Stephen Murphy on Filming Say Nothing: 'Reality Is Not Flawless'

      The lighting design in Say Nothing reflects the emotional journey of the series: When Dolours Price joins the Irish Republican Army in the early 1970s, her intentions and principles seem straightforward — the IRA aims to liberate their land from British control. However, by the time Northern Ireland's conflicts formally concluded in 1998, she and her fellow members have engaged in actions that place them in a morally ambiguous position.

      “We aimed to make the visuals more shadowy to symbolize that transition,” states cinematographer Stephen Murphy, who filmed the last two episodes of the nine-episode series based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction work. “We frequently positioned the camera to capture the shadowed sides of the characters’ faces or bodies.”

      Having grown up in the south of Ireland, Murphy was not directly impacted by the Troubles, but he was familiar with the book and had watched Maurice Sweeney’s 2018 documentary about Price, I Dolours. In FX on Hulu’s Say Nothing, Price is portrayed by Lola Petticrew in her youth and then by Maxine Peake.

      Murphy, who has worked on projects like Atlanta and Line of Duty, appreciates the incorporation of darkness in visual storytelling, adhering to a photographic principle summarized as “light spaces, not faces.”

      “I strive to light the environment as it would naturally exist,” Murphy explains. “If there's a window, I utilize it as the main light source. If there’s a practical lamp, I shape the lighting around it. The goal is to create authenticity and allow actors the freedom to move comfortably within the setting.”

      However, he notes, “reality isn’t flawless.”

      “I prefer to introduce some elements of randomness—whether it's a misty ambiance or a flickering light—to enhance the liveliness of the scenes,” he adds.

      Light and the Shadow of History in Say Nothing

      FX’s Say Nothing — Pictured: BTS — Stephen Murphy. CR: Rob Youngson/FX

      The episodes Murphy worked on take place in both the 1970s and 1990s, and he employed different lenses to visually differentiate between the two periods.

      “For the 1990s segments, we opted for Leica Summilux lenses on the Alexa 35, which imparted a sharper, more modern appearance,” he states. “For the flashbacks to the 1970s, we reverted to Cooke S4s, which offer a softer, more nostalgic feel.”

      He adds, “While it’s not something the audience will be consciously aware of, it creates an emotional contrast between the two eras.”

      Additionally, he used anamorphic lenses for interview sequences that serve as a narrative backbone. “These moments had to feel distinct — more intimate and textured,” he explains. “The anamorphic lenses provided that cinematic quality whilst keeping the interviews grounded in reality.”

      In a scene where Dolours confronts another character in a small apartment, Murphy clarifies, “We didn’t take down any walls or bring in large lights. We relied on daylight coming through the windows and the practical lights in the room. It felt authentic, which was our intention.”

      The most challenging sequence to film involved a murder on a stormy beach. Initially, the plan was to use tall cherrypickers for lighting, but strong winds necessitated adjustments.

      “We had to lower all our lights to under ten feet and devise a new strategy on the spot,” Murphy recalls. “Ultimately, we utilized soft toplights with compact setups, and it turned out to be more effective than the original plan.”

      Though Say Nothing was created with a cinematic feel, Murphy was very mindful of the streaming audience. By employing HDR monitoring tools like SmallHD OLED displays, he ensured that the intricate lighting and shadow effects would translate well across various devices.

      “I always review how something appears on an iPad Pro,” he mentions. “If it looks good there, it will likely be great on calibrated screens.”

      He is also conscious of the prevalent criticism that modern films and shows tend to be too dark.

      “There’s darkness, and then there’s darkness,” he clarifies. “It’s about striking a balance — ensuring that shapes and edges are still visible, even within the shadows. Some choices I make aim to reflect reality, but my use of darkness is different. It’s about maintaining a cinema-real approach.”

      Say Nothing is now available for streaming on Hulu.

      Main image: Seamus O’Hara as Anthony McIntyre and Maxine Peake as Dolours Price in Say Nothing. Courtesy of FX Networks.