GROWING PAINS 

In Heartstopper season three, Charlie and Nick’s emotional journey deepens, tackling mental health, self-discovery, and love. Simona Susnea’s cinematography intensifies the raw, heartfelt narrative. 

Few series in recent memory have tugged at the heartstrings as powerfully as Heartstopper. Now in its third season, the British coming-of-age drama on Netflix follows Charlie Spring, a gay teenager who falls in love with his classmate, Nick Nelson. The series explores themes of love, identity, and the challenges of coming out, while also focusing on their group of friends and their personal struggles. 

Simona Susnea (Sweet Sue, The Buccaneers series two, Audrey, More Than an Icon) was brought in to lens season two and was again chosen for the third instalment. “When director Eros Lynn returned for season two, they wanted a new cinematographer, so I was approached,” she says. “I interviewed for the role and worked on season two. For season three, the director changed to Andy Newbery, and I was interviewed again — and I got the job once more. It was an interesting journey for me, returning for season three felt like a natural progression, especially since the characters’ journeys were evolving.” 

Susnea’s decision to use the ARRI Mini LF with Panavision H series spherical was driven by the positive results of series two. “We were framing a lot of big scale spaces in season two, like the Louvre and National Gallery, and we wanted to capture the imposing feeling of those locations, the world was getting bigger for our characters,” she says. “Also, our sets were very small and I thought it’s interesting to match a small space with a large sensor.” 

Besides that, Susnea says, the larger sensor allowed her “to bring a sense of intimacy into the frame” and she often used wide lenses. “The show is also primarily handheld, so the Alexa Mini LF allows me to have a small footprint and create a safe environment for the young actors, particularly because we didn’t do much rehearsal and wanted to allow space for the director’s work and the performances,” she adds. 

Not only is it a camera she is familiar with, Susnea is keen on the large format offering. “For more than 10 years, I worked as both DP and stills photographer and I shoot a lot of medium format,” she says. “The ability to bring some of that still photography aesthetic to my work was key and I always explore photography for inspiration in prep.”  

However, that wasn’t the only camera used in season three. A Sony MiniDV camera is engaged when Tao is making a film for Charlie, using a camera that’s from the latter’s attic. 

“We wanted to have the real texture of MiniDV, rather than replicate the MiniDV look in post-production,” Susnea continues. “So, I chose to go down that route. The MiniDV camera behaves differently than the Alexa Mini LF, especially in the hands of a young actor. With the MiniDV, we split the operation between me and the actors, allowing them to be behind the camera at times. That was really fun, and it added a more subjective feel to the shots—having the actor operate it themselves. It was also very user-friendly for the actors, which made it easier for them to interact with it when needed.” 

Adding texture

Susnea says the H series was a great choice for both season two and season three, because “they’re soft and beautiful and helped me create the right feel for the show”. However, season three needed something more to explore the character’s journey visually. 

“At the peak of Charlie’s recovery, when he starts to feel confident, in a way, like he’s starting over, I felt that the anamorphic lenses were a good choice for the scenes at the summer fair, they added a lot more texture to the image,” Susnea adds.  

“We were once again playing with colour within the set design like we did in season two for the prom. Carys Beard created this beautiful summer fair set, and I wanted it to feel visually exciting. We were also lighting a day concert scene—Charlie’s a drummer, and in this moment, he gains the confidence to perform in front of an audience and also truly to embrace himself. Generally the set was rich in colour, lighting and texture, we see it during the day and also at night, when the lighting of the fair is heightened. 

“The anamorphic lenses helped capture that energy and I wanted to make those scenes feel different, but in a subtle way. This was the motivation to move away from spherical lenses for that part of the season. The G series were easy to work with and didn’t have a very heavy anamorphic look, they blend well with the H series.”   

Whilst some of season two was shot across the Channel, the latest series was shot in its entirety in and around west London and in studios – except for a brief but crucial stint in Spain and a week in Lyme Regis – which facilitated a few things. 

“The school featured in the series allowed us to build additional sets on the premises, which made things much easier for the entire team, design, lighting, production,” Susnea says. 

