While analysts ponder the death of the movie theater and the future of mainstream media, VFX artists are spoiled in the modern world. 

At-home streaming platforms on subscription models have skyrocketed the budget of what once served as family television time, to the point where we’re watching full-blown cinema-quality sequences straight from the couch. 

The Lord of the Ring’s Amazon show is confirmed to touch nearly half a billion dollars to make and I’m still watching decade-old Game of Thrones sequences to get inspired by the cutting edge. It’s a good time to love VFX in storytelling, and the following original series stand testament.

We're also listing the incredible studios that worked on the shows if you're interested in digging further.

It's clear that the MCU has dominated television in recent weeks. Ever since the launch of Disney+, fans of the Marvel universe have pondered what kind of impact the new platform would have on the characters and storylines we’ve grown to love in over a decade of films. 

The answer? It’s amazing. There’s just more now. The sophomore series in Marvel’s lineup, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, truly felt like a Marvel film playing out across 8 weekly episodes and the visuals were simply astounding.

From the premiere and on, we get a sense of the scale Marvel is going for here with an opening sequence you’ll have to watch three times over. Without giving away too much, it involves human flight and canyons. Make sure you grab some jet flames for your fan rendition. 

VFX By:
Cantina Creative

Crafty Apes

Digital Frontier

Industrial Light & Magic

QPPE

Rodeo FX

Sony Pictures Imageworks

Stereo D

Technicolor VFX

Tippett Studio

Trixter

Weta Digital

We could write this list 100 times over and The Mandalorian deserves a place each and every time. ILM’s work on the VFX made waves through the industry, particularly with their developing StageCraft tech. 

The centerpiece here is their interactive and live digital production environments. This technology is most exciting for the bridge it builds between traditional filmmakers and processes which would traditionally exist in post-production.

The real driving force and takeaway is that the best stories are told when you find cohesion between all steps from pre-production to post. The Mandalorian will go down in history for taking this tech to the next level! Plus, it’s just really entertaining. Check it out!

VFX By:
Industrial Light & Magic

Hybride

Base FX

Important Looking Pirates

Image Engine

Stereo D

Coming in as both the newest and the only ongoing show in our list, The Nevers brings world-building front and center with one of the more interesting fusion concepts in recent memory: an action drama fantasy featuring Victorian women, special powers, and terrifying threats. 

This new HBO original is both a period piece and a fantasy epic offering a unique challenge for all artists on the crew. 

The so-called invisible effects of The Nevers establish late Victorian-era London with beautiful ease, while the magic itself comes in to steal the show.

From fireballs to traditional spell forms, one of the major appeals of The Nevers is in its power diversity. Each character's abilities serve a purpose within the story and reinforce parts of who they are. A good comparison would be Harry Potter in that sense and definitely worth the watch. 

VFX By:
EDI Effetti Digitali Italiani

Mackevision

Mr. X 

Scanline VFX

It’s to the point where every streaming platform has its own Game of Thrones. For Netflix, this comes in the form of the book gone video game Witcher series. With the recent announcement of Season 2’s arrival in Q4 of this year, there’s no better time to dive into this brutal fantasy world. 

The Witcher is a series that directly benefits from recent budget increases to episodic stories. The world is gorgeous yet grim, with extensive full-scale 3D sets spotted throughout Geralt’s journey. The creatures that the series is known for follow suit. 

The Witcher’s VFX work is a real triumph of tone. There’s an edge to the franchise that fans have come to love, so it was crucial that the look and feel of the series followed suit. There’s a darkness that’s immediately recognizable and achieved largely through atmospherics. Also, there’s blood. Lots and lots of blood.

VFX By:
Cinesite 

Cheapshots 

Framestore 

NVIZ 

One of Us

Platige Image

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