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 n icolas Cage steps into the role of Ben Reilly, a down-on- his-luck private investigator grappling with a tragic past and a secret identity in Prime Video's Spider-Noir. Set in 1930s New York, a disillusioned and world-weary Reil- ly is attempting to live a normal life aer abandoning the mantle of the city's mysterious vigilante, The Spider. When a seemingly routine investigation entangles him in the web of a massive superpowered conspiracy, he must confront the shadowy underworld and his own demons to protect his city once more. Created by showrunner Oren Uziel, the series seamlessly merg- es stylized comic book storytelling with classic film noir aesthetics, transporting the web-slinging mythos of Spider-Man into the gritty realm of hard-boiled detective narratives. Presented in a dual deliv- ery format, audiences are able to choose between two equally daz- zling visual styles: an "Authentic Black & White" version embracing the chiaroscuro contrast of noir cinema, and a "True-Hue Full Color" version exuding the kaleidoscopic vibrancy of modern comics. Delivering visual effects for Spider-Noir was no easy feat, from carefully augmenting environments to fit the historical time period and atmospheric ethos to developing the look of the menacing new superpowers that are wreaking electrical and pyrokinetic havoc on the city. VFX supervisor Hnedel Maximore and VFX producer Brooke Noska shared a behind-the-scenes look into the process of bringing this bold new superhero series from the page to the screen. What were you most excited about when you first signed on to the project? Hnedel Maximore: We shot in LA. The show was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the California tax credit, so that was super important. But I think the most exciting thing was when I first read the script and the show bible and had an interview with our showrunner. He said, "I want you guys to take everything you think about Spider-Man and the Spider-Verse, and throw 60% of that away, because we are first a noir. Our spider is very different. He is middle-aged, he does not want to do this, he drinks, he smokes, he kills people. So tonally we are very different. We are first a noir detec- tive story with some spider abilities." So I think that alone made us super excited. We're doing something different. We're doing some- thing unique, and hopefully the audience sees that. And then no other show has delivered in two different versions: a black-and-white and a color. Choose your own adventure. Brooke and I kept referring to it as, "We're giving the world twins!" It's one story, but you get to experience it in two different ways. The unique tone and unique story, the fresh take on a Spider-Man character, and the two versions were super exciting for us. Brooke Noska: I would be remiss if I didn't say I was so excited to work in LA, which is amazing, but also to be a part of the Nick Cage lore — what a dream. I mean, National Treasure, Ghost Rider, Longlegs — I can't wait for whatever the 2026 Nick Cage meme is and to have a little part of it. Beyond that, I like being able to go back to an analog state of, we're going to think about everything practically. We're going to throw technology to the side. We need to figure out how to do these things tactilely. We need to be able to touch it, look at it, integrate it,