While the first season of Marvel’s Agent Carter was set in 1940s New York City, the show filmed in Los Angeles in (needless to say) the present day. So in addition to period set decorating, production design, and costuming, the visual effects team had to do some heavy lifting to sell the era. They did it so convincingly that they were recognized by the 14th Annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards. Specifically, Agent Carter was nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode for “Now Is Not the End” (although Game of Thrones took home the award). To celebrate the honor of receiving a nomination, Marvel has released a VFX breakdown reel showing the incredible work done on season one of Agent Carter.
When you think about VFX, your mind might jump to explosions and obvious green screens. The modifications on Agent Carter include a hefty dose of those things, to be sure, but there’s also more subtle work. For instance, adding New York cityscape backgrounds, changing the outward appearance of buildings, adding atmosphere (like smoke, for example), and revamping the lighting to match the overall palette of the series. The 11-minute video shows a huge number of details, small and large, that make the world of Agent Carter richer and more believable—not only that, but somewhere I’d like to visit. I want to go there. I’m always impressed by seeing the amount of work that goes into making believable environments and seeing how actors work when they’re surrounded by only a green screen.
Which effects are you most taken with? Let me know in the comments.
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HT: Marvel
IMAGES: ABC
