OutlanderBTS: Season 4 Insights, Ron Talks Seasons 5 & 6

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season, however you celebrate, and that your new year is off to a splendid start ?.

Our faithful cast and crew took a nice 3 week + break from filming over the holidays, from December 14th through January 8th. In the message below, Sophie Skelton confirms the completion of the first two blocks (each block is 2 episodes, so that means 4 episodes were completed before the break on December 14th). Remember, filming for each episode takes about 2 weeks, while post production for each episode takes 2 months… (yes, you read that right).

The massive (and massively important) job of editing: choosing and cutting together the 50+ minutes of content that will ultimately be each episode, from the roughly 20-30 hours of film made for each episode, takes place over those two months. Add in time for creating visual special effects, cgi, sound effects, recording and putting in ADR (additional dialogue recording), and then writing, recording, and blending in the soundtrack for each episode, ?. As I’ve said before, the fact that this even happens is akin to the miracle of human life (to me).

The post production for the last episode filmed before Christmas break (presumably Episode 404), will be completed in mid March. Outlander, the visual adaptation, is no small feat! 

On Monday, January 8th, prep for filming the 3rd block of Season 4 started. As with all new blocks, they began with a “table read,” where the cast and crew sit together and read through the scripts for the two episodes they are about to film. I found a video of the table read for block 2 of Season 1, which is below. Enjoy this insight into the bts family feel of our Outlander team, the process, and a visit back to some of the beloved people and characters who have now moved on…


 

If they are filming in order, the table read on Jan. 8th would’ve been for Episode 405, with everyone present but Caitriona. Crew member Gemma filled in and read Claire’s parts… 

Cait was absent due to being in transit after an exciting night before at the Golden Globes in LA with boyfriend of 2 years, now fiancé Tony McGill. (More on Caitriona and GG/Engagement).

Incidentally, the table read video above was filmed during their second ever table read. Over the course of three complete seasons, and one in process, they’ve now done a whopping 25(!) table reads, with an ever changing cast of characters, and some done in South Africa last season. 

Full winter is happening in Scotland now. The photo below was taken by Sam’s driver, Davie “Hollywood” Stewart on his way to pick Sam up for work on January 16th. That time stamp of 9:35PM is Mountain Standard Time, which is a dark and early 4:35AM Glasgow time. Many of us get up early for work, and most of us contend with winter weather at some time, but the fact that much of Outlander is filmed outside adds a whole new layer of not that glamorous to the job of making Outlander ? . No wonder Sam and Cait get colds every season! 

We wish our team well as they plug along, making our favorite books into our favorite show.

In other news, Season 3 is now available for PREORDER on DVD and Blu-ray via Amazon: Amazon Season 3 DVD, Blu-ray and via Amazon UK: Amazon UK Season 3 DVD, Blu-ray. I assume there will be deleted scenes and extras, as usual. Speculation about a release date ranges from later this month, to early March.

Ron Moore did an interview with Deadline Magazine last month, and talked about the prospect of Seasons 5 and 6!!! ?

DEADLINE: What about a Season 5 renewal? You got a Season 3 and Season 4 pick-up at the same time last time, so should we expect the same soon here?

MOORE: (laughs) I hope so. Yeah, there’s definitely talks between Sony and Starz. You know, there’s always a lot of negotiations around various renewals, but yeah, I feel pretty confident we’re going to get it. I don’t know when it would be official, or you know what their order pattern is, or any of that kind of stuff. But yeah, I’m not sweating it. Just put it that way.

Source: Deadline Interview with Ron D. Moore

That’s a wrap. Stay warm out there! As always, thanks to my Patrons for your support.

 

 

13 comments on “OutlanderBTS: Season 4 Insights, Ron Talks Seasons 5 & 6

  1. Thank you for keeping us in the loop. Yes getting up before the sun in sub zero weather is a b…. but the play must go no or to work !

  2. Thank you Courtney for sharing this information. I hope the word gets out about season 5 & 6 talks with the big guns.

    It’s also helpful to realize that there is a huge team effort to make each show the best it can be for viewers. Some of the outlander fandom have been quite verbal about their disappointment in not following the book page by page.

    Perhaps if they see more of the behind the scenes prep over time it will reinforce that the show is different than the book. And for good reason according to writers.

    • Sorry Jude, IMO, the disappointment is not with not following the book page by page, but the additions to the storylines and way they make the principals act out of character in them. I, and many others it seems, can not understand that with the time and medium constraints they have to add, off the wall, plot developments surely something in the original could have been tweaked without adding extra? I have the utmost respect for the job they do most of the time however the fear is that if no one says anything they then they will continue to play havoc with storylines until the story becomes a totally unrecognisable saga about different people.

  3. Thanks so much Courtney. It is so great to watch a ‘table read’ and get to see some of the steps the actors go through before filming begins. I really enjoyed it.

  4. Thanks for sharing this! So cool to have this glimpse of what happens to bring each season to the screen! I love seeing this stuff! You rock!

  5. I feel so homesick now for Season 1! Such fun to see the actors in street clothes, and to appreciate their love for one another as people. I miss all these characters, and am enjoying a re-listen to Davina Porter’s beautiful interpretation on Audible. Thank you for sharing this!

  6. We ( Bob Hartman Productions) have professionally shot video of several yrs of reenactments of the Battle of Monmouth shot on the historic site. Thousands of reenactors from various countries in authentic garb and shot without any crowd in the scenes of all kinds..not just battle. Geo. Washington addressing the colonial in the real Historic Old Tennent Church that was used as a hospital during the battle, etc. The footage available to Outlander post production if wanted. Contact me at my e-mail if interested.

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