Squid Game Cameraman Spotted in Epic Fight Scene

Not supposed to be there.

Shooting an action sequence for a big television or movie production is fraught with logistical headaches as camera operators often have to hide in plain sight so directors can get the frames they want.

Just take the recent Gladiator II blockbuster which saw camera operators dressed up as Roman soldiers for director Ridley Scott’s immersive filming style.

But the trick to hiding cameramen and camerawomen in plain sight is that they remain invisible to the audience. Unfortunately, eagle-eyed viewers of the new Squid Game series have spotted an embarrassing error with a conspicuous cameraman ruining the fiction.

The cameraman appears during the final episode of the second series that is currently available for streaming on Netflix. During a bloody fight scene between the remaining players and the guards, the cameraman can be spotted at the top right-hand side of the screen at roughly 22:39 into Episode 7.

Lmaooooooo squid game got exposed pic.twitter.com/k5JOSGmcjB

— Rak (@vvsrak) January 6, 2025

The cameraman is visible for just a brief moment but nevertheless, fans criticized the blunder.

“Someone is getting fired from the Squid Game team after one of the cameramen was spotted in the background mid-episode,” writes one X user.

“Had to go watch myself, what a blunder”, adds another. “Squid Game 2 Episode 7 production error. Look at one of the production team cameraman.”

“Bro is definitely losing his job after that one,” says another. “How did I not notice this when I was watching Squid Game?”

Bro is definitely losing his job after that one 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/CFMIeFCWG6

— salve (@salveregalo) January 6, 2025

It is a challenge to keep the audience from noticing the production team so viewers can suspend their disbelief. Gladiator II star Paul Mescal revealed Ridley Scott would film with around a dozen cameras when shooting Gladiator II’s fighting sequences.

“Twelve cameras, easy. Camera operators dressed up in costume like Roman soldiers,” Mescal told The Hollywood Reporter’s actor roundtable.

“So you save time with the amount of takes that you’re going to do because the coverage is there. But you also gain a sense of freedom because continuity goes out the window.”

However, Scott was criticized by his own cinematographer for this technique. John Mathieson — who has been a longtime collaborator of Scott and has served as cinematographer on several of his films, including Gladiator and its sequel — claimed the director had become “really lazy.”

It’s not the first time observant viewers have spotted a cameraman in a Hollywood production: fans glimpsed a cameraman accidentally appearing in an iconic Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets scene. However, that blunder is perhaps more understandable as it is thought to be because of changing aspect ratios in cinema thanks to the introduction of larger screens.

Image credits: Neflix