SYNOPSIS
Based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's bestselling novel, a Woman of Substance follows Emma Harte's extraordinary rise from an impoverished Yorkshire housemaid in 1911 to one of the world's most powerful businesswomen. Spanning six decades, the series is a compelling story of ambition, resilience and revenge, as Emma overcomes betrayal, challenges society's expectations and fights to build an empire- only to face the ultimate threat from within her own family.
HOW WE ACHIEVED IT
Environments– Liverpool to 1970’s New York
We transformed modern-day Liverpool into 1970s Manhattan using a combination of digital matte paintings and bespoke CG environments. Our team created numerous CG period-accurate building exteriors, roads and authentic signage, seamlessly replacing modern Liverpool architecture in both aerial and street-level photography. To recreate the traffic of New York, we developed multiple CG vehicle assets, including three variations of period cars and the iconic yellow New York taxi. For the skyline matte paintings, artists drew from a mixture of modern and archive imagery to create a result that was both historically accurate and visually cohesive.
One of the most ambitious sequences involved building a bespoke 3D environment to recreate a classic Manhattan canyon street view. The asset featured detailed skyscrapers flanking both sides of the street, with CG traffic at ground level and was designed to support both static and moving camera shots.
Green Screen composites/ Sky replacements
To help maintain visual continuity between shots, we delivered a range of green screen window composites and sky replacements throughout the series. Reflections, interior lighting and environmental details were meticulously integrated to ensure the digital elements blended with the original photography.
Mill Fire Sequence
We enhanced a dramatic fire sequence using a combination of compositing techniques and custom fire and smoke FX. Multiple cinder and flame simulations were created to increase the intensity, scale and realism of the practical fire effects captured on set. Additional smoke elements were developed to create a dense, atmospheric haze and heighten the sense of danger surrounding the characters. Our compositing team integrated these elements whilst adding small details like broken windows, heat distortion and rippling air effects to help sell the scale of destruction.
Period Clean-up
Extensive clean-up work was carried out across numerous shots to remove modern-day elements. This included removing contemporary signage, fences, wires, infrastructure, crew vehicles and other visual distractions to preserve historical continuity.
