If there is one thing Sam Levinson’s Euphoria is known for aside from sex and teenage angst, it’s the show’s commitment to practical effects.
We covered the season two Euphoria hallway scene, which sent the world spinning. But in Season 3, Episode 5, the production team took going big quite literally.
They basically did a Godzilla homage with Sydney Sweeney, where she stomps through a mini Los Angeles like it’s the Attack of the 50ft Woman.
It was a celebration of old-school Hollywood craftsmanship that has set social media ablaze, and I wanted to take a look at it here.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
The Year of the Miniatures
In an era where CGI is the default for scale, and everyone is talking about AI, the Euphoria team opted for creating an actual miniature landscape of Los Angeles that had all the iconic landmarks from Hollywood and Downtown.
And it took an entire year to construct it.
Sydney Sweeney called the sequence “probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” and noted that the level of detail was “unbelievable.”
The set featured scaled-down trees, functioning streetlights, and buildings that were exactly her size so she could stop around them in a sort of cat suit, as a visual metaphor for how big her character’s OnlyFans had gotten.
There were even mini helicopters flying around her.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
Practical Movement and Narrative Context
In order to create the illusion of scale, the crew used forced-perspective photography and movable set pieces.
It was like an R-rated Lord of the Rings or Elf.
Instead of just moving the camera, the miniature landscape was built on massive platforms that could be rotated or slid to provide a sense of physical weight and depth of the city.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
The Technical Reality of “Going Big”
Aside from having fun shooting her scenes, Sweeney also said they were hard work. She described the process as “so technical” because it involved dozens of crew members, precise lighting matches, and the logistical hurdles of filming provocative content on a set filled with tiny office buildings.
Still, it was the standout moment of this season, and for me, it was easily the best part of the episode.
You could feel the tactility of the scene, and it was a rare, delightful sequence in the show where you kind of prioritize joy, even when you got to the darker parts of the sequence, where she spies on a tiny man…enjoying her OnlyFans.
From there, it takes an X-rated turn I don’t think we can write about here, but it stood out as a kind of whacky experience that felt daring and original.
Summing It All Up
There’s always a debate on social media about these things, but I loved the scene, and I felt like it was one of those reasons people tune into the show. It was big and bold and weird, and you won’t forget it.
What did you think of the Cassie-zilla sequence? Was it a stroke of practical effects genius or a step too far for the character?
Let us know in the comments.
