VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: ‘The Changeling’ Directors On How They Created A Haunted & Magical World

Directors of the Apple TV+ supernatural series The Changeling, Jonathan Van Tulleken and Michael Francis Williams, spoke about how they created tension between characters in their new exclusive interview. 

Van Tulleken explained how his first step in creating this tension is by “looking at the script.”

He poses questions to himself about the language like, “Whose point of view is it? You know how do you draw the audience into sort of this subjective dreamlike experience?” 

Williams added, “It’s trying to bridge the gap between the audience and what we see on the page of the script.”

Actors can do this by using visual tricks to make viewers feel their tension.

Specifically in The Changeling, they noted that there are a lot of elements at play like, “magic realism and horror and suspense” that were helpful for the directors to use. 

Williams explained how he was able to do this in his episode.

“I got to break a few rules and help really immerse an audience in ways of getting us to feel what these characters are really going through in fresh, new ways,” he recalled.

The show features multiple magical aspects that had to be planned out before shooting.

Van Tulleken explained that when they were filming in New York City he attempted to “find places in New York that hadn’t been seen before.”

He specifically was interested in areas that “have that kind of haunted, interesting vibe to them.”

Van Tulleken’s goal was to draw the audience in by using the real world, but “slightly distort it.” 

The show is based on Victor LaValle’s novel The Changeling.

Williams described how the show’s creator, Kelly Marcel, had to weave “the mythology and magical onto the page.”

He applauded how “she was always there to kind of encourage and push and question you know how we covered that.” 

Van Tulleken shared that he found filming a “witch scene” in Colombia was one of the most memorable moments for him.

He recalled how they were “filming that by the waterfall and there really was mist on the lagoon.”

He described it as “magical” and that “it’s rare when you’re filming that you’re able to immerse yourself fully you know so many things are going on behind the camera that it’s sometimes very difficult to just be absolutely present.” 

Williams mentioned that his favorite scene was Van Tulleken’s sequence.

He loved how simple the idea was, “but just the way we staged it” made it memorable. 

Both directors agreed that working with the cast was “fantastic,” specifically citing the work of LaKeith Stanfield, Clark Backo, Adina Porter, Samuel T. Herring and Jared Abrahamson.

Van Tulleken called it “ a real joy” and praised them for being able to “completely immerse themselves and give themselves over to Kelly’s beautiful material.”

The Changeling is currently streaming on Apple TV+.