Once Upon a Time in the West in VFX

A vast Western landscape in 1857, with a growing town, wagons, horses, and smoke floating in the air. In the background, majestic mountains and a rushing river. The scene has dramatic lighting with the sun on the horizon, reflecting the dusty atmosphere and the cinematic realism of the era.

The renowned visual effects house Scanline VFX has released a breakdown reel showcasing the work done on Netflix's limited series Once Upon a Time in the West. With over 1,000 visual effects shots, the series required a combination of digital landscapes, computer-generated crowds, and realistic action effects to capture the harshness of the West in 1857.

A Realistic Approach to a Raw Story

From the start, the team led by Adam Balentine worked with the goal of maintaining authenticity in every scene. According to Balentine, it was crucial for the visual effects to respect the on-set photography, emphasizing both the brutality of the period and the natural beauty of the landscape.

"Authenticity and realism were key in every shot. We wanted every effect to feel natural, without breaking the immersion in the story." – Adam Balentine

Digital Construction of Historical Environments

The series features growing settlements and towns, which were created digitally by Scanline using:

Computer-generated crowds of settlers.
Wagons, horses, and tipis to recreate the Western atmosphere.
Floating smoke to add depth and realism.

To expand the mountains and forests, custom particle systems and photographic plate compositing techniques were used, allowing perfect integration of the effects with the filmed material.

Visual Effects in Action and Violence Scenes

In addition to set design, the Scanline VFX team worked on realistic action effects, including:

Gun flashes and period weapon effects.
Raging rivers, such as transforming a calm stream into a dangerous current for a crossing scene.
Snow and weather effects, using a Nuke particle system to achieve a more impactful atmosphere.

Balance Between Rawness and Realism

One of the biggest challenges was depicting the violence of the period realistically without falling into exaggeration. According to Balentine, the goal was to capture the brutality of the era effectively without undermining the narrative's credibility.

An Immersive Story Thanks to Visual Effects

Scanline VFX's work on Once Upon a Time in the West demonstrates the impact visual effects can have on building a visually immersive story. By combining computer-generated environments with advanced simulation techniques, they brought to life a brutal and realistic West without losing historical authenticity.

Thanks to their precision in effect integration and fidelity to the period's aesthetic, the series becomes a benchmark for the use of VFX in historical productions.