Boardwalk Empire

Visual Effects

2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series (Winner) | 2012 Primetime Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role (Winner) | 2012 & 2013 Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Visual Effects in a Series (Nominee) | 2012 Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program (Nominee) | 2011 Visual Effects Society Awards: VES Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program (Winner) and VES Award for Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program (Nominee)

Boardwalk Empire is a television drama series that premiered in 2010. Set in the Prohibition era of the 1920s is the story of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the treasurer of Atlantic County, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Due to his relationships with mobsters as well as political contacts, the Federal Government start to take an interest in him. His lavish lifestyle seems at odds with his position, and as well as his connections. Side by side with his brother Elias, Atlantic City's sheriff, and a crew of ward bosses and local tough guys, Nucky gains a reputation as the man to see for illegal alcohol. He does business with all the top gangsters and he does it well ... until a former protégé takes matters into his own hands, setting the Feds on Nucky's tail.

Filming for the pilot took place at various locations in and around New York City in June 2009. In creating the visual effects for the series, it was a very complex job. Everything is HD now, so it had to be treated like a feature film. Plenty of real-world locations are utilized, but most of the effects work are spent in seamlessly establishing shots. Not only is Richard Harrow’s (Jack Huston) gory visage created entirely through CGI, but many of the larger-scope locations are created from simple street scenes augmented with background visual FX. In some cases, the special effects crew have had to re-design the entire skyline of Manhattan!