Arcane on Netflix: We’ve Seen Exclusive Images from Season 2!

Twenty-four hours after the release of the new trailer, several speakers involved in the groundbreaking series Arcane came to present Season 2 during a special conference.

Exclusively, a few lucky attendees were able to discover a behind-the-scenes look at the series, as well as new images and video clips from upcoming episodes! To discuss the creative process behind this animated gem, creative director Barthelemy Monori was joined by producer Christine Ponzevera, producer Arnaud-Lauris Beaudry and screenwriter Amanda Overton.

After Season 1 aired in late 2021, the sequel took more than three years to write and produce. The amount of time required to create six hours of content and approximately 9,000 frames. A long-term project, the fruit of the efforts and experience of more than 450 animation specialists, of all nationalities, united and spread across three studios between France and Spain.

“It’s a very long process because the writing never stops”admits Amanda Overton. “We sometimes change elements of the script while we’re in the production phase. We go forward, we go back… It’s kind of a journey that goes from the script draft to the voice recording.” Added to this is the imperative to have new creative animation ideas for each new episode, according to Christine Ponzevera.

To talk in more detail about the hidden process behind the creation of such a work, the screenwriter calls for the division of three main moments: character, technique and music. To illustrate, he takes the example of Vi’s character here, whose personality changes radically in the second season.

"It will take a bad way" The screenwriter reveals. “In the first season, he’s kind of a protective figure. But what happens now that he has no one to protect? He doesn’t feel at home anymore, and he doesn’t know how to be selfish and only think about her.” In the midst of an identity crisis, the young heroine reveals images and previously unpublished footage of her in the midst of a secret struggle, with face paint, dyed, long hair and a brand new coat.

Then comes the technique. “We take inspiration from what we did in the first season”– says Barthelemy Monor. “And we have a sort of panel that we put all our inspirations on, like scenes Game of Thronesfrom kidnapping or even Trainspotting. It’s weird, but we never use animation as a reference.” Real life sequences are also acted by the team members as a basis. “We combine 2D and 3D and try to come up with the most realistic animation possible.

And finally the music. A decisive step in the animation that follows the rhythm of the chosen works. “Nirvana, Zand, Pixies… the soundtrack is essential to a series like Arcane”continues the creative director. “And if I’m worried about the image and sound synchronization, our compositor is even more so, and that’s great! Because the result is incredible.”

Indeed, Arcane’s graphical and story success convinced a large audience and even influenced the original game, which will soon welcome new characters in collaboration with the Fortiche teams.

As a reminder, the last season of Arcane will be released on Netflix in November 2024.