SYNOPSIS
Set in the shadowy world of political scandal and digital espionage, The Hack explores power, media manipulation, and truth in a hyper-connected age. With scenes unfolding across cityscapes, newsrooms, and behind closed doors, the series required grounded, precise visual effects to support its contemporary realism while sharpening narrative detail. Our VFX work subtly enhanced the visual storytelling, from sky replacements and screen comps to clean-up and continuity fixes.
HOW WE ACHIEVED IT
Night Sky Replacements:
To elevate nighttime sequences and control visual tone, we replaced flat or over lit skies with richer, moodier night time backdrops. Stars, cloud passes, and subtle ambient glows were layered to enhance atmosphere while preserving natural lighting interaction with practical sets.
Murdoch Poster Animation:
A recurring motif in the series, a poster referencing a Murdoch-like figure, was digitally animated to pulse and glitch subtly across key scenes. Using controlled motion and flicker effects, we created a sense of unease and visual disruption while staying true to the series' restrained aesthetic.
Wig Clean-Up:
In several close-ups, we refined and retouched the edges and texture of a character’s wig, removing visible seams and smoothing transitions to ensure it remained undetectable in high-resolution footage.
TV Screen Comps & News Straplines:
We created and composited a range of TV and monitor content, including fictional news broadcasts, talking-head interviews, and scrolling straplines. Custom lower-thirds, network branding, and ticker graphics were designed to match the show's world, and all elements were tracked and composited with natural reflections and screen distortion.
Dialogue Waveform Animation:
For moments involving audio analysis and surveillance, we generated stylised waveforms synced precisely to dialogue. These animated graphics served both narrative clarity and visual storytelling, blending forensic detail with tech-driven aesthetic.
Modern London Clean-Up:
To maintain visual continuity with the series' slightly displaced or anonymised version of London, we performed detailed clean-up work, removing recognisable signage, logos, and other modern identifiers from building facades, vehicles, and streetscapes.
Train Arrival – Continuity Fix:
For a key transition scene, we added a train arriving on a tube platform for continuity and timing. Using composited footage and motion-matched elements, we ensured seamless integration, matching camera shake, lighting, and environmental interaction for full believability.
3D The Dung beetle:
We created a 3D dung beetle from scratch by first researching its anatomy and behaviour, then blocking out the model using basic shapes before sculpting in fine details like shell texture and leg joints. After unwrapping the UVs, we textured the model using realistic materials and rendered it with proper lighting to highlight its form and surface. The result was a detailed, life like beetle ready for animation, achieved through a combination of sculpting, texturing, and rendering techniques.
