The Rig: The VFX Behind the Success

Since its debut in January, the latest instalment of the Prime Video series ‘The Rig’ has been captivating audiences in the UK and beyond. Having worked on the first season back in 2022, Absolute Post returned to deliver shots across all six episodes of Season Two. The VFX team had the privilege of bringing to life some complex and visually stunning effects, helping to define the show's acclaimed eerie atmosphere.

Season Two sees the tension taken to a whole new level, whilst our heroes dive to even murkier depths. So, across a total of 228 shots, Absolute engineered everything from supernatural forces to vast open oceans. Led by VFX supervisor Carl Godwin-Alvarez and VFX producer Zelda Tinska, the team collaborated with VFX supervisor Steph Coren and VFX producer Mark Wellband to craft an array of CG Underwater Environments. Absolute’s head of film and TV, Danny Duke, reflects on the hard work behind the scenes that saw the project go from an edit to the finished article:

“One of the biggest challenges we faced was creating dynamic underwater scenes that spanned different depths of the ocean” says Danny. “We worked tirelessly to capture a feeling of isolation and danger, ensuring every underwater shot felt authentic to the show’s tone. Throughout the show, a lot of the action takes place on the ocean floor. To make this authentic as possible, we had to integrate action plates with full CG underwater set extensions.”

However the series isn’t completely grounded in reality. The supernatural plays a vital role in the story, meaning the Absolute team had to weave in fantastical elements while keeping the audience immersed in the story. Carl Godwin-Alvarez comments, “We had to engineer some very complex simulations for ‘toxic sprays’ that served as a major plot point of this series. The challenge was to make the poison feel menacing yet natural, and to do so in a way that blended perfectly with the environment.”

“One of the more surreal aspects of the show involved creating a language using cymatic patterns formed by FX-generated particles. This was a unique and exciting challenge, requiring artistic vision as well as technical precision. We also had to carefully composite some of the most intense FX shots, including scenes where our heroes were under attack by supernatural forces at the bottom of the ocean. These moments demanded a high level of detail to ensure every element felt thrilling but realistic at the same time.”

VFX producer Zelda Tinska continues, “The success of these sequences wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible talent and dedication of our team here at Absolute. Each department, from modelling and animation to compositing and FX, brought their A-game to the project. It was their hard work and creativity that truly made these effects stand out.

“We are so proud of the unique challenges that we had to overcome on this project. We were able to use our expertise to elevate the show’s atmosphere, and create visual effects that were both immersive and integral to the storytelling. Season 2 of The Rig pushed the team to innovate and experiment in ways that felt both challenging and rewarding, and we are so excited to see how audiences experience the world we helped to create.”