The Pitt’s Cinematographer Told Me The Messiest Thing About Filming The Show (And It Isn’t Blood)

by

The show The Pitt definitely doesn’t shy away from graphic content – it’s a medical drama, after all. That probably makes filming quite challenging. When Season 2 of The Pitt launched in 2026, I asked the cinematographer, Johanna Coelho, what the most difficult part of filming was, and surprisingly, it wasn’t the fake blood and gore.

According to cinematographer Adriano Coelho, the opening scene of Season 2 – available on HBO Max – was memorable for its violence, but even more so for the overwhelming number of people involved. He explained that the crowded scene created a truly chaotic atmosphere.

Sometimes, depending on the scene, things can get really chaotic during filming. It’s not just about blood; there are multiple people and hands moving around simultaneously – we’ve even had six hands visible in a single shot. From a camera perspective, it feels cluttered when there are too many people involved, and it makes it harder to get the shot we need.

A great example of this complexity is the clamshell thoracotomy scene from the beginning of Season 2. Around nine minutes into the premiere episode, the doctors perform an emergency procedure, fully opening the patient’s chest. The scene features a large number of key characters – Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle), along with Garcia (Alexandra Metz), Mohan (Supriya Ganesh), Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), Whitaker (Gerran Howell), Javadi (Shabana Azeez), Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson), and Joy (Irene Choi) – as well as nurses Jesse (Ned Brower) and Perlah (Amielynn Abellera). With so many important people crammed into a small space, and a complicated, graphic surgery happening, it was a particularly challenging scene to film.

Despite being chaotic, the messiness actually adds to the feeling of tension and urgency that The Pitt aims to create. Coelho specifically mentioned this to me as well, explaining that:

That crowding really conveys the intensity of the scene, and we intentionally lean into it. We have to carefully coordinate the actors’ movements – sometimes even more than usual – to allow the camera to capture everything up close. It can get chaotic, but we use that visually to show how many people are involved and how high the stakes are during the surgery.

One of the things that makes The Pitt so engaging is its raw energy and quick pace. It really captures how unpredictable and hectic these jobs can be, and I appreciate how the camerawork emphasizes that. The filmmakers didn’t shy away from the chaos; instead, they found creative ways to film complicated medical scenes with lots of people involved. As the cinematographer explained to me:

What really struck me about the scenes, especially when they get intense, is how visceral it all feels. It’s not just the blood and gore, but the sheer chaos – so many things happening with bodies everywhere. Because the camera puts you right in the middle of it, you really feel that overwhelming sense of pandemonium visually. It’s incredibly impactful.

You can subscribe to HBO Max for as little as $10.99 a month to watch new episodes of The Pitt, which are released every Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Check out the subscription options here.

You know, after hearing about how much work went into this film, it really solidifies why everyone’s been raving about The Pitt. What I especially love is how immersive the filmmaking is – the cameras are right there with the actors, putting you right in the middle of the emergency room action. It genuinely feels like you’re there with them.

When you’re watching The Pitt, keep an eye on how scenes with many actors are filmed. They’re often chaotic – with things like blood and other effects adding to the mess – and that’s part of what makes the award-winning show so enjoyable.

Read More

2026-01-19 17:39