Milk Delivers 3D Stereo VFX for Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special

Shot in stereoscopic 3D, the episode was broadcast on BBC One in the UK in late November, achieving an average audience of 10.2 million and was simulcast in 94 countries and in more than 1500 cinemas across the world, winning a Guinness World Record as the largest simulcast of a TV drama in history.

Milk created a series of jaw-dropping, large-scale CG environments, action, and CG spacecraft in stereoscopic 3D to support the epic storyline in which the Doctors embark on their greatest adventure yet: All of reality is at stake as the Doctor's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

Milk created 129 visual effects shots, including the dramatic sequences featuring the Gallifreyan city of Arcadia under siege at the hands of the Daleks. Milk constructed a large-scale 3D environment of the falling city, buildings, debris, and explosions, and fly-through shots that fully immerse the audience, taking advantage of the depth that stereoscopic 3D allows and making the sequences more visceral and exciting than ever.

Milkcreated the dramatic 3D Time Lord paintings at the National Gallery through which the Doctor and Clara witness the catastrophic battle and fall of Arcadia and which form the entry point for the viewer to fly into the city. One of the biggest challenges was creating a framed painting that appears to be a two dimensional object but which, when the camera moves around it, is revealed to be a full-3D environment with depth, while still remaining within the picture frame.

Milk also worked with the BBC's Art Department to design the Dalek fighter pods - a brand-new feature of the Dalek fleet - created especially for the 50^th anniversary episode to maximize the speed and agility of the Daleks in the attack sequences during the fall of Arcadia.

The team at Milk (previously as The Mill's TV department prior to Milk's launch in June 2013) has been creating the visual effects for Doctor Who since its regeneration in 2005. During this time, Doctor Who has gone on to become one of television's most popular series in the UK and beyond and they have scooped a raft of awards, including a BAFTA, a VES (Visual Effects Society) Award, and an RTS Award for their VFX work.

Will Cohen, Milk's CEO, said:  "Milk is absolutely delighted to have created the VFX on this landmark episode of Doctor Who. Having worked on a number of stereoscopic 3D feature films, we relished the challenge of working in stereo for television. It was a pleasure to continue our working relationship with Steven Moffat and the BBC team to bring their creative visions to life, creating striking visual images to support the heart-stopping narrative and making the Doctor Who look more like a movie than ever before."

Milk is currently working on the BBC's Doctor Who 60-minute special Christmas episode featuring Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. The special episode will be broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day.