Andrew Strahorn gives us a look behind the scenes at how they are bringing 9-1-1: Lone Star to life in Season 2

Season 2 of 9-1-1: Lone Star is underway and there have been some big moments in just the first few episodes. From volcanic eruptions to wildfire, there have been some massive events right off the bat, and yet, there have also been some smaller moments that offered just as much of an impact.

In an effort to get a better feel for what the series is dealing with behind the scenes to make these moments happen, we had a chance to once again speak to the Director of Photography, Andrew Strahorn. And while we spoke to him following the fourth episode, which means we couldn’t go too deep into what was happening this season, we did get a better appreciation for what it takes to make 9-1-1 magic happen.

One of the things that really stands out in Season 2 of 9-1-1: Lone Star is the fact that the show decided to start big. From volcanic eruptions to a wildfire, the series is clearly not afraid to spread its wings when it comes to dramatics.

In our interview with Strahorn, we wanted to know what inspired them to go big to kick off the season, and how they were able to shift the focus from one big natural event to another without losing momentum. Of course, this series is also about the more personal moments, which is something we also discussed, as these scenes tend to offer up just as much of an impact as any of the big fires and rescues when it comes to the Lone Star crew.

We interview 9-1-1: Lone Star’s Director of Photography, Andrew Strahorn

Culturess: What inspired you guys to go so big, so soon in Season 2 of 9-1-1: Lone Star?

Andrew Strahorn: I think it’s just the very nature of the characters and the whole idea of firefighters. You know, it just lends itself to scenarios that seem to be obviously action-orientated and emergency driven, that have a big scope.

The studio, the showrunners, and everyone really loved where we finished and it was just like, ‘Okay, how do we not replicate where we’ve been and how do we do it. How do we start off?’

Second year out, we’re gonna come back with a bang and I think everyone was interested in making a statement and setting the tone for the season, and not only with the new characters but just with the emergencies and the rescues and how they would go about them.”

Culturess: You went from a volcano to a wildfire, and I have to ask, how do you change focus from something big like a volcano to something so many people have dealt with, a wildfire, and do it respectfully.

Strahorn: You know, that’s an interesting question. I grew up in the outback in Australia so fires were pretty much a predominant thing in Australia with the climate being very dry and harsh and arid in the middle of Australia, in the outback. So, I’ve only ever known bushfires really as natural disasters, so it was kind of like well, the only way to do it respectfully and properly is you have to have a sense of scale to it.

And, in the sense that, there’s something bigger than all of us. And that’s Mother Nature, and you can’t control that and you can’t for a second think that you can keep it under wraps, and even when we executed that episode, we had extensive, multiple layers of fire or smoke and effects that we would do throughout the foreground, mid-ground, and background to create that feeling that, in this scene, we’re about three miles from the line. Or when the fire is just over the ridge, so we need this amount of density but even then, with all of this gear and effects work that had an incredible team, even then, Mother Nature will sometimes just laugh at you and change the wind, mid-shot, and then all of a sudden all this smoke that you’ve got that looks fantastic at the beginning of the shot now is completely gone in the opposite direction.

You really do get an idea of when you’re out in those elements, how precarious and how real some of those scenarios must be to actually be in. It’s always the grounding element to whatever the rescue or scenario, whether it be the volcano or the wildfire, having to do it justice for the characters. And for the people watching it, they will hopefully believe that there is some skin in the game and that there is a risk that maybe these people aren’t coming back.”

Culturess: While many of us are invested in the big moments, do you find that it is just as hard to do some of the more sedate moments and scenes?

Strahorn: It’s more of a case of what is the tone of the scene and how do we best capture it. If there is a huge fire that stretches several hundred yards or what have you, then your mind can automatically see that instantaneously you have a primal reaction and trying to achieve the same reaction for something that is not as grandiose but the stakes are as high, like when someone is injured, it is a shifting of gears to give it as much weight as the other one.”

Culturess: I have to ask how are you guys doing things differently in season two to keep it fresh, beyond the big moments?

Strahorn: I think that we’re just trying to always reinvent, or at least come from a fresh perspective of we know these characters, so let’s shoot this like we have never shot it before. We’re trying to constantly come up with a fresh pair of ideas because it’s so easy to default to, ‘we know how to do this.’ So it’s showing a story from this person’s perspective or let’s follow this character that is a guest actor for this episode.

I think that what the show is doing really well is having these memorable scenarios, as you’ve mentioned the lava and wildfires and all that, and having the juxtaposition throughout the show where then there’s just intimate sequences and scenes between two people, And sometimes that’s some of my favorite stuff.

Even though I love the action, that’s what drew me to the project, and the first responders and all that kind of stuff. But I love the way you can have Judd and Grace, and it’s just a man and a woman talking and it’s just like, they’re superheroes when they put on an outfit, they’re real people. But then when they come home, they’re fallible. Everyone has bumps and bruises, no one’s perfect, and they’re just like everyone else, trying to work out their way, as a couple and navigate whatever might be the trials and tribulations of their lives.

And to me, that they can succeed and always win out there on the field, but it’s nice to know that when they take the turnouts off that they’re people that have the same problems, they’ve got bills. They’ve got relationship issues, social issues, all of that I think is really important. I think also to the show, highlighting some of those characters and the importance of who they represent in society, I think is a really valued and purposeful way of developing the story this year in particular. Last year we got to know the characters. But this year I feel like we’re really getting down to the brass tacks of who they really are.”

Season 2 of 9-1-1: Lone Star is underway now, and with it comes massive action and drama, but also quieter moments. We have seen relationships get stronger, while others show the cracks that make us human. There have been painful moments and learning ones as well. And based on what Andrew Strahorn shared with us, it is clear that even behind-the-scenes, there is a lot of thought and depth that goes into every moment we see on our screens.

Are you loving Lone Star Season 2 as much as we are? Which scene or episode has been a favorite for you?