
How the visual effects team at Lux Aeterna used subtle 3D lighting, dust effects, and precise compositions to establish the new visual style of the BBC Two series
By Contributor
Published: October 2, 2023 Updated: October 3, 2023
How the visual effects team at Lux Aeterna used subtle 3D lighting, dust effects, and precise compositions to establish the new visual style of the BBC Two series
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Bristol-based VFX studio Lux Aeterna played a pivotal role in breathing life into the rich history of Great Britain for BBC Studios' series, Union with David Olusoga.
The four-part historical series delves into the past of the United Kingdom, tracing its roots from the 1600s to the early 1900s.
The team at Lux Aeterna, renowned for their work on Netflix show Our Universe were responsible for all the GFX and motion graphics in the series. Under the leadership of creative director and co-founder Rob Hifle, and with motion graphics lead Joe Hockney, along with their VFX and compositing teams, they embarked on the task of crafting an engaging visual narrative. This included visual elements such as historical archives, maps spanning centuries, and the intricate design of the Union flag.
One of the key challenges faced by Lux Aeterna was managing a vast volume of historical materials and archives. Their mission involved transforming historical documents and low-resolution archive footage into graphics that melded with the overarching narrative. Achieving this required a delicate balance of visual storytelling prowess and technical finesse to elevate the quality of the archive visuals provided by the production team.
Describing their approach, Hockney says, We employed subtle 3D lighting, dust effects, and precise compositions to complement the aesthetics of the specially filmed footage and synchronise seamlessly with the pacing of the documentary. What made this project unique was our close collaboration with the editing team. Our work often involved longer sequences of shots, the pacing and composition of which found form thanks to that organic process with the edit room. Given the diversity of the archive, we worked to unify the look via artificial camera work and the aforementioned lighting, ultimately weaving together disparate assets into a cohesive whole.
In terms of technical tools, Lux Aeterna primarily harnessed After Effects for motion graphics, occasionally integrating Cinema 4D and Nuke.
Hifle underscores the importance of their partnership with series producer and director Francis Welch and editor Dilesh Korya in the editing process. Our collaboration with the editing team was exceptionally close. This relationship has been cultivated over numerous projects with David, and we've developed a deep understanding of each other's workflows. These films are often meticulously crafted over extended periods due to logistical or wider commitments, requiring our adaptability to changing schedules.
Welch echoes this sentiment, David and I have worked with Lux Aeterna's creative director and co-founder Rob Hifle for many years on a number of high-profile films. Rob is a brilliant creative and we always enjoy collaborating together. The challenge with a landmark series is you have to establish a new visual style, this evolved over the course of the production and Rob and the Lux Aeterna team collaborated with us on this journey. As the series evolved during filming and in the edit, the graphics brief also evolved. Lux Aeterna were very flexible and supportive as we collaborated together to establish the right visual style.
The first episode of Union with David Olusoga is set to air on BBC Two on Monday 2nd October at 9pm, with the entire series available for streaming on BBC iPlayer on the same day.
Most recent headlines
04/12/2023
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, announced the release of Dalet Cut, the cloud-native, lightning-fast multimedia a...
29/11/2023
A new analysis of controversial ads by advertising platform Illumin has found that some of the country's top brands, including Pepsi, Peloton, Gillette and ...
29/11/2023
29 11 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $1.7 million for seven documentaries
Deeper
Screen Australia has announced three documentaries fun...
29/11/2023
Maxon One November 2023 Release Features
Brie Clayton November 28, 2023
0 Comments
The highly anticipated November Release brings comprehensive updates...
29/11/2023
Musashino Art University Uses Blackmagic Cloud and Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro f...
29/11/2023
Limecraft's Media Intelligence Wins Award at SATIS Expo 2023
Brie Clayton November 28, 2023
0 Comments
Accompanying photo shows chairman Maarten Ve...
29/11/2023
SNAPBRIDGE A New Method of Painting with Controlled Light for CRLS Precision Ref...
29/11/2023
A lucky winner will be heading to Vegas to see a Canes game in February thanks to 99.9 The Fan! On Monday, November 20, 2023, 99.9 The Fan's Tim Donnelly an...
29/11/2023
Beyonc , Taylor Swift, and the Soaring Popularity of Concert Films Ralph Jaccodine of Berklee's Music Business/Management Department delves into the recen...
29/11/2023
Gqeberha: The Empire: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Gqeberha: The Empire? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of Gqe...
29/11/2023
Smoke & Mirrors: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Smoke & Mirrors? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of Smoke & Mirro...
29/11/2023
Muvhango: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Muvhango? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of Muvhango soapie right here,...
29/11/2023
Umkhokha: The Curse: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Umkhokha: The Curse'? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of ...
29/11/2023
My Brother's Keeper: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of My Brother's Keeper? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes ...
