It is always interesting to find out what happens at the film set. Especially if the third season is in the making, which means that the series has its fans eager to find out what happens next. The main intrigues of the season are what happens with the main characters and which secret about his past The Sniffer uncovers, and they will stay hidden until the premiere. However, to celebrate the end of filming we decided to violate some strict rules, lift the veil of secrecy at least a little bit and tell you about the filming of The Sniffer 3.
The Magic of Numbers: 8 new episodes, 6 months of non-stop work, over 80 people on the team, a business trip to Tallinn, 81 filming shifts, 55 days for scenery construction in the pavilion, development of own know-hows, a seven-day game drive after deer, over 140 actors in mass episodes, trainings and rehearsals, thousands of liters of coffee, a bit less of blood, sweat and tears – and the third season is completed!
Filming in Tallinn. It is not just filming, it is a whole story. A thread from the protagonist’s past will lead to this city both The Sniffer and his friend Viktor Lebedev. After them, the whole film crew will set out on a journey.
“The second discovery of the third season(Note: we won’t tell about the first one to keep the intrigue) was filming in Tallinn. It was among the main ‘perks’,” says Kirill Kyaro. “When I was flying in for filming, the guys were already in Tallinn. Mostly I never tell my father the exact time of my arrival so that he doesn’t worry too much, I just tell him the approximate dates. So when I’ve just landed, my father calls me and says, ‘Why do I find out about your arrival from the news on TV and radio?’ And the title of the news piece was the following: ‘Kirill Kyaro Apologizes to Tallinn Residents for Blocking the Central Streets Together with The Sniffer Crew.’ And it wasn’t just a report, there was a whole discussion: whether it is good or bad, whether we should let them film or we are tired of those cinematographers who won’t leave us in peace. By the way, most were saying, ‘Let them film, it is a good movie.’ And that was also very nice to hear.”
The Sniffer’s World. Creating the Sniffer’s world is no easy task.
“We had a challenging task before us: to make everything stylish, beautiful and unlike in other films and series. We found, imagined and created many interesting and unique objects specially for filming. What I am the most proud of is a secret futuristic lab of GI corporation and an office of one of the film’s main characters – this is our little masterpiece,” says production designer Piotr Wyrzykowski.
An attentive viewer will notice that the view from the Sniffer’s loft has changed. In the previous season, it was a projected image; this time it is two huge banners of 24x12 meters. To achieve a natural look and depth of field, red twinkling lamps were inserted in the night city view, and industrial pipes installed next to the window; one of them was even smoking!
Action and More Action. Though the film’s director Artem Litvinenko said that the main emphasis in the season is made on the relationships among the characters and their personal stories, it won’t be The Sniffer we are used to without spectacular fighting scenes. This time huge explosions and mass fights have given way to more sophisticated matchups. The main characters didn’t just have to rehearse various stunts and fighting movements; they also had to master real Japanese weapons, like katana, wakizashi and bokken swords. And that’s just a tiny selection of the range they will have to deal with.
“I read the script to the last episode, and half of it is powerful action and fights. I can say that Bruce Lee films immediately came to my mind,” says Kirill Kyaro.
The screenwriters’ decision was for Agne Grudite (playing the character of Irina Nordin) to walk in Bruce Lee’s shoes.
“The interesting thing is that before filming I never did martial arts or similar workouts. The sparring with batons was the first one in my life. A staged fight is similar to a dance in some ways, it’s just very aggressive. I really hope that I managed everything.”
Immediately after such scene was filmed we asked Ivan Oganesyan how he manages to look so convincing and natural in the frame.
“In spite of very tight deadlines, we prepared meticulously for this scene, and I would like to say thanks to our stuntmen – Ruslan Gorelyi, Petya Tresko and Stas Babzhenko. The latter became our new partner on the set for this season. It is a great gift to have an opportunity to work with such professionals,” says Ivan Oganesyan.
An Addition to the Family. In season three, a new DOP works on the image. It is the young and extremely talented Anton Fursa. “Anton is very talented, if you look at his work and professionalism you’ll never guess how old he is. I saw some of his photos and videos. He does have his own vision, and I believe him. We are all a team and respect each other, and this is very important, so we enjoy working together,” says Agne.
For Real Fans: A feature of the new season is its international cast. The well-liked characters are now joined by professionals from the UK, Estonia, Lithuania and even Japan as well as by new Ukrainian actors. There is going to be a surprise for the real fans: small roles in their favorite series were played by producers Maksim Asadchy and Sergey Lysyanyi, casting director Alla Samoylenko, and… screenwriters Artyom Litvinenko and Andrey Babik. But there is more to come! One of the main roles will be played by a real film legend, associated with a whole cinema era, but we cannot disclose the name for now.
We extend our congratulations to the whole film crew who has completed the third season and are looking forward to The Sniffer premiere this autumn.
Director: Artem Litvinenko
Producer: Victor Mirsky
Executive producer: Maxim Asadchy
Director of photography: Anton Fursa
Scriptwriter: Artem Litvinenko, Andrey Babik
Cast: Kirill Kyaro, Ivan Oganesyan, Maria Anikanova, Agne Grudite, Nikolay Chindaykin, Nina Gogaeva
