Visual effects have long been the behind-the-scenes power of movie spectacle. But over the past few years, they’ve made a seismic shift, changing not only how we create illusions but how we tell stories. From retina-bending action in Deadpool & Wolverine to the LED-illuminated sets that are revolutionizing how whole shows are shot, the difference between what you can imagine and what you can achieve is shrinking more quickly than ever.
Here’s a glimpse at three significant innovations that are transforming the art and commerce of visual storytelling—from creepy practical-digital mashups to virtual production setups that erase the distinction between post-production and set building.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s “Hands Through Face” Scene: How Comic Book Mayhem Translates to Cinematic Reality
If you’ve watched Deadpool & Wolverine, likely, the scenes where Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) phases her hands through people’s faces made you squirm. It’s one of the film’s most chilling visual effects, and according to visual effects supervisor Swen Gillberg, it was taken straight out of the comics.
“I came across these crazy images in the comics of Cassandra putting her hands through people’s faces,” Gillberg recalls. “I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s wild.’” The challenge? Making that “wild” idea feel believable on screen.
Although prosthetics were first in the works, the team soon understood that solid acting was the top priority. Therefore, rather than using props, they shot the actors behaving normally, with Corrin’s actual arm carefully positioned out of the camera frame. The remainder—her arm from shoulder to fingertips—was created digitally. That way, the actors could have real eye contact and chemistry, which assisted in selling the illusion.
Constructing the digital doubles was another technical achievement. VFX company Framestore took six months to build the Paradox asset to exactly reproduce Matthew Macfadyen’s likeness. The crew did everything live where possible, replacing only what was unavoidable digitally. “If we could retain his hair or one of his ears, we would—so the match had to be spot on,” says Gillberg.
The effect is unsettling, particularly when Cassandra’s hands move underneath the eyes to cause them to bulge—an addition late in post that greatly increased the creep factor. And there’s the awful sequence in which she removes Johnny Storm’s skin. Gillberg confesses the reference research was “pretty terrible,” but in the end, the team created a grotesque-but-stylized version that worked for the tone of the film, right down to how the skinless corpse falls to the ground.
Light & Magic Season 2: The Front-Row Seat to the Digital Age
While Deadpool & Wolverine demonstrate where visual effects are bound, Disney+’s Light & Magic Season 2 teaches us how we arrived here. Under the helm of Joe Johnston, the three-part documentary series discusses Industrial Light & Magic’s leading position in revolutionizing VFX from practical effects to outright digital artistry.
One of the most important stories: George Lucas’s quest to film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace with digital cameras and show it digitally—a dream that took years of working with camera manufacturers, lens designers, and theaters to bring about. It wasn’t a technical upgrade alone; it was a watershed moment in filmmaking and viewing.
The show also goes in-depth on the creation of Jar Jar Binks, the film’s first all-digital character, acted on-camera by Ahmed Best. During initial production, ILM discussed whether to employ a practical suit and digital head or opt for all-CG. Full digital ultimately prevailed—not only for creative freedom, but because it simplified and saved money on the tricky task of matching CG to live-action. As Dennis Muren facetiously implies in the series, the test results could have been “rigged” to favor the digital approach—a nod to how quickly the tide was shifting.
From digital Yoda in Attack of the Clones to water simulations in The Perfect Storm, Light & Magic not only documents milestones—it raises the curtain on the creative choices and technical innovations that underpinned contemporary filmmaking.
The Volume and Virtual Production: Welcome to the Future Set
If you’ve seen The Mandalorian, you’ve already glimpsed what many believe is the future of film production. The show makes extensive use of “The Volume,” an enormous LED stage surrounded by high-resolution digital screens that display real-time environments powered by game engines like Unreal.
These aren’t simply high-tech backgrounds-they’re live, dynamic sets that move with the camera, changing lighting and perspective in real time. What that means is actors can perform in fully immersive environments, and cinematographers can shoot final shots in camera, with no green screen removal necessary down the line.
“I’ll be honest: I would not be mad if I never have to do a green screen key again,” says ILM lead compositor Charmaine Chan. “Now I get to be a person doing a shot—I can help finalize it in camera.”
This method, known as Stagecraft, is revolutionizing the production pipeline fundamentally. What was traditionally done solely in post is now included as part of on-set work. Directors, VFX artists, and cinematographers work together in real time, making color, lighting, and composition adjustments on the fly.
It’s a giant leap in terms of efficiency and innovation—and for productions with time constraints or the ability to reach remote locations, it’s a game-changer. With virtual production, filmmakers are able to model exotic or impossible worlds without ever setting foot outside the studio.
Visual Effects at a Crossroads: Where Craft Meets Code
From the disturbing realism of Deadpool & Wolverine’s most iconic effects to the docu-depth of Light & Magic and the revolution of virtual sets, it’s safe to say that visual effects are no longer simply a post-production tool. They’re intertwined in every aspect of filmmaking—concept to final cut.
What was once an invisible art has now become center stage, not only wowing audiences but changing the way that stories get told. And as technology keeps on moving, so does the language of film—one effect, one innovation, and one LED-lit frame at a time.
