How VFX Is Creating Frenzy in the Web Series Industry

Could the next breakout entertainment hit be a web series?
Maybe. Web-series are emerging as the new age entertainment cult.

We’ve seen a paradigm shift in the consumption of content over the past few years. The new age technology has ushered the entertainment industry towards an era of explosive growth, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the world. With the increasing penetration of smartphones and Internet connectivity, it is safe to say that this is the ‘future of digital’. While video streaming is huge on the web, ‘Web Series’ are now stealing the thunder of the conventional modes of entertainment.
The growth of streaming services has been explosive.

You already know that video streaming is huge on the web these days, but what exactly is a web series?

You may have seen popular web series like House of Cards, Game of Thrones, Suits, etc. on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar,and many more which are unlike any conventional television series. They are edgy and fresh, with high production values which are only matched with films, and are now a rage all over the world. In India too, they have made their mark and there are millions of online streaming viewers watching their favourite series all the time. The format breaks free from staid television formats — they have rich content, no censorship issues, and they push the envelope which has never been done on television earlier before. Netflix plans to spend a whopping $6 billion on content in 2017, meanwhile, Amazon is set to spend $4.5 billion on video itself. And both combined Netflix and Amazon are estimated to spend a combined $10.5 billion on video this year. There is no surprise here that the aggressive spending by them highlights their ambition to become the ‘IT’ destination for high-quality videos.

If these media giants are racing ahead, it is not that far that VFX production houses will join the race. With billions at stake, best of the studios in the industry are keen on making their footprints in the web series industry. Take, for example, Daredevil, now a Netflix series based on the comic book character of the same name and set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It follows the fictional character of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a superhero who uses his heightened senses from being blinded as a child to fight crime on the mean streets of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil. And “Mindhunter” is one of the recent Netflix releases that’s got everyone hooked. It has psychology, mystery, analysis, and it’s based on true events. And because the series is set in 1977, which has different cars and fewer people and buildings than we have now, these shots were altered in postproduction to give the story the 1977 setting. Buildings and trees are added, marks on roads replaced and colors changed to give the series its moody, raw film look.

All this wouldn’t have been possible if VFX studios wouldn’t have waved their magic wands. Visuals make or break the story and VFX techniques deliver a cinematic experience like no other. Other than these series, we’ve also seen some outstanding VFX artworks for many web series like Shanara Chronicles, Flash, Supergirl, etc which have created stunning visuals based on VFX.In fact, these series are conceptualised depending on the fact there is going to be extensive VFX work in post production.

Visual effects are essential in the production arsenal and are employed when one or more than one of the following situations is to be taken care of:
• obscuring certain objects
• create total virtual set up
• create or change the background
• add or remove actors or objects
• project speed changes
• add or change eye effects
• build sets that are impossible to be built in real
• produce set extensions

These are majorly the key factors that enhance the web series experience and take the content to a new level.It’s now virtually impossible to imagine these web series or television content without the visual effects, since they are at par with films, and the competition to grab the viewers attention is beyond imagination. So without a shadow of a doubt, it is safe to say thatVFX is creating frenzy in the web series industry, one show at a time!
ToolBox Studio offers state of the art, advanced and the best VFX services in India. Our robust visual effects team andexpertise can bring any idea to life.So if you have VFX requirements which range from ant size to elephant size, rest assured because we can make the magic happen. With ToolBox Studio’s visual effect experts nothing is impossible in the virtual world.

Anoop Chaphekar

Last updated: October 4, 2024

A Fine Arts Graduate, Anoop brings 20+ yrs experience in the VFX and Animation industry. He brings his expertise in Animation-VFX for Television Commercials to Visual Effects for feature films, TV and Web series.