The Pitt is set in the overcrowded and underfunded emergency department of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre, with each episode unfolding over the course of an hour during a 15-hour shift. According to Noah Wyle, directors must use mostly a 50mm or 65mm lens because those are the most comparable to the human eye, and they are not allowed to put a camera on the floor or on the ceiling; it must be at the level that would be a vantage point for a participant. The visual rules are geared towards making it a voyeuristic experience for the viewer, as Wyle described in a press conference, noting that audiences have become sophisticated in viewing habits.
The series excludes a traditional score throughout most of it, with creator R. Scott Gemmill feeling that this forces viewers to look for clues in the frame and engage less passively, according to Wyle. All 15 episodes of the first series are now streaming in the UK due to the launch of HBO Max on Thursday, 26th March, while season two is being released weekly in the UK.
We have a lot of rules. We give a sort of primer to all the directors who come in.
The Pitt has garnered praise from critics for its relentless tone, swift pace, and truthful insight into contemporary medicine, though specific critical praise and viewership numbers remain unknown, as do plans for future seasons beyond season two and other behind-the-scenes rules.
You have to use mostly a 50mm or 65mm lens, because those are the most comparable to the human eye. And you're not allowed to put a camera on the floor and you can't put a camera on the ceiling. It has to be at the level that would be a vantage point for a participant.
So, everything is geared towards it being a voyeuristic experience for a viewer. It's kind of analogous to being in the backseat of a patrol car going on a ride along or being embedded with a combat unit in battle. You can turn your head but you can't leave and it's sort of an endurance test for the viewer like it is for the characters.
Audiences have become rather sophisticated in your viewing habits. You've watched a lot of content and are aware of narrative devices and tropes. So you're always looking for a new way to pull one over on an audience.
Scott felt that the new way we get their attention is by not telling them what to think and feel, by not giving them an indicator through strings or percussion that this is dramatic or exciting, but force the viewer to look for clues in the frame. It pulls your head up out of your phone and makes you engage less passively.