WandaVision has kept us all fascinated with the intricate storyline, creative genres and plethora of special effects. Now, we finally have a bit more insight as to how Marvel brought all their signature magic, alongside using the old fashioned technology to make WandaVision the epic series it was. First of all, we have to cover the insane numbers associated with the production! The series is essentially a five and a half hour long film, so it’s no surprise it took ten different visual effects companies and hundreds of millions of dollars to create the final product. How about Geraldine’s epic ejection from Wanda’s world… did actress Teyonah Parris or a stunt double really have to endure the intense and violent launch? How did they make that and her re-entrance into the Hex so realistic? There was no shortage of epic battle scenes in the show, that’s for sure. Many of them were performed while flying and whipping through the air, not an easy task to make look good! We’ll be covering how they made that magic happen! When it comes to the vision of Vision… well let’s jsut say it was quite a team effort. Paul Bettany, prosthetics, makeup and VFX all played a part in bringing our favourite synthezoid to life. As for the Hex barrier… We were so inspired to learn where the inspiration for the visuals of it came from. Learning about all these intricate details make us understand how genius the MCU team really is. To finish us off, we’ll be sharing all sorts of hilarious outtakes and laughs with the cast. If you didn’t already LOVE WandaVision, you definitely will after seeing all this!
00:00 Intro 00:37 The numbers 01:31 Behind Wanda’s Magic 02:18 Flying Battles 03:19 Vision’s Visuals 04:09 Geraldine’s Ejection 05:06 The Hex Barrier 05:47 Westview Expansion 06:06 Surprising CGI 06:48 The Outtakes 07:41 Outro
This video explores the extensive production and visual effects (VFX) behind the series *WandaVision*. With a budget of approximately $225 million and over 2,500 VFX shots, the production utilized ten different effects companies to bring the show's unique blend of decades-spanning genres and supernatural elements to life.
25 million per episode and over 2,496 shots with visual effects in the series.
How did WandaVision do it?
The series shows an array of genres, from varied decades to drama to total slapstick comedy.
So what did that mean behind the scenes?
What were the secrets behind the magic?
We'll be covering how the production brought magic to the screen
and what it was really like for the performers experiencing it.
However, if you haven't watched the whole series yet, approach with caution.
Avengers Endgame had 2,496 shots with visual effects,
and Paul Bettany, aka Vision, has confirmed that WandaVision had even more.
How is this even possible considering how extensive the effects are for the action-packed film?
Well, the movie runs just over three hours,
whereas the total running time of all the WandaVision episodes is a bit over five and a half hours.
Not to mention multiple decades and this fantastic transformation from a grayscale world to color.
At the end of the day, a greater variety and amount of VFX were needed to suit the vision of the show.
We should also mention that there were a whopping 10 different effects companies
that contributed to WandaVision.
Five and a half hours of content, 10 VFX companies,
and about $225 million spent on the entire series.
Yeah, we can see how over 2,500 VFX shots make sense.
I'll give you the role you chose.
As the series continued, we got to see more and more of the Marvel magic that we're used to.
And they didn't shy away from it when Wanda was in the town square,
surrounded by the townspeople of Westview.
Watching this scene without all the effects and Wanda's red power blasting through the hex
is definitely different, but the sheer scale of it all is still really impressive.
Then, of course, we all got to revel in the power of the Scarlet Witch.
Naturally, they couldn't really have glowing red surrounding her entirely,
but this green screen did the trick.
Olsen's delicate and powerful hand motions really do their job in making this magic look real.
Add the glowing eyes, and she is set.
Olsen is no stranger to wirework,
and thank goodness because she had plenty of it in WandaVision.
She looks so calm, cool, and collected as she descends down into the square here.
I don't understand this power.
And how about those epic battle scenes?
Olsen said that this may actually be the first time Marvel had a full battle sequence
taking place entirely in the air.
Take note of how many wires there are all over these shots.
The rigging is definitely no small task.
Thank goodness CGI is able to edit out all of the tricks of the trade used to make the magic.
Though not everything needed a highly technical VFX.
Adding some of this magic was as simple as, well, cue the giant fans for Agatha.
It may have been her first time in the MCU and defying gravity,
but she looks like she's totally in her element here.
As we can see, she wasn't holding back one bit,
and seemed to really revel in the magic of it all.
