
VFX Legion Helps Nocturne' Hit the Right NotesWith FX for Blumhouse's Occult-Themed Thriller
data-src=https://creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c562aaf4-bpthumb.jpg data-srcset=https://creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c561c0e7-bpfull.jpg 2x class=lazyload avatar avatar-80 photo height=80 width=80 />
Brie Clayton February 20, 2021
0 Comments
Director Ze Quirke's feature film debut, a horror film set in a music academy steeped in the supernatural now streaming on Amazon calls on the remote VFX company to help bring the emerging filmmaker's vision to life.
Film and television visual effects company VFX Legion delivered all of the effects for Nocturne,' director Ze Quirke's feature film debut, for Welcome to Blumhouse.' Amazon Studios joined forces with Blumhouse Television to create the theme-related series showcasing emerging filmmakers who bring a fresh perspective to the horror genre. Legion's team produced a mix of complex computer-generated effects that helped elevate the visceral fear and foreboding evoked by the thriller's untraditional occult theme.
Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!
This happens because the functionality/content marked as Google Youtube uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.
Written by Quirke, Nocturne' is a story about the sibling rivalry between twins set against the backdrop of a competitive music academy. Vivian, a piano prodigy, outshines her sister Juliet, a less accomplished pianist who lives in her shadow. A mystical book with supernatural powers guides Juliet on a paranormal path as her talents surpass her sister's, and she discovers the high cost of success.
Blumhouse brought us on board during the early stages of preproduction before everything was set in stone, says James David Hattin, VFX supervisor and founder. Working with their team from concept through completion enabled our team to apply the full breadth of its experience and technical ingenuity to create effects that heightened the intensity of the thriller while getting the most out of the film's tight budget.
data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/19235857/Nocturne_Amazon.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2404269/>Shot on location in Southern California, the production wrapped before COVID-19 shut down filming. Legion's on-set VFX supervisor Matthew T. Lynn worked closely with Quirke and cinematographer Carmen Cabana, streamlining the shoot and addressing issues with creative solutions that eliminated the need for costly fixes.
Postproduction began after the pandemic when theability to work from home became essential. Legion, a fully remote company since its launch in 2013, was hired to create all of the visual effects for Nocturne,' as well as six other original films produced for the Welcome to Blumhouse' series. With a well-oiled collaborative pipeline, honed protocols, and a collective of 200+ remote-savvy senior artists place Hattin assembled a team and headed up the production of visual effects with the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality that Blumhouse films demand.
The paranormal force takes on the role of the sinister character in the story, manipulating Julia and manifesting violent events. Legion created a myriad of computer-generated mystical objects and aberrations that bring this dark force to life, along with complex effects grounded in the real world.Artists digitally removed a mountainous terrain, added verdant computer-generated trees, dressed up the campus with a digitally constructed courtyard, and digitally rebuilt a cave entrance to accommodate a critical scene. And, thanks to digital crowd duplication, the sister's recitals in the academy's large auditorium played to a full house.
A symbol on the journal's cover represents the orb of yellow light that lures Juliet into the occult's dark world throughout the film. Legion developed multiple manifestations of this mystical light tailored to various environments from blazing golden spheres radiating beams of light that fill the screen and luminous yellow mists.
Artists delivered an exterior shot that shows Juliet frantically running from the large sphere of light as it comes up over thehorizon. They created the sequence digitally using footage of the actress running in place on a treadmill in front of a blue screen.
The production relied on an overhead shot to capture the emotion of a pivotal moment as the main character stands on a rooftop ledge. The tight schedule didn't allow time for the complex camera set up needed to shoot the footage, leaving it to Legion to re-create it digitally. Its team created matte paintings, composited different elements, and explored various options. While CGI capabilities fell just short of achieving the precise look, it provided a shot that worked, and the project moved forward.
Hattin, known for his tenacity and going the extra mile, continued to work the problem with his team. Thinking outside the box, he looked beyond the traditional digital realm and came up with an unorthodox approach and went to great lengths to execute it. Three weeks later, Legion delivered a final shot that brought the director's vision to life.
VFX Legion is no stranger to Blumhouse's fine-tuned approach to producing highly successful genre movies on a micro-budget. Over the years, they have provided the production company with end-to-end visual effects for Sinister 2,' Insidious 3,' and Ma,' among other thrillers. More recently, it delivered all of the effects for the seven original Amazon films in the on-going
Most recent headlines
12/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the elimination of Federal federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and changes in the way they...
12/12/2025
Wisycom and DPA Microphones announce the appointment of Ren Moerch as Group Product Director, Wireless, a strategic leadership role that will guide the combine...
12/12/2025
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, in conjuncture with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Entertainment Technolog...
12/12/2025
Keepit, the vendor-independent, cloud-native data protection provider, today announced a strategic go-to-market relationship in Poland with Ingram Micro, a lead...
12/12/2025
Atomos announced the immediate availability of a new firmware update for its Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX monitor-recorders, unlocking Open Gate 48P RAW recording w...
12/12/2025
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) once again played a critical role in delivering flawless wireless coordination and support at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards a...
12/12/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), together with the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadc...
12/12/2025
DHD audio will demonstrate the latest additions to its range of digital audio production solutions on Booth 321 in Hall B6 at Hamburg Open 2026. The show will b...
12/12/2025
Chaos today announces the release of V-Ray for Blender, update 2, bringing its award-winning rendering technology to even more Blender users by adding support f...
12/12/2025
Lighting specialist UltraLEDs has launched Precision LED Tape, a high-CRI lighting solution designed specifically for professional film, TV, and studio use.
P...
12/12/2025
Zixi, the Emmy Award-winning leader in live broadcast-quality video over IP, today announced that Roi Sasson has joined the company as Vice President, Engineer...
12/12/2025
BitFire (bitfire.tv), the leader in software-defined live production and IP transmission, today announced a strategic partnership with Appear, a leader in high-...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
HUDSON, Mass. BitFire and Appear have struck a strategic partnership aimed at offering broadcasters, sports leagues and streaming platforms a faster, more flexi...
12/12/2025
The broadcast industry is evolving faster than ever. #IPWorkflows #remoteproduction, and next-gen audio systems are reshaping how teams design, deliver, and sca...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The payroll and production accounting platform Wrapbook has announced the acquisition of Cinapse, a modern scheduling platform for film and televisi...
12/12/2025
DEHLI Ross Video has announced that it is expanding and restructuring its commercial and technical teams in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...
12/12/2025
LONDON Following the success of its UK launch in January 2025, Rise AV, the global not-for-profit initiative dedicated to supporting and advancing women in the ...
12/12/2025
SAN FRANCISCO Ad-supported streaming service Tubi next week will launch Matter Casting, a new casting standard that will enable seamless mobile-to-TV viewing di...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
In Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena, fans of the Golden Knights are getting more than just hockey - they're getting a taste of the future. ADAM, a robot devel...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
12/12/2025
Scripps Research team pioneers an efficient way to stereoselectively add fluorine to drug-like molecules A new method uses a novel catalyst and inexpensive fluo...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
ESPN's Aims for Spectacular With Heisman Trophy ShowEvent firsts include 1080p HDR production airing on both national broadcast and cableBy Dan Daley, Audio...
11/12/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Frankie Patton, University of ColoradoThe 2025 grad is hitting the ground running as a PA on national broadcastsBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 3By SVG Staff
Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 7:24 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2...
11/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: What Makes Gen Z, X, and Y Fans Tick? Dave Gavant of WSC Sports Go...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: 5G, MXL, Spectrum Loss, and Outerspace on Tap for Tues...
11/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: David Levy, Turner Titan and Master of Al...
11/12/2025
SVG Launches Follow the Money' Podcast: Go Inside the Sports Media Biz with...
11/12/2025
A Deep Dive Inside Game Creek Video's Bird and Magic Mobile Units, Home to A...
11/12/2025
How Sound Effects for Monsters Funday Football' Emulated the Sonic Soul of ...
11/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CSP Mobile Productions' Len Chase on Upgrading Tr...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
New satellites for the SDA Tranche 1 Tracking program in production at L3Harris&...
11/12/2025
The Meadowlands system, a compact and mobile version of the CCS, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications....
11/12/2025
The L3Harris demonstration united tactical communications devices, counter-UAS c...
11/12/2025
Throughout 2025, L3Harris delivered innovative solutions to U.S. and allied warfighters across every domain.
With an unrelenting commitment to excellence, our...
11/12/2025
A Majority of the World's Population (51%) Identify As Soccer Fans
The 2025 MLB postseason notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, up +24% from the prior y...
11/12/2025
WALTHAM, Mass. Video-over-IP software provider Zixi said Roi Sasson has joined the company as vice president, engineering....
11/12/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. In a move that highlights the growing competition between broadcasters and CTV platforms for local advertising, LG Ad Solutions has announ...
11/12/2025
Boston Conservatory Earns Several Best of Accolades in 2025 Highlights include a faculty Grammy win, a seventh consecutive year on Playbill's list of co...
11/12/2025
RASTATT, Germany Lawo and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) have partnered to launch the SMPTE ST 2110 Practical Lab, an immersive ...
11/12/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcasts Xfinity operating brand has announced the launch of new national video plans with all-in pricing that the operator said will provide custo...
11/12/2025
After eight years of declines, MoffettNathansons new Cord Cutting Monitor for Q3 2025 shows that pay TV subscribers to linear TV packages rose by 303,000, the f...
11/12/2025
Happy Holidays from Berklee Enjoy this years holiday student-performance video.
December 10, 2025
By
Office of the President
Dear Berklee community,
As w...
11/12/2025
Back to All News
The Teaser Trailer and the Key Art of Motorvalley, the New Ser...