Building Worlds, Breaking Time: The VFX of Foundation

In this episode, we dive into the epic scope of Apple TV+’s Foundation with Chris MacLean (Overall Visual Effects Supervisor) and Mike Enriquez (Visual Effects Supervisor). From the grandeur of the Starbridge to the intricate planetary environments, they reveal how the show’s ambitious world-building was achieved under pandemic constraints and relentless deadlines.

Chris and Mike share how they collaborated with production designer Rory Cheyne to translate abstract concepts from Isaac Asimov’s legendary sci-fi saga into tangible, cinematic experiences. They discuss the challenges of remote workflows, the evolution of visual effects pipelines, and the emotional weight behind designing scenes that feel both futuristic and mythic.

In This Episode:

• 🌌 How Foundation’s visual language was shaped across planets, timelines, and empires

• 🛠️ The making of the Starbridge sequence—technical feats and narrative symbolism

• 🎨 Working with Rory Cheyne to align production design and VFX seamlessly

• 🧪 Pandemic-era innovation: remote collaboration, virtual scouting, and compressed timelines

• 🚀 Why visual effects are storytelling tools, not just spectacle

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