Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545821
o c t o b e r • n o v e m b e r • d e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2 c g w 7 I T: Welcome to Derry is the dramatic series from HBO and Warner Bros. Television. Set in the world of Stephen King's It universe, the show is based on King's novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films IT and IT: Chapter Two. The eight-episode series began streaming weekly in October, with the finale being released on December 14th. The show's cast includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Ste- phen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and Bill Skarsgård. Set in the 1960s, IT: Welcome to Derry required seamless visual effects that reflected the supernatural forces haunting Derry while maintaining the authenticity of the era. Daryl Sawchuk served as vi- sual effects supervisor on the show and recently shared insight into its needs and challenges. Daryl, can you talk about the overall VFX approach for the show and how you helped create its supernatural elements? Daryl Sawchuk: The overall VFX approach for the supernatural and scare elements throughout the season was to ground everything in reality as much as possible. We aimed to capture as much practically on set, working closely with production design, costumes, prosthet- ics, makeup FX, and special effects, and then built on that founda- tion. I'm a strong believer in pushing effects as far in-camera as we can, capturing the mood, atmosphere, and lighting exactly as the DP in- tends in the final frame, before stepping in to enhance, replace, or augment digitally. Most, if not all, of the major scare sequences were thoroughly developed in advance. We collaborated on storyboards and character designs, and created previs passes to give the entire team a clear visual roadmap on set. From there, the goal was always to elevate and refine those moments rather than reinvent them in post. The series is set in the 1960s. How did that period influ- ence your work, particularly in terms of environments and world-building? Daryl Sawchuk: The world was very clearly established by the in- credible production design team led by Paul Austerberry, which gave us a huge advantage from the outset. The practical photography we captured was not only beautiful, but deeply rooted in the time peri- od, providing a strong and authentic foundation for our work. From there, our world-building focused on subtle but extensive period enhancements — augmenting buildings and backgrounds that couldn't be fully realized on set due to time or budget con- straints. A significant portion of our work was intentionally invisible, addressing challenges like weather and scheduling. For example, we transformed winter locations into summer environments with added foliage, and conversely, replaced summer elements when needed. In some cases, we also had to digitally reconstruct building façades and roadways that couldn't be dressed due to large-scale city construction that was unavoidable during filming. The art department also created a comprehensive visual bible of reference imagery and design work, which was instrumental in help- ing us bring the Derry Air Force Base to life. By combining real-world