Interview With The Vampire Part ii
Bringing History and Horror to Life: The Visual Effects Behind Season 2 of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire
As AMC’s Interview with the Vampire Part 2 continues to captivate audiences with its gripping portrayal of Louie du Pont Dulac's life, the role of visual effects (VFX) becomes ever more critical in blending the series’ historical setting with its dark, supernatural elements, and bringing to life the modern day interview location. In this second season, our VFX team took on the challenge of delivering over 1,000 shots across the eight episodes, each designed to enhance the storytelling and immerse viewers in Louie’s world and in most instances completely invisible to the audience.
The Story Continues: Louie’s Complex Journey
Interview with the Vampire part 2 is far more than a typical vampire tale. It’s a richly layered historical drama set in the 1940, and this season we delves deeper into Louie and Claudia’s experiences in a new city - Paris, weaving together the threads of history, horror, and personal turmoil the season is beautifully written and shot so the visual effects have to be just as good.
To bring this complex narrative to life, the series demanded VFX that could seamlessly integrate the ordinary with the extraordinary.
Building the World of Interview with the Vampire Part 2: Key VFX Contributions
Our VFX department, lead by industry legend Ted Rae, and working with the directors, showrunner, and Art department team, helped build the visual aesthetic that defines Season 2. Here’s a breakdown of the major contributions we made:
Blood Elements/Sims: From subtle drips to dramatic splatters, blood plays a pivotal role in the series. We worked with our VFX vendors to ensure a consistent look, with a mix of CG sims and some utterly brilliant plate shot elements from Peerless VFX in London.
Blood Tears/Welling: Louie’s, and other characters, inner struggles are often depicted through blood tears, a signature visual that required focused work of our vendors as not to take away or distract from the actors performances.
MFX Augmentation and Enhancement: To heighten the supernatural elements of the story, we augmented makeup effects to help elevate the already stella work of the MFX teams, often adding sub-dermal effects, extra blood not possible to do on set, or taking the injury further.
Set Extensions/DMPS: Historical accuracy and visual grandeur were achieved through extensive set extensions. Whether recreating the streets of Paris or expanding interiors, these extensions were crucial for establishing the show’s rich period setting especially those locations like Pont Alexander in the heart of Paris, or when our vampires take a stroll through the louvre.
Full CG Backgrounds: Some scenes necessitated entirely computer-generated backgrounds to create environments that were impossible to shoot on location, adding depth and authenticity to the setting.
Virtual Production (Motorbike Sequences): Our coven of Parisian vampires hunt on motorcycles, and we achieve several motorbike sequences through use of LED volume virtual production, leveraging real-time CG environments to deliver high-octane, visually stunning scenes that ground the characters in the environment in camera.
A chase through the streets of Paris by the coven - Evoke Studios Prague 2023 / AMC Interview with a Vampire
Green Screen Work: From basic composites to complex scene integrations, green screen technology was a backbone of our VFX work, enabling us to blend live-action footage with digital elements flawlessly.
The Subtle Art of Visual Storytelling
One of the unique aspects of Interview with the Vampire Part 2 is its selective use of wide shots. These are employed sparingly, often appearing only at the beginning of scenes or for establishing locations. This creative choice required our set extensions and visual effects to be not only detailed but also integral to the narrative, helping to set the tone and mood right from the outset. For example, the recreation of Parisian streets serves as a prime illustration of how our work enhances the historical authenticity and immerses viewers in the world Louie inhabits.
LED Testing - Evoke Studios Prague - AMC Interview with the Vampire
The visual effects in Interview with the Vampire Part 2 are more than just eye candy—they are a vital part of the storytelling, seamlessly integrating history with horror. From creating realistic blood effects to building entire historical environments, our team’s work on Season 2 was all about enhancing the narrative and immersing viewers deeper into Louie’s troubled world. We’re proud of the visual journey we’ve helped craft and excited for audiences to experience the next chapter in this dark and compelling saga.
Season 2 Vendors
Folks VFX - Quebec
Framestore - London
Peerless - London
Studio 8 - Los Angeles
Barnstorm VFX - Los Angeles
