In our digital era, algorithms now guide individual and group choices, echoing themes from Isaac Asimov’s renowned “Foundation” book series, written in the decade preceding the establishment of the Internet and search engines by government researchers in the 1960s. The challenge with predictions, even those grounded in problem-solving equations, lies in life’s inherent randomness, which inevitably gives rise to anomalies. This dynamic is exemplified by mathematics professor Hari Seldon, creator of psychohistory—a blend of history, sociology, and mathematics aimed at forecasting future economic and societal developments. It is these unforeseen miscalculations that intensify the drama and conflict in Apple TV+’s adaptation of Foundation, recently renewed for a third season, with Chris MacLean continuing as the production’s visual effects supervisor. MacLean earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie for his contributions to Season 1.

Reflecting on the challenges of Season 2 amidst the ongoing pandemic, MacLean recalls, “When we started Season 2, we were still masked up and undergoing testing. Eventually, we returned to our normal filmmaking process without those constraints. We had to reacquaint ourselves with that pace!” The 130-year time leap in Season 2 necessitated the evolution of previous designs and the creation of new ones. “The Stone Eaters introduced in Episode 203 featured a completely new design, while the Whisper-ships combined Anacreon and Thespian technologies from Season 1, unified by the Invictus and the jump drive discovered by the Foundation above Terminus,” he explains. “We aimed to maintain consistency while exploring new possibilities.”

Season 2 also reintroduced genetically and cybernetically enhanced humans capable of maintaining consciousness during faster-than-light travel aboard Imperial jumpships. “We evolved the appearance of the Spacers, integrating them more deeply with technology,” MacLean elaborates. “In Season 1, we used full CG replacements, which worked adequately. For Season 2, we prioritized preserving the actors’ performances, enlisting Imagine Engine to seamlessly blend the actors’ performances with CG elements. Depending on the shot, they retained the actors’ hands and mouth movements, utilizing prosthetic circuitry as tracking markers for wider shots. The design concept, featuring blue light inspired by fiber optics and quantum computers, symbolized their enhanced physiology—where unnecessary organs were replaced with quantum computers integrated into their abdomens.”

This ongoing evolution of visual effects underscores Foundation’s commitment to blending advanced storytelling with cutting-edge technology, continuing to push boundaries in the realm of science fiction television.