Another change this season, as Susnea mentions earlier, was the introduction of new director, Newbery. However, she notes that she felt so comfortable with her work on season two that season three was an organic step forward.  

“They (Lynn and Newbery) were both great and easy to work with, but with any new director, you always try to understand their vision—what they want to achieve and how you can complement them creatively,” she adds. “It’s an interesting journey to go through.” 

There was also a tonal shift from season two and from the series as a whole. In season three, Charlie begins to confront his struggles with an eating disorder and OCD. His journey—admitting he has a condition, trying to get help, and receiving support from his friends and family—required the team to approach the subject with a slight tonal shift which also had to be embraced visually.  

“I don’t mean that the tone of the entire series needed to change, but it had to adapt in order to highlight the challenges the characters, particularly Charlie, were facing,” Susnea says. “It was about finding the right tone that still felt true to the Heartstopper world, but also ensured that those difficult emotions were effectively conveyed to the audience.” 

Colour chameleon

Susnea is “a big fan of LED and RGB lighting in general,” a style that the series embraced starting from season two. 

“I wanted to bring as much colour into the season as possible, something I’ve always explored in my work,” she explains. “In season two, I created a custom made lighting rig for the prom so we can shoot 360, which had a rainbow colour palette and also used UV lighting. I incorporated colourful lighting throughout season two, and I continued that into season three, especially with the multiple parties the characters attend. For example, the Halloween party was lit entirely with LED lighting and had a reduced palette of blues, purples, pinks, greens, we deliberately excluded all warm colours. The designer and I were trying to make the parties feel different visually. Then, for the New Year’s party, the lighting was more vibrant, with warmer tones and more reds, reflecting Charlie’s healing journey across the season.” 

Susnea says “LED lighting made sense for all of this,” particularly because of its versatility and the control. “I wanted to capture specific colours in-camera, rather than relying on the grade,” she continues. “For one, we didn’t have much time for post-production, but also, I wanted those decisions to be made on the day of filming. That’s why LED was a great choice.” 

For the parties, the team also relied on moving lights, “again for speed and control” as well as for some night exteriors. “For larger night scenes, we used HMIs, but for smaller streets with limited access, we used moving lights on machines,” Susnea adds. “It was a practical solution, especially given the budget constraints of Heartstopper. 

“The fair at night was very busy and had to be lit 360, where we combined HMIs on machines and lit the fair with LEDs to create practical/available light and reduce the number of lamps on stands and having to adjust from angle to angle. We shot hand-held with two cameras and very free and we couldn’t be limited by lighting. The LEDs also gave me the opportunity to add colour to the fair and I made some strong choices. For both studios and day locations, we mixed LED and 4K Molebeams and made good use of CRLS mirrors to introduce patterns of hard light.” 

On the specific gear used, she adds: “We relied on brands like Litegear Litemats and Auroris, which I’m always using. We also used Astera fixtures—various tubes, AX3s and 9s, AX2, and NYX bulbs. Fiilex Q5 & Q8, Nanlux 1200, Aputure 650, and DMG Dash with the DOT diffuser all played a part. There are a lot of brands, but it all comes back to the practicality and creativity of using LED lighting.” 

The volume

While the lighting was crucial for conveying the emotional and aesthetic tone of the series, innovative filming techniques like the use of the volume also helped bring the world of Heartstopper to life. A key part of the production process, the volume allowed for creative flexibility and more controlled environments, particularly for car scenes in season three. 

“We filmed a few days in the volume, and there are definite benefits to shooting in that way, especially during winter,” Susnea explains. “In season two, the storyline follows a coach journey from London to Paris, so we shot scenes that mirrored this journey—starting in Kent, through the Eurotunnel, across northern France, and of course, in Paris. For season three, we used it primarily for car scenes, with various vehicles and different numbers of characters. Each vehicle scene came with its own challenges, but I enjoyed shooting in a volume. For both seasons we worked with DrivingPlates, which shot bespoke plates from London to Paris, whereas for season three, we chose from their library of plates.” 

Heartstopper season three not only captures the evolution of its characters but does so shaped by Susnea’s thoughtful use of lighting, colour and texture, leaving viewers with a resonant sense of hope and the transformative power of self-acceptance.