Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, known for their collaboration on the multi-Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan, formed a creative alliance fueled by their shared interest in World War II. This partnership led them to executive produce the acclaimed HBO series Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Now, they return to explore some of humanity’s darkest chapters with Masters of the Air for Apple TV+. This series offers a bird’s eye view of the heroic exploits of the 100th Bomb Group, a unit of the U.S. Eighth Air Force.

Adapting Donald Miller’s book into a gripping miniseries were John Shiban and John Orloff, who enlisted the expertise of VFX supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum, producer Bruce Franklin, and on-set supervisor Adam Rowland. Together, they digitally captured the epic scale, intensity, and devