The Artery creates VFX for Netflix's <i>The Get Down</i>
October 7, 2016

The Artery creates VFX for Netflix's The Get Down

NEW YORK — Four-year-old art and technology company The Artery (http://thearteryvfx.com) recently created more than 200 visual effects shots for the new Netflix series The Get Down. The work represents the studio’s first episodic TV series project.

The Get Down is a musical drama set in the South Bronx in the late 1970s. Created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis, the first episodes of the six-part series debuted on Netflix in August. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, each episode runs between 53 and 93 minutes in length.

The Artery provided numerous modern day VFX elements for the series, including an exciting rooftop chase sequence in which fire, smoke and crumbling buildings must be overcome by the lead character, Shaolin (played by Shameik Moore). Shaolin is a thrill-seeking child of the streets, who jumps between building rooftops. 

According to Vico Sharabani, founder/executive creative director at The Artery, the studio used Autodesk Flame to tackle big sequences, such as the rooftop chase. The Foundry’s Nuke was used for single shots or short sequences. SideFX’s Houdini was used for fur and smoke simulations, while Autodesk’s 3DS Max was used for photogrammetry. Adobe Photoshop was used for creating matte painting.

“Flame was particularly used to push through a high volume of work, [and to] maintain consistency and quality,” says Sharabani. “Most vendors used Nuke and a large number of artists, and our ability to work on long sequences made a big difference in the process.”