New York 1985: When VFX is So Good You Don't Even Notice It
In the series Eric, beloFX did something almost magical: resurrect a vanished city. Not with explosions, but with details so precise that even the air feels like the 80s. � (And no, they didn't use a time machine... just a lot of talent and LiDAR).
Their mission: transform Budapest into 1985 New York, including the longed-for Twin Towers. They achieved it by combining 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and that touch of nostalgia that makes even digital trash look authentic. 🗽
"We didn't want it to look 'pretty,' but to breathe history... even if that meant lovingly rendering trash bags."
The Challenge of Doing It Badly... But Well
One of their absurdly brilliant achievements: recreating the look of old TVs. To do this:
- They recorded content in 4K... only to digitally ruin it.
- They re-projected the images onto real CRTs and re-filmed the screens.
- They added scanlines, distortion, and tape noise like the VHS of your childhood.
The result is so real that if you see a pixel out of place, it's actually in its place. �
Effects That Smell Like a Lost Decade
From dumps filled with CGI trash to morning fog that looks like it's from an old photo, beloFX proved that what matters isn't the spectacular, but the believable. Their secrets:
- Building textures with digital wear (even the graffiti has patina).
- Atmospheric effects that play with emotional memory.
- Integration so perfect that even New Yorkers would doubt it. 🚬
The funny thing is their work was nominated for RTS Craft Awards... for making everything look like it had no effects. The ironies of VFX.
Lessons for Digital Artists
beloFX's work teaches that:
- Historical research is as important as the software.
- Sometimes you have to dirty up the render for it to work.
- The hardest thing isn't creating worlds, but recreating the ones that already existed. �
So next time you watch Eric and get transported to the 80s without knowing why... now you know who to blame (or applaud). And if you feel like rewinding a tape, mission accomplished: the VFX achieved its goal. 🎥