Amid epic battles and ferocious dragons, it’s surprising to learn that some of the integral work behind Hollywood’s hit House of the Dragon is created by a modest visual effects company in the heart of York.
Viridian FX, a visual effects team of 15 based in Swinegate, contributed 237 shots to the acclaimed prequel to ‘Game Of Thrones’ after HBO editors realised that a crucial shot was lacking impact.
Visual Effects artist Ben Louden said: “Companies come to us for creative solutions, not just visual effects.”
“House Of The Dragon was a massive turning point for Viridian FX and it has opened many doors for the company.”
The tight knit company was founded by a group of University of York graduates who started out in local low budget filmmaking.
Over the last 13 years they have gone onto produce work for various well-known companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, HBO and Universal.
Louden believes the company’s success is down to the visual effects industry becoming more remote, which creates opportunities to work globally.
Ben said: “You can click your fingers, and it can be completed in another country tomorrow.”
It also means that visual effects companies in the UK are not limited to working in London.
“You can work anywhere in the world, and being based in York becomes an advantage if you are somewhere people like to live and work.”
“It has resulted in great staff retention and there’s a strong sense of loyalty within the company.”
Ben told the students at Leeds Trinity University’s Journalism and Media Week that another key component to success is to build trusted relationships with other companies.
“You have to know how to work with people and collaborate to get to an end point.”
Visual effects is a highly collaborative industry where you often have multiple artists working together on one shot.
He said: “Big companies are often seeking out smaller companies because they like the collaborative nature which can often get diluted.”
Despite the threatening impact of AI on the visual effects industry, Ben reassured the students: “Companies need to trust you and your work. You can’t build a trusted relationship with AI.”
“[AI] is coming, it is a tool for humans to use. Be aware of it, embrace it – but I think there will always be a place for artists in this industry. People care that it is made by a human and they care about the human stories they are trying to tell.”
“Visual effects are all about creating an illusion that tells a story.”
The VFX industry in the UK is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years, following the announcement of a new tax incentive. It is set to attract an additional £175 million per year of spending on VFX and to create 2,800 new jobs.
Neil Hatton, CEO of UK Screen Alliance, said: “The announcement means that clients will be incentivised to place millions of dollars of inward investment work with the UK’s VFX community, creating considerable value for the UK economy.”
In response to the recent tax incentive, Louden said: “We’ve lost projects to other countries in the past because budgets are getting smaller, and producers are pressured to find the most cost-effective way they can do it.”
“The tax incentive will have a great impact on the future of visual effects in the UK, creating exciting opportunities for upcoming talent.”