The first season of the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians meticulously builds a world that makes fantasy feel real. Based on the book series by Rick Riordan and guided to the screen by co-showrunners Dan Shotz and Jonathan Steinberg, the show tells the story of its eponymous hero (played by Walker Scobell), a 12-year-old boy living a mostly ordinary life until extraordinary experiences permanently alter his perspective.
Principal photography was based in Vancouver, where the production made extensive use of Industrial Light & Magic's StageCraft virtual-production platform. Light Iron provided dailies and final color for the show, with senior colorist Charles Bunnag working closely with series cinematographers Pierre Gill, CSC and Jules O'Loughlin, ACS, ASC to ensure viewers felt grounded in the onscreen world. Here, Bunnag and Shotz share their insights into the creation of this modern-day mythology.
Light Iron: Dan, what brought you and the team to Light Iron for Percy Jackson?
Dan Shotz: Jon Steinberg and I have had a great partnership with Light Iron since we launched our series The Old Man for FX in late 2019 with supervising colorist and Light Iron co-founder Ian Vertovec. When Disney greenlit our next series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Light Iron was our first call. Ian and the Light Iron team recommended we work with Charles Bunnag, who had just joined the company after working on the iconic Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Since Charles had done extensive work with ILM's StageCraft technology, we knew he would be the perfect fit for our ambitions, as ILM had just built a new volume stage for the series in Vancouver.
In your early conversations with Charles, how did you describe the desired look for the project to ensure you were envisioning it in the same way?
Shotz: From the very beginning, Charles and I were on the same page. This iconic series needed to be epic and intimate. It needed to be grounded and relatable. When fantasy invaded our real-world story, we needed to make the creatures, gods and monsters feel like they could exist in the fabric of our world.
Charles Bunnag: Dan's mandate was that everything had to feel real and not like a fantasy show. Even though this is a show that deals with fantastic elements and the gods of Olympus, every kid who watches this show needed to feel that they were already in this world and not like it was some fantasy that they could only dream about it needed to look like the world they're living in right now. Once that baseline was set with Dan, we then pushed the look while still staying within the mandate of real.'
Shotz: As a road adventure, every episode needed its own specific look, as the environments changed consistently NYC, Camp Half-Blood, St. Louis, Vegas, the Underworld and Mt. Olympus. While Charles had to keep consistency between the episodes, he also understood that the color and textures had to evolve as the characters evolved. As Percy, Annabeth [Leah Jeffries] and Grover [Aryan Simhadri] were coming into their own, facing their worst fears, the look had to match these changes. The best example of this was how the visual language of the deeply heartbreaking flashbacks in [episode] 107 transitioned beautifully to each of the Underworld tests our heroes encountered.
Bunnag: That episode gave us an opportunity to break away from our mandate of reality. Our heroes travel to the Underworld, and we wanted a look that would make that location stand out from the rest of the show. In the end, we settled on a bleach-bypass-inspired look to suck the life' out of the image since this was the land of the dead. However, Percy, Annabeth and Grover were each rotoscoped so we could keep separate control over their color, especially their skin tones. Our three heroes are the only people in the underworld who are still alive, so this was a way to show that they dont belong there. Finding the right balance of color and saturation for them to stand out from the rest of the frame without looking like a bad comp was key to making this sequence work.
Charles, with production happening in Vancouver and you being based in Los Angeles, how were you communicating with cinematographers Pierre Gill and Jules O'Loughlin over the course of the project?
Bunnag: Remote collaboration was absolutely necessary for Percy to be a success. The start of the show involved several remote sessions using ClearView and Google Meet with DP Pierre Gill to create the show LUT and also with DP Jules OLoughlin and ILM VFX supervisor Jeff White to create background plates for the playback on the LED walls.
Pierre and Jules and I stayed in contact through phone calls and emails. They would give me general thoughts about contrast, mood and specifics based on their experiences with certain sets and with the volume [stage]. Jules also came to Light Iron to set looks on a few episodes, and we continued to stay in touch over email when I would send him stills to keep him informed.
What were some of the main areas of focus in the final grade?
Bunnag: As usual, my goal was to help guide the viewer's eye towards the focus of the story, that usually being the performance of the actors. Often that means a lot of windows, which was still the case here, but adjusting the intensity of certain colors and objects in the frame also made a big difference in how each shot felt.
Pierre and Jules shot such incredible images with such intention that it allowed me to go further than usual with my first pass just based on instinct. After completing a full, in-depth color pass, Dan came to Light Iron to supervise a final pass on all episodes. Because hundreds of VFX shots were also coming in at this time, senior VFX supervisor Erik Henry also joined through Google Meet and ClearView.
My background as a VFX artist/matte pain
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
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...
11/09/2026
Spark series gains compact modelling stompbox
Positive Grid's Spark amps have become a popular part of the company's line-up, offering a convenient ...
11/09/2026
New flagship sequencing plug-in revealed
Rapid Flow have just launched a new 16-track sequencer plug-in which they say has been designed for total rhythmic...
11/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz unveils the air-cooled R&S TM1 medium-power UHF transmitter at I...
11/09/2026
Friday 11 September 2026
Sky Sports extends US Open deal to 2030
Sky has agreed a three-year extension to its US Open deal, ensuring Sky Sports & NOW remains ...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
A Decade of Innovation: AMP VISUAL TV Builds on Ten Years of MediorNet EvolutionAMP VISUAL TV is continuing the evolution of its ...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Mediacom Deploys Riedel Easy5G for Wireless Camer...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Touring Video Expands Flexible Production Workflows With Riedel MediorNet and hiRiedel Communications today announced that Tourin...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Riedel Technology Powers Record-Breaking Esports World Cup Production in ParisFrom July 6 to Aug. 23, 2026, Paris hosted the Espo...
11/09/2026
Article courtesy of Digital Production
Read the article
With Baselight 8 coming in 2027, the interesting part is not the number of new buttons. Some features...
11/09/2026
It's almost iPhone Pro time. Starting Saturday, September 12, at 1 p.m, cust...
11/09/2026
RT has today announced Benetti Menswear as the sponsor of its 2026 Amgen Irish Open coverage for a sixth consecutive year, further strengthening the heritage c...
10/09/2026
Editing, restoration & mastering suite upgraded Acon Digital Acoustica 8 audio editing restoration mastering software.
Acon Digital have just launched the la...
10/09/2026
Classic synths & drum machines available to play
Based in Reading, UK, Readipop are a music and arts charity with a long track record of innovative, partici...
10/09/2026
Popular model updated & new addition introduced
With many of the models in Neumann's KH family now boasting onboard DSP and support for the company'...
10/09/2026
Improved desktop interface announced
The latest iteration of Arturia's flagship desktop audio interface has just arrived, introducing improved preamps, ...
10/09/2026
Progress needs proof: Rohde & Schwarz showcases its trailblazing test solutions ...
10/09/2026
The beloved duo are back with big challenges and even bigger laughs as they discover if you're ever truly too old to try something new.
Previous praise for...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky News Defence Insider app launches as new researc...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Award-winning network Sky Mobile to offer Apple iPho...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky unveils gripping teaser for The Good Daughter, coming this NovemberTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options a...
10/09/2026
Harmonic Leads the New Era of Broadband Connectivity at SCTE TechExpo 2026 Showcase Spotlights Include:
New cOS SensAI intelligence fabric unleashing data-pow...
10/09/2026
RT to Broadcast Amgen Irish Open free-to-air
New multi-year agreement will see RT continue to bring the Amgen Irish Open to Irish audiences
Ryder Cup hig...
10/09/2026
More than 30 women report allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying within National Ambulance Service
Tonight on RT Prime Time, 9:35pm, RT One ...
10/09/2026
Series 3 of Nero's Class begins Friday 11 September on RT Listen
The third...
09/09/2026
New parts aimed at hip-hop and pop productions
The latest update to Celemony's innovative virtual session musician expands the collection of built-in in...
09/09/2026
Save up to 40% until 21 September 2026
Sonarworks are currently running their Autumn Sale, with discounts of up to 40% currently available across their rang...
09/09/2026
Upcoming title officially launches in September 2026
Bjooks' celebrations for this year's 909 Day will be welcome news amongst drum machine lovers, ...
09/09/2026
Chennai/Luxembourg, 9 September 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today announced the inauguration of its new office in Chennai, India, marking a s...
09/09/2026
September 9 2026, 22:35 (PDT) Cinema Sunshine Becomes Japan's First Exhibit...
09/09/2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Tom Daley adds final stitch to giant Baa-Ewe' t...
09/09/2026
Red Seat Ventures Integrates Barometer into Speakeasy to Maximize Podcast Revenu...
09/09/2026
Baselight-powered color comes natively to Media Composer, connecting creative de...
09/09/2026
RT brings three packed days of live radio, entertainment, news, weather and fun
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, Oliver Callan, Today with David McCullagh,...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
September 08, 2026 NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Soundcraft today announced the launch of its Signature Plus Series Analog Connected Mixing Consoles. As the next genera...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Sky Go gets a major upgrade for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers
Today, Sky launches a new version of the Sky Go app for Sky Glass ...
08/09/2026
Documentary thriller simulating a Russian attack on UK soil will culminate in a live final episode reuniting the playersTuesday 8 September 2026
Trailer releas...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to host next t...
08/09/2026
Wuppertal September 8, 2026
Riedel Introduces New OnAir Headset PlatformRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its new OnAir headset platform, a...
08/09/2026
BERLIN, September 8, 2026 - J nger Audio will introduce a major expansion of its flexAI audio processing platform at IBC 2026. The flexAI system adds autonomous...
08/09/2026
New Vendor-Agnostic Broadband Intelligence Fabric Reduces Operational Complexity and Improves Service Quality for Broadband Service Providers SAN JOSE, Calif. -...
08/09/2026
Arvato Systems Brings TI Expertise to the Stage
Panels, workshops, and real-world examples at the TI-SUMMIT 2026
Arvato Systems, a partner of the TI-SUMMIT 2...
08/09/2026
On October 1, Apple Arcade is rolling out a lineup of fun new games for players ...
07/09/2026
Two new full-range, flat-response cabinets introduced
HeadRush have recently introduced a pair of new full-range, flat-response cabinets designed for player...
The first season of the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians meticulously builds a world that makes fantasy feel real. Based on the book series by Rick Riordan and guided to the screen by co-showrunners Dan Shotz and Jonathan Steinberg, the show tells the story of its eponymous hero (played by Walker Scobell), a 12-year-old boy living a mostly ordinary life until extraordinary experiences permanently alter his perspective.
