Oscar-nominated independent creative studio The Embassy has reunited with Netflix to provide full VFX for the hotly anticipated second season of Warrior Nun.
With Netflix and Reality Distortion Field showrunner Simon Barry keen to up the ante for the new season, The Embassy was enlisted to complete over 800 complex shots — up from just under 700 shots during the first season. In addition to this, writer David Hayter, known for his work on the X-Men movies, was also brought on to leverage his action writing skills, and the number of episodes was cut down to eight from 10 to ensure the season moves at a blistering pace.
As with Season 1, The Embassy was brought in early on in the process, first handling concept designs (again with Carlos Huante) before joining the production team in Spain from the beginning of pre-production through to the end of principal photography. Working with Reality Distortion Field to push the budget further than any other show of its kind, The Embassy were there to ensure every dollar was spent as best as it could be between production and VFX.
As the stakes get higher for Season 2, so too does the action. Viewers are treated to a host of adrenaline-fuelled scenes including the use of digital doubles of the main cast and even more impressive creature work with the Tarasks and Wraiths of Season 1. A visual feast, the series is packed to the brim with flying limbs, epic fights, magic, explosions, and grand set extensions.
The audience can look forward to two incredible action scenes in particular, which were filmed using Bolt motion control rigs. Both highly complex, the shots involved digital doubles, CG gore, body part replacements, and a myriad of layers in compositing.
Despite Warrior Nun Season 2 being the largest show ever completed at The Embassy, the team was successful in completing all VFX remotely, proving the capabilities of the studio’s technology. To craft even faster this season, the team incorporated more hardware and infrastructure, and even developed their own game-changing remote reviewing tool to evaluate shots with Simon and Netflix at an extremely high quality, without having to work at the facility.
Winston Helgason, president and EP at the Embassy, comments: “For a VFX vendor like The Embassy, it’s always a pleasure to work with Simon Barry. His mandate is to get as much on screen as possible, and for it to look as great as possible within budget. In order to do that, he really lets us fly, always open to suggestions and offering great VFX suggestions of his own since he has so much experience with the process.”
He adds: “Our relationship has truly bloomed since we first worked together on Season 1. This trust level has become so high that Reality Distortion Field and The Embassy have recently announced a joint venture between the two companies, so we can continue to develop genre television shows together. In addition to two seasons of Warrior Nun, we’ve also completed the first season of
Fakes — and there are many more properties currently in development.”
Looking ahead, The Embassy has several other exciting projects on the horizon, from commercial work to the Spiderwick Chronicles — starring Christian Slater — for Paramount and Disney, set to air on Disney+ in 2023.