Special-effects reels are kind of a mixed bag for TV fans. On the one hand, it’s pretty cool to see how visually spectacular television can be cobbled together from half a building, a green screen, and a whole shitload of CGI. On the other, it can be kind of a dream-killer to see those eye-popping worlds you love to escape to every week reduced to wireframes. As with the Game Of Thrones special-effects reel before it, this Boardwalk Empire compilation breaks down the show’s beautiful 1920s Atlantic City and New York City locales—and, in Richard Harrow’s case, not-so-beautiful faces—into bits and reassembles them in all their cold, computer-generated glory. Take that, imagination!
Boardwalk Empire VFX Breakdowns of Season 2 from Brainstorm Digital on Vimeo.