Outlander is about to expand its reach with the upcoming release of a behind-the-scenes print, The Making of Outlander .
Entertainment Weekly reports that that the new special will take fans deep into the making of the first two seasons of the hit show, featuring a look at the writing and production process, exclusive snapshots from the set, and never-before-seen interviews .
The Making of Outlander isn’t out until Oct. 18, though a few behind-the-scenes photos of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe offer a look at what’s to come.
“Most fans do want to know how the sausage is made, they’re interested in the filmmaking process,” executive producer Maril Davis explained. “People don’t really understand the steps we take.”
Five stills were released ahead of the book’s premiere.
In the first shot, Balfe is shown lying on a blue pad as Claire jumps through the stones at Craigh na Dun.
According to Hall of Fame Magazine, the stones in the scene were made from foam.
Davis recalls that the weather was perfect on the day they shot the scene. They planned on using a wind machine for special effects but didn’t have to use it because the weather was so perfect .
“It was just like a meant-to-be moment,” Davis shared. “… It was a magical setup for what would become a really magical shoot.”
The second image features Claire and Jamie sharing an intimate moment during a visit to Versailles.
The scene includes Claire’s highly anticipated red dress but also shows how the actors are constantly surrounded by crew members.
“It’s like Jamie, Claire, and 20 other people,” Davis explained. “From the start, [Caitriona and Sam] had this amazing relationship. They get along so well. If they didn’t, we’d be in trouble.”
In the third photo, cast members are shown wearing large blue ponchos to keep their costumes dry in the wet Scottish weather.
Mud and dirt are a constant problem for the filmmakers, who maintain a massive umbrella collection to keep everything in order.
“The mountain of umbrellas and ponchos we have is just kind of constant,” Davis admitted. “It’s become second nature.”
The fourth still offers Outlander fans a look at Claire right before one of her World War II flashback.
Balfe is shown walking through a crowd of highlanders with the camera crew closely trailing.
“When we were breaking this episode, [writer] Matthew B. Roberts realized that Claire didn’t have a lot to do during those chapters,” Davis stated. “Matt came up with the idea of the PTSD moment, because we felt like she never talks about her experience in war that much, and it seemed likely that at that point, she would be dealing with the effect of being in war.”
As fans will recall, the flashbacks also revealed the origin of Claire’s favorite line, “Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.”
The last image features a shot from the Battle of Prestonpans.
Once again, the production crew had a difficult time dealing with the harsh Scottish weather.
“The true battle happened in quite a bit of fog, and we wanted to recapture that, but we discovered very quickly that with the wind, we couldn’t capture the fog with a smoke machine,” Davis revealed.
To remedy the situation, a team built a large tent, filled it with fog, and shot the full battle scene inside.
“It was a pretty ingenious idea that saved us in the end, but I mean, it got pretty disgusting with the blood and horses and mud and everything,” Davis explained.
In addition to the new book, International Business Time reports that Outlander just released a new blooper reel from past seasons . (below)
The video shows some of the funniest behind-the-scenes moments from the first two seasons, including the time when Claire pulled out a tooth.
The new season of Outlander is expected to premiere in early 2017 on Starz.
[Featured Image by Starz]