How about these tense moments where the actors appeared to simply be levitating
without all the wild movement and soaring through the air?
Well, as we can see here, Olsen was essentially placed in a concoction of wires
to hold her up and floating in Agatha's chamber.
It doesn't look too comfortable, but the final result, well, it speaks for itself.
Let's let Agnes give it a try.
For a human playing a synthezoid, Bettany does an incredible job as Vision.
However, credit has to be given to the VFX team
who did an incredible job at using CGI for his face as well.
Yes, he spends hours in the makeup chair and gets a whole lot of prosthetics done,
but to really bring the vision of Vision to life, a team effort is needed.
The acting, emotion, and heart, that's all Bettany.
But his face is often CGI'd and augmented with effects.
His ears are really the main part CGI'd out of the shot, as we can see here.
Notice how detailed each layer that is added is?
Each line on his head, every ridge and texture is added to really perfect the look.
Let's also take a minute to acknowledge how flawlessly he moves when he's flying.
Have you ever seen a more graceful sweep?
And then of course, we all got to experience double vision.
Not too shabby.
I wish to understand it.
Tiana Paris actually had no idea that she was auditioning to play Monica Rambeau,
and when she found out, well, let's just say she was thrilled.
So thrilled, she even nearly tested her superpowers on the spot.
Practically tried to jump off a set of stairs because I thought I could fly.
I was so excited.
Luckily, she waited until she was on set to try to find gravity.
Though, flying isn't nearly as impressive as what her character actually went through.
Remember when Wanda blasted her out of the hex?
Well, fortunately, Paris didn't have to bear the brunt of Wanda's upset.
Instead, it was a three-dimensional figure based on Paris that was computer generated
and then added to the shots in After VFX.
Though, the intense rejection wasn't quite enough to keep her out of the hex
and mesmerized us with the incredible transition through static and memory.
What were those digital graphics inspired by exactly anyway?
Not to worry, we'll be getting to that soon.
The hex is probably one of the most powerful forces we've ever seen at play in the MCU.
We were majorly impressed by the fact that the team managed to augment
the invisible barriers so intricately.
This, of course, took loads of CGI.
The main idea behind the visuals of the hex was fairly obvious for the team.
Television.
What else could suit the show better?
The waves and graphics that we see used here reflect what magnetization looked like across
a screen, what pixelation looked like when super zoomed into old-fashioned TVs,
as well as the thin lines often seen on those old TVs.
It was all a reflection of the evolution of television technology.
Everything might look fake in the TV, but everything in there is real.
Turning the sword base into a circus?
Well, let's just call it a very apt metaphor.
Check out what this setting looked like before and after the CGI.
Accomplishing this transformation actually wasn't too difficult according to the VFX
specialists.
It was as simple as filming both settings and then using CGI to augment each one.
One of the best compliments a VFX or CGI person can receive is that people had no
idea that some of what's seen on screen is actually created by computers.
One of the more subtle and surprising CGI touches was the stage found in the town square.
At first glance, we thought this gazebo-like building was the same one used by Wanda and
Vision when they perform in the talent show.
But seeing the slightly different looking structure in this later episode, we realize
it's not any type of building at all, but a blue screen.
This is one of those instances where we really had to see it to believe it.
A very small detail, but it proves to us just how much magic there is.
Who knew this seemingly simple frame would be one of the over 2,500 with added effects?
It wasn't all too serious on set though.
The cast definitely had their fair share of fun.
Especially with so many key players like Teyana Paris, Deborah Jo Rupp, and Catherine Han
joining the MCU for the very first time.
We just love how enthusiastic Rupp was about having her body scan done for CGI.
Honestly, we'd probably be just as excited.
Han was enjoying herself so much that she even made some entrances way earlier than
she needed to.
It's okay though.
We wanted all the Agatha we could get.
But it wasn't just the newbies who had a wild time.
Olsen herself started to push it in the episode that she goes through an entire pregnancy
in a day and went a bit too over the top.
Granted, Wanda's hormones were going wild at that point.
Or maybe it had something to do with that wig.
All that money, skill, time, and effort?
Definitely worth it.
Seeing how intricate all the behind-the-scenes action is makes us even more impressed seeing
the final product.
From the old-fashioned to the highest tech, every visual absolutely hits the mark.
Which effects did you find most impressive?
