A Spy Among Friends
by Karen Idelson | Variety | June 6, 2023
Contributions of talented artisans on both sides of the camera are valued at the studio and are set to be acknowledged this awards season.
Whether working fervidly in the development phase or creating boundary-pushing visuals to serve a project’s narratives, Sony Pictures Television’s storytellers and artisans consistently find new ways to engage audiences and set the gold standard of crafting impactful television.
With its roster of diverse series and multifaceted talent, the award-winning television production and distribution studio aims to dominate across categories during the 2023 Emmy® race. The growing Sony Pictures Television universe features standout performances across genres, offering a glimpse into different cultural experiences and drawing inspiration from everything from the most beloved comic books to real-life spy stories.
“Across the studio’s slate, viewers have every type of story at their fingertips and can anticipate each series being crafted at the highest level of quality by the best artisans working in television today,†says Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.
A Spy Among Friends — Eyewitness to Reality
Damian Lewis applauds the writers behind the espionage thriller “A Spy Among Friends†for crafting dialogue that is detailed and authentic to the true story of a British spy for the Soviet Union.
“Alex Cary has this brilliant way of writing histories,†the actor says of the show’s writer and creator. “They read like capers and thrillers. We have photographic evidence of what these people looked like. We want to be true to who they are without doing impersonations.â€
Guy Pearce was taken in by the way relationships are shaped when a spy is in your circle.
“Essentially, [the story] focuses on friendship and the betrayal of friendship,†Pearce says. “The story in and of itself is so human and sensitive. It was fantastic to dip in and out of the book just as a reminder that this was actually real.â€
Director Nick Murphy wanted to approach the 1960s-set miniseries in the style of an “eyewitness to reality.â€
“We graded the different locations in a slightly different way,†says Murphy of working with the production design, cinematography and editing departments. The teams worked with colorist Vince Narduzzo and used OFX plugins to allow the appearance of different film stock to give each city its own unique look and feel.
Watch Nick Murphy’s exclusive video interview with Gold Derby here.
Read the rest of the original article at Variety