VFX Voice shares insights on Halo Season 2 in an interview with Visual Effects Supervisor Wojciech Zielinski and some before and after shots, on which The Yard worked.
In its latest article, VFX Voice interviews VFX Supervisor Wojciech Zielinski about the VFX of ‘Halo – Season 2,‘ which tonal shift brought by Showrunner David Wiener, brought a different narrative focus for the eight episodes.
The story is more grounded and centered around the characters. You want to make sure that all of the assets that we inherited from Season 1 will work with what David wanted to achieve. Therefore, we did play with the look development of the creatures.
The environments and creatures in « Halo – Season 2 » were designed by Production Designer James Foster and the visual effects team, aiming for a cinematic look that differs from the game’s dynamic camera moves. TThe art department created a detailed look book with concept art for every visual effect. Dynamic sequences were pre-visualized, and creature battles were meticulously rehearsed by the stunt team and directors before filming. Fight choreography was a collaborative effort involving the director, stunt coordinator, second unit director, and visual effects department. A significant number of digital doubles had to be produced.
Zielinski provided details on several elements of the 2,600 VFX shots created over 14 months for the eight episodes. He highlighted the impact of the visor colors on lighting and tint, the role of atmospherics like smoke and mist in battle sequences, the hybrid approach based on plate photography and a special LED rig for virtual companions, and the introduction of space battles and jumps that were 99% CGI. These aspects required a consistent balance between stunts, special effects, and visual effects, with Zielinski emphasizing the importance of practical elements whenever possible.
World-building involved a mix of hybrid and entirely CG environments, with 75% of Aleria being a practical set while Camp Currahee was fully digital.
The article features impressive concept art visuals and before-and-after shots, including work by our team at The Yard.
18 VFX vendors, including The Yard, were invoved in ‘Halo-Season 2’ ! A few sequences also had shared shots, which required some coordination between the vendors. Don’t wait to discover some behind-the-scenes of the second season of this beloved franchise by reading the original article on VFX Voice here.