Zoic created this shot of guns firing upon the Galactica.

Hutzel came up with a director-friendly system to do elaborate animatics, making it possible to involve Rymer and editor, Dany Cooper, in the design of vfx sequences. A full-time programmer pre-visualized battle scenes. Instead of storyboards or 2D animatics, Cooper took this material, adjusted the previs and cut sequences. The technical aspects of vfx, the creative editing and the director’s vision, were married together. By the final week of shooting, when filming the principal actors in the cockpits was scheduled, the editor had cut sequences in full 3D low-res renders. The actors looked at the sequences and fully understood the action in the scene. Every scene, every line and every piece of business was covered from three different angles over eight days. This process allowed the vfx shots to be fully integrated into the live action. The vfx team was aggressive with the final battle, taking big chances in assuming the audience would be able to follow complex logistics. It paid off. The show has the longest continuous battle sequence ever done for television, running more than eight minutes.

As the Battlestar Galactica is about to jump to warp speed, details of its landing bays on either side of the pods can be seen. Lee Stringer executed the exterior of the ship.

Vfx used to be physically dependent on clean plates. The process required the team to lock off the camera, lay down bricks and ropes and test the camera for stability. To achieve the style envisioned for Battlestar Galactica, Hutzel worked in ways he had never done before. Discussing his requirements with technicians from various facilities, Hutzel knew software existed to put tracking markers on set that would allow a different way of shooting — do a crane move, pan, tilt, have the actors cross in front of tracking marks and still get a rock steady, absolutely believable 3D track. This allowed the camera work for the vfx shots to be consistent with the documentary, moving camera style of the rest of the show. Hutzel credits Zoic for making the large number of set extensions seamless. The hanger bay was a huge 80-foot long set, but needed to appear 600 feet long. All extensions were achieved without hampering the camera with motion control by using the 3D software solutions to match in the 3D set to the existing set.