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Watch: Behind the Editing Process of Euphoria Season 2

HBO has released a featurette on the official Euphoria YouTube channel that delves into the meticulous editing process behind the show’s second season. In a roundtable conversation with creator Sam Levinson and editors Julio C. Perez, Laura Zempel, Aaron I. Butler and Nikola Boyanov, the team recap the best scenes they cut, how they constantly re-worked narrative threads and the “intense privilege” they feel to continue working on the show together.

The show follows Rue (Zendaya), a high schooler who struggles with drug addiction, and several of her equally rebellious (and oft-troubled) classmates. Euphoria feels particularly distinct due to its intense, sudden shifts in visual tone, often jumping sporadically between gritty melodrama and hypnotic surrealism.

“It’s like almost completely different genres from one scene to the next,” comments Butler during the featurette. These polarizing visual touchstones are especially enhanced during the second season, which was shot using Kodak Ektachrome film stock, a departure from the digitally shot first season. “We’re often oscillating between irony and sincerity,” adds Perez.

Topics also covered in the video include how the team tackled the tricky theatrics of episode 7, the cutting of Nate’s (Jacob Elordi) nightmare sequence and the thrill of finding a perfect music cue. Euphoria has been officially renewed for a third season.

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