page_title: Pavor Nocturnus (Sanctuary)
section_title: Filming and music
hierarchical_section_title: Pavor Nocturnus (Sanctuary) / Production / Filming and music
caption_attribution_description: Amanda Tapping at Comic Con 2008
context_page_description: "Pavor Nocturnus" is the fifth episode of the second season of Canadian television series Sanctuary, and is the 18th episode overall. The episode first aired on Syfy in the United States on November 6, 2009. It was written by Damian Kindler and James Thorpe, and was directed by Brenton Spencer. In the episode, Helen Magnus awakens in a future where Earth is devastated by a plague that turned all but a handful of the human population into savage zombie-like creatures.
  The idea behind "Pavor Nocturnus" came after Damian Kindler saw the film I Am Legend, and wanted to show a "what if" scenario, showing Magnus' work going "horribly wrong". To give the practical sets a more post-apocalyptic feel, the production crew added several wrecked cars and several bags full of dead leaves. The episode was viewed by 1.4 million Americans after its original broadcast, a drop from the previous episode, and received generally mixed reviews, though one reviewer believed this to be a standout episode of the second season. It was nominated for a total of six awards; one Constellation Award and five Leo Awards, winning three.
context_section_description: The majority of the episode was filmed in black-and-white. Half of it was filmed using green screen, while the other half was filmed using practical sets in Studio One at The Bridge Studios in Burnaby, British Columbia. One of the sets included the dilapidated city streets. The production crew purposely "destroyed" the street set, by placing several wrecked cars and emptied several bags full of dead leaves, then later created artificial rain and use several fans to simulate wind; this gave the sets more of a post-apocalyptic feel. Doing so also made the floors very slippery for the cast. Being primarily a Magnus-focused episode, actress Amanda Tapping spent most of the seven filming days cold and wet.
  The scene where Tapping had to strip and be hosed down with water was the hardest sequence Tapping had filmed in her entire acting career; Tapping "bawled [her] eyes out" between takes. Shooting the sequence was also hard on the crew who were present on set. Because the producers believe the audience could misconstrued the scene as Magnus being raped, before shooting the sequence Tapping asked director Brenton Spencer not to make it sexual in any way. The two stunt actors who hosed her with water were the same stunt actors Tapping worked with for years during her tenure on Stargate SG-1; Tapping chose the actors because of her trust with them. The scene, written by James Thorpe, was initially considered to be cut by Kindler as soon as the script was completed; Kindler was against the idea, but eventually decided to keep it, realising it would be a harrowing moment for Magnus.
  Robin Dunne altered his appearance for a more "post-apocalyptic warrior look." This included the addition of scars, a "funky eye" contact lens, and a mullet, which Kindler believed was "ubiquitus" for the look. Tapping noted that seeing Zimmerman's altered appearance for the first time "creeped [her] out." She also stated that while Dunne played the darker version of Zimmerman, she felt there were times he "really wanted to punch [her] in the face." Martin Wood believed Dunne did "an amazing job" playing the most unlike Zimmerman. Throughout filming, Dunne and Tapping performed their own stunts. The episode became one of the most expensive in the series, partially due to the rather extensive use of prosthetic makeup. The destroyed city skyline was in fact a painting made by the production designers. Andrew Lockington composed the score of the episode. Damian Kindler was receptive towards Lockington's work, stating that he "sustains this very very heavy tone, and he keeps it there."
caption: Amanda Tapping played a scene where she had to strip and be hosed down with water; she described the scene as the hardest she ever performed in her acting career.
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