Selected Work
Commercial
Passports
Commercial
Air NZ Safety Video
Commercial
Long Term Plans
Commercial
This is Kiwi
Commercial
Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Commercial
The Horse’s Mouth
Film
In Production
Overview
David Jenkins' HBO Max period comedy in which Rhys Darby plays 18th century gentleman Stede Bonnet, who gives up a life of comfort to become the captain of a pirate ship called Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede's fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard, played by Taika Waititi. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas. The show's blend of swashbuckling action and absurdist humour demanded VFX that could shift seamlessly between period spectacle and comedy. Filmed on StageCraft virtual production stages, our FX work supported the show's ocean sequences and environmental storytelling.
Houdini
NukeProcess & Approach
Ocean & Sky FX
The open ocean is a constant presence throughout the series — every shot on deck required convincing CG ocean extensions, dynamic sky replacements, and atmospheric haze to sell the illusion of life at sea. Our Houdini simulations delivered realistic wave motion, white caps, and horizon-line continuity across hundreds of shots.
Character & Story Integration
The show's emotional core demanded that VFX never upstage the performances. Whether supporting an intimate moment between Stede and Blackbeard or enhancing a comedic set piece, every effect was designed to serve the story — invisible when it needed to be, spectacular when the narrative called for it.
Ship & Deck Extensions
The Revenge and other vessels were built as partial practical sets on the StageCraft volume. Our FX work extended rigging, masts, and deck details beyond the physical set, while adding CG crew members, flags, and environmental elements to populate the wider shots and sell the scale of the pirate world.
StageCraft Virtual Production
Filming on StageCraft LED volumes provided real-time virtual backgrounds for the cast, but our FX team augmented these environments with additional atmospheric layers — spray, mist, rain, and particulate — that interacted with the practical lighting and gave each scene a tangible, dimensional quality.
On-Set Collaboration
Working closely with the cast and crew on the volume stage, our team ensured every FX element integrated seamlessly with the practical costumes, props, and set dressing. The period detail demanded absolute precision — every splash, every gust of wind had to feel authentically 18th century.
Weather & Atmosphere
From calm Caribbean sunsets to violent storms, the show's weather was entirely art-directed through VFX. Our team built a library of atmospheric presets — fog banks, rain systems, golden hour lighting — that could be dialled to match the emotional tone of each scene, giving the directors precise control over mood and atmosphere.
Selected Frames
