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His dark materials

  • Visual development
  • Previs + Postvis
  • VP + Tech Labs
  • VFX Design
  • Graphics

PROJECT INFORMATION

Production Company

Bad Wolf

Production Designer

Joel Collins

Broadcaster

BBC/HBO

VFX Art Director & Previs Supervisor

Dan May

OVERVIEW

The television adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is a hallmark example of what we do best. End-to-end design. From the early kernels of visual development through to BAFTA award-winning visual effects and opening titles, the show allowed us to flex every muscle, integrating each of our five departments in a holistic design overview.

awards

Winner 2021

Best Special, Visual and Graphic Effects

Winner 2020

Best Visual and Graphic Effects

Winner 2020

Best Titles and Graphic Identity, Painting Practice + Elastic

Nominated 2021

Production Design, Joel Collins

His Dark Materials

Visual Development

Under the supervision of the Series Production Designer Joel Collins, and spanning three epic seasons, we developed a multiverse of characters, environments, props and vehicles. Every single element, a grounded piece of fantasy

Season one, saw us diving into the intricacies of the Alethiometer, the look of the Panserbjørn; Iorek Byrnison and building out the port town of Trollesund which became a huge feat of VFX DESIGN.

The jewel of the series for us was shaping the mercantile city of Citagazze in season two.

Season three saw Mulefa creatures and their giant trees, the vast nothingness of The Land of The Dead, and Asriel’s Republic of Heaven against the ominous Clouded Mountain

His Dark Materials

Previs + Postvis

VFX Art Director and Previs Supervisor, Dan May led the visualisation team through countless set pieces, and complex sequences across the trilogy. With such a VFX heavy show, and large scale set builds, it was essential planning to ensure the production stayed on budget, and we could achieve what was needed in post. Highlights include Iorek Byrnison’s epic armour retrieval sequence in series one, the mesmerising submarine escape in series two, and Mrs Coulter’s theft of the intention craft in series three.

Postvis

Postvis was also an essential part of VFX planning on the show. Once principle photography was shot, we could begin to close the loop on all the work done so far. Taking our concepts for set extensions and built out environments, we composited these into the plates for a full blue-print on design, before Framestore began their work.

His Dark Materials

VP + Tech Labs

His Dark Materials was the show that paved the way for how we are using Virtual Production methods today. In 2018, Dan and the team began building custom camera rigs that plugged directly into Unreal Engine, allowing directors to virtually step inside their previs scenes, spot their cameras and plan VFX.

His dark materials
His dark materials
His dark materials

His Dark Materials

VFX Design

We love seeing our earliest concepts reflected so clearly in final visual effects shots. As the conduit between art department and VFX, we were able to take designs through the entire VFX pipeline and across three expansive series. Take a look at how early work on Asriel’s camp was translated onto screen.

His Dark Materials

Graphics

Our most complex graphics challenge on the series were the screens for The Cave – a quantum computer in Dr Mary Malone’s lab. We were tasked with bringing Dust (dark matter) to life, and visualising the voice of countless angels speaking to Mary through her machine. We also worked closely with show runners and Elastic.tv on the main titles, providing the brief, design assets and creative management. We are very proud to have taken home a BAFTA for this sequence.

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Black mirror
Our approach
Visual Development
Concept design, keyframes and immersive Artvis. Our flagship storytelling process.
Previs + Postvis
Essential VFX planning. Previs, techvis, postvis, CG assets and virtual scouting.
VP + Tech Labs
Our innovative Virtual Production, Plan V and RnD hub.
VFX Design
Our unique bridge between Art Dept and VFX. Extending sets and building worlds.
Graphics
In-show motion graphics and FUI. Titles, show branding, FX.

Visual Development

Concept design, keyframes and immersive Artvis. Our flagship storytelling process.

Learn More

Previs + Postvis

Essential VFX planning. Previs, techvis, postvis, CG assets and virtual scouting.

Learn More

VP + Tech Labs

Our innovative Virtual Production, Plan V and RnD hub.

Learn More

VFX Design

Our unique bridge between Art Dept and VFX. Extending sets and building worlds.

Learn More

Graphics

In-show motion graphics and FUI. Titles, show branding, FX.

Learn More