6 June, 2018 - 08:01
The season finale of CBS's political drama Madam Secretary' aired last week, closing with Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (T a Leoni) revealing her plans to run for president to her husband Henry (Tim Daly). VFX Legion followed up the cliffhanger with the release of a breakdown reel that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of some of the most complex and exacting photorealistic computer-generated environments created by the Los Angeles-based studio for the show's fourth season.
Set in DC, the capital's iconic landmarks, monuments, and buildings bring authenticity to the politically charged drama, which is no small feat for a series shot in New York City. This season, Madam Secretary' brought VFX Legion onboard to help keep things real, while streamlining the production. Its team's experience and technical ingenuity were tapped to create large-scale set extensions and meticulously detailed CG environments that stood in for a number of practical location shots without sacrificing the accuracy of the acclaimed series.
The seeds for the show's collaborative relationship with Legion were planted last spring when VFX executive producer Reid Burns screened its reel for Tony Palermo, a producer on the series. Clips of precise digital replicas of DC's monuments, the White House, historic landmarks and mega-sized set extensions got Palermo's attention. A few months later the studio was brought onboard to produce challenging computer-generated environments, indistinguishable from footage filmed on location.
VFX Legion's first task was to create a CG replication of the White House for a large greenscreen set up. Helmed by founder, creative director, and senior visual effects supervisor, James David Hattin, itsartists met the challenge, as well as the show's tight deadline, and went on to create a variety of true to life CG shots from the ground up. Legion's library enabled the company to expedite the production of many the effects by building on existing assets.
The studio helped take the role of visual effect to the next level, augmenting footage with shots that would have been impractical or impossible to shoot live. Its team created a digital doppelganger of Joint Base Andrews, the US military facility that houses Air Force One, and a real-world inspired digital rendering that used the Mosul Dam in Iraq as its frame of reference. The CG assets supported expanded storylines with scenarios that included the Secretary of State visiting these off-limit locations.
Legion's sophisticated pipeline enabled its on-set supervisor in New York to gather data on tracking, camera angles, green-screen placement and other specs, while efficiently working with the LA team as a single unit to ensure that the computer-generated scenes precisely matched the live-action, as well as the look of the show.
The bookends for season four's finale were a digital reproduction of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The iconic landmark is familiar to millions of people throughout the world. Viewers have would instantly pick up on any inaccuracies, so every detail had to be spot-on, says Hattin. It was a challenge to perfectly align the elements built on the stage with the CG renders so that they blended seamlessly.
Legion's team used a variety of tools that included Maya for creating 3D, Redshift for 3D rendering, Syntheses for tracking, and Nuke for compositing.
TravelStart Flight and Hotel Bookings
TravelStart Bookings for the Film Industry
Get More Film Business South Africa
Select your Membership
VFX Legion is thrilled to have been given the opportunity to work on Madam Secretary' and elevate the role of visual effects on the series, says Hattin. Working with the show's team has been a great experience. We're very proud of the quality of work that we the contributed this season.
About VFX Legion:
VFX Legion specializes in providing episodic television show and feature films with high-quality, cost-effective, computer-generated assets.
Launched in 2013 with a pioneering pipeline at its core, founder, CD, senior visual effects supervisor, James David Hattin, and the LA-based studio's veteran management team, support staff, and collective of 70+ skilled artist work as an efficient unit, meeting the challenge of high shot counts and tight deadlines for multiple projects with ease.
Legion's TV credits include How to Get Away with Murder,' Madam Secretary,' Suits,' El Chapo,' Eye Candy,' Revolution, and Gone,' to name a few. Hardcore Henry,' Sinister 2,' The Purge: Election Year' and The Purge: Anarchy' are among its film credits.
The studio is currently readying to begin work on its fourth season of the Shonda Rhimes series, How to Get Away with Murder, and wrapping up work on two feature films, award-winning Director X's remake of 70's classic, Superfly' and the highly anticipated hundred-million-dollar epic film, Asura.' For more information on the studio visit http://VFXlegion.com.
Credits:
Project: VFX/ Madam Secretary /S4
Production Company: Barbara Hall Productions, LA
Creator, Head Writer, Showrunner: Barbara Hall
Executive Producers: Barbara Hall, Lori McCreary, David Grae
Producers: T a Leoni, Tony Palermo
VFX Company/Season 4: VFX Legion, LA
CD/Senior VFX Supervisor: James David Hattin
VFX Executive Producer: Reid Burns
VFX Producer: Nate Smalley
3D Supervisor: Rommel S. Calderon
On-Set Supervisor: David Isyomin
3D Animation: Alex Keller
3D Lighting: Chris Strauss, Bryan Sheppard
3D Tracking: Ruy Delgado
Matte Painting: Marc Adamson
VFX Coordinator: Lexi Sloan
Compositing: Nick Guth, Austin Hiser, Christopher Klassen, Milton Muller, Eugen Olsen, Kyle Spiker
Embedded video for VF
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
6 June, 2018 - 08:01 
