visual portfolio. It became evident to the producers that they all shared the same creative vision. They even showed this proposal to Giamatti, just in case he had anticipated a more renowned candidate; however, he was intrigued by the concept instead.

Alongside avoiding the use of greenscreen, the filmmaking crew aimed to create as many visual effects of futuristic AI technology directly on set. The end product, the photographs brought to life, resembled an intricate and costly mannequin challenge, although Brooker refers to it more like a stage play. “It took a long time,” says Giamatti with a laugh. “But it was worth it.

They enlisted James MacLachlan, who previously collaborated with Barrett and Taylor on a promotional video featuring Hozier, as the VFX supervisor. To figure out how lighting would behave when the camera moved through static scenes, he employed a projector, his daughter’s dollhouse, and his iPhone for testing. (Later, they expanded upon this method with mannequins and a Steadicam once they reached the set in England.) The filming of all reenactment sequences occurred first, followed by the creation of Polaroids that matched what had already been recorded. To bring those dynamic Polaroids to life, dancers and mimes were hired to maintain still positions more effectively.

Polly Bennett, the movement coordinator, carefully designed each actor’s stance, however, having them halt mid-gesture caused stress even for skilled mimes. As a jest, Brooker remarked, “Standing still for long periods with a beer bottle can drive you mad.” MacLachlan and his crew aimed to minimize time spent correcting movement mistakes in post-production, so they hired an on-set metalworker who built piping to support the actors’ limbs through their clothing. “My only rule was: If you’re going to blink, do it quickly and frequently,” he stated. Interestingly, it’s simpler to erase a rapid blink in post-production than a slow one.

Initially, Giamatti found it peculiar to perform alongside individuals who appeared stationary. He humorously adds, “Performing before a greenscreen would have seemed more familiar.” The actor, having won an Emmy, notes that the oddity assisted in setting the tone for the actors. He describes their unwavering stillness as eerie, and the interaction was bizarre. Despite this, one could sense their human energy around them, and they felt his too.

In addition to his significant screen appearances, Giamatti often acted alongside Ferran’s disembodied voice in the series. This was done as he communicated with The Guide through a device mounted on his temple. The team behind Black Mirror referred to these props as “nubbins,” and Giamatti found it strangely familiar to acting on the phone, something he’s been doing for many years. He admitted that he enjoyed it because it was amusing to him to pretend to have a conversation.

As a devoted admirer of Black Mirror, I’ve noticed that those peculiar items, often referred to as ‘nubbins’, appear in numerous episodes, even in season seven’s “Hotel Reverie”. Despite their recurrence, the props team meticulously crafts new ones for each story due to their ever-changing roles. In the episode “Eulogy”, these objects took on a commercial aspect that captivated Giamatti’s character, making them integral to the plot. Interestingly, this prop helped create the subtle, eerie flavor that Brooker was aiming for in the episode.

According to Brooker, the technology portrayed in “Black Mirror” should be appealing and seem realistic so that viewers think, “I’d really want to use this!” If it doesn’t feel this way, people might wonder, “Put it back in the box, Paul. What are you doing?” Contrary to popular belief, “Black Mirror” is not a warning about technology. Instead, Brooker is pro-technology and concerned about its misuse because it’s a potent tool that can be easily mishandled.

Originally published in the independent May issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, you can get a subscription here to read more such stories.

Read More

2025-06-04 22:27