Boardwalk Empire's state of the art visual effects techniques

photo: HBO

HBO has done it again.  Their original series Boardwalk Empire is truly a work of art, and audiences agree.   With over 10 million total views per episode, it's no secret that the fans are talking.  But what's behind the success of 2010's most compelling new drama?  

 

The 2010 HBO series is nominated for two Writers Guild of America Awards, for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series and Best Writing in a New Series.   Additionally, the show has been nominated for 3 Golden Globes.  The series itself was nominated for best Dramatic Series, while Steve Buscemi and Kelly MacDonald were nominated for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series and for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television respectively.

 

Boardwalk Empire's seemingly magical production design may be one of it's biggest draws, though not yet formerly recognized.  Brainstorm Digital, the production company behind the visual effects has recently posted a video detailing some of the techniques that brought 20s-era Atlantic City to life on the small screen.

 

The small studio isn’t a household name like Industrial Light and Magic, but they certainly have more than one gem stowed in their coffers . Brainstorm Digital’s former work includes A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon and both Da Vinci Code films. Not to mention the Academy Award nomination for their work in the 1995 film Apollo 13. The Brooklyn-based company seems to excel when more delicate effects are required, suplimenting real life sets and production designs rather than overpowering them completely. Their work on Empire might not have directly earned them the nominations from the Golden Globe, but it certainly makes the show immersive for viewers, giving the cast an excellent backdrop to play against.

 

 

Although HBO has announced that their will be a second season, they have not yet announced an air date for the premier.  Hopefully this 4 min clip will be enough to tide us over.