The world of visual effects on TV takes global proportions as evident from this shot from CSI: Miami. Photo courtesy of Zoic Studios. © CBS.

If you think innovation in visual effects production comes only from teams cranking out blockbuster feature films or high-end commercial projects, think again.

Teams creating visual effects for episodic television — scripted primetime serial dramas, comedies and action shows broadcast on network or cable — consistently generate solutions to a wide array of production problems.

Most of the people interviewed for this article were understandably reluctant to discuss specific upcoming shots for their shows. However all were very open about what they thought were the biggest challenges facing them this season in keeping their customers satisfied.

How It’s Done
Television visual effects production takes a lot of coordination, attention and energy to get right even under ideal circumstances. Production typically starts in late summer — some companies already have their first few shows “in the can” and work on shots by the end of August. Providers are on the hook for up to 22 consecutive shows (13 in the case of mid season replacements and cable series), with a short hiatus over the year-end holidays. Teams have as little as a few days to conceive, create and deliver dozens of visual effects from wire removals to greenscreen composites to full-blown CG characters and environments.

Constant change is a given. Sometimes teams need to switch production priorities at the last minute due to preemptions, late scripts, network politics, talent availability and a thousand other reasons. Sometimes teams need to replicate for a fraction of the costs and schedule an effect used in feature films only months ago (as in “give me one of those Matrix-style frozen time shots” or “can you do a Lord of the Rings-style battle sequence by Friday?”). The pace is exhilarating — there’s nothing like knowing millions of viewers will see your work next Tuesday at 8:00 pm to light the creative spark under you.

2003 will see digital characters appearing on Enterprise. Photo courtesy of Eden FX. © UPN.

It’s important to note a key distinction between feature film production and television production. As Enterprise visual effects producer Dan Curry says, “Television is a producer’s medium; features are a director’s medium.” This means that the show’s producer team, not the director, is primarily responsible for maintaining the visual production value and “look” of a show, including visual effects.

Also, there is no “typical” television visual effects production organization. Television visual effects are delivered by: single- or multi-show teams who work directly for the show’s production company, visual effects companies acting as providers to production companies, post-production facilities with in-house visual effects teams, and people working out of their homes across the world.