29/11/2023
GENERATIONS: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Generations ? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of Generations soapie r...
29/11/2023
UZALO: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of uzalo? No problem! Just watch all the latest episodes of uzalo soapie right here, don...
29/11/2023
SCANDAL: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Scandal ? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of Scandal soapie right here. D...
29/11/2023
SKEEM SAAM: Tuesday's episode, 28 November 2023 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch all the latest episodes of Skeem Saam soapie right...
28/11/2023
28 November 2023 - UKTV has appointed Helen Perry as Head of Drama to lead the multi-channel broadcasters growing original drama slate. Starting in January 2024...
28/11/2023
Earlier this evening the Gotham Film & Media Institute held their annual Gotham Awards and we're over the moon that Sundance-supported projects nabbed two m...
28/11/2023
At Spotify, we empower and amplify the voices of underrepresented creators by carving out spaces for new stories and perspectives to be shared and heard. NextGe...
28/11/2023
Based on the true story of two best friends, Jane (Yara Shahidi) and Corinne (Odessa A'zion), Sitting in Bars With Cake depicts a harrowing journey of matur...
28/11/2023
With this initiative, Claro, TIM, and Vivo will open their networks to developer...
28/11/2023
MUNICH ARRI has announced that Dr. Raphael Kiesel will be taking over the management of ARRI's Lighting division on December 1, 2023....
28/11/2023
Tennis Channel said it has hired Matt Graham as senior VP, direct to consumer and streaming business development, a new post at the Sinclair-owned network....
28/11/2023
NBC airs the holiday special How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Thursday, November 30, in the 8 p.m. slot. The 30-minute special airs again on Christmas Day, also ...
28/11/2023
Nexstar Media Group's WGN Chicago, said it hired Brhett Vickery, who will appear as a traffic reporter on the WGN Morning News starting December 11....
28/11/2023
Paramount Global has become the first programmer to join Go Addressable, a group formed by distributors to push addressable advertising that has now been incorp...
28/11/2023
WXIA, Tegna's station in Atlanta, said it named TV news veteran Carol Fowler as director of content, effective December 11....
28/11/2023
Comedian Michelle Wolf will guest host Comedy Central's The Daily Show during the week of November 27-30....
28/11/2023
Pandora's Box: How Guts, Guile, and Greed Upended TV looks at how the peak TV era came to fruition, and how the streaming giants and Netflix in particular...
28/11/2023
At a time when competition between streaming and broadcasting often drives a wed...
28/11/2023
Cox Media Group said it made a deal to have its Neighborhood TV free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel added to Xumo Play's lineup, effective...
28/11/2023
Trending, a media venture aimed at Generation Z, said it hired Mina Lefevre as chief content officer for television....
28/11/2023
ATLANTA Allen Media Group's Local Now free streaming service has announced it has added the recently launched Time FAST channel to its platform for local ne...
28/11/2023
The Media & Entertainment: Best in Market awards recognise the very best product...
28/11/2023
For the first time ever, The Element Tile 140 is available to hire!
Since its launch the Element Tile 140 has been loved by many. Its simple design and high q...
28/11/2023
London, UK, 28 November 2023 Custom Consoles announces the integration of a Module-R production control desk and MediaWall monitor display support system into...
28/11/2023
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
28/11/2023
Eurovision Sport, the sports arm of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), concentrated on securing sports rights and event production, took full advantage of i...
28/11/2023
Effective entertainment marketing is now video, but shorter
Andy Marken November 27, 2023
0 Comments
It was great the way her mind worked. No guilt, n...
28/11/2023
Boris FX Brings AI-Driven Creative Plugins to Post Production
Frank Beacham November 27, 2023
0 Comments
It seems as if artificial intelligence is swee...
28/11/2023
Starting today, MIX Mornings with Kyle, Bryan and Sarah, is overing listeners opportunity to win a little spending money for the holidays. Listen weekdays start...
28/11/2023
Berklee Honors TuneCore CEO at Annual Music Business Lecture Andreea Gleeson was the featured guest at the 30th Annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture S...
28/11/2023
7de Laan live updates: Lesedi opens up to Bonita about all the people she's ...
28/11/2023
House of Zwide live updates: Faith reprimands Funani for letting Ona go off to s...
28/11/2023
Scandal live updates:A desperate time forces Prudence to desperate measuresWhat's new on Scandal? Find out HERE! Stay informed on what's trending on you...
28/11/2023
Generations - The Legacy live updates: Nozipho smells a rat and decides to find ...
28/11/2023
Muvhango live updates: Rendani considers Mpho's suggestion to buy a house of...
28/11/2023
Uzalo live updates: Gabisile wants to unite womenWhat's new on Uzalo? Find out HERE! Stay informed on what's trending on your favorite television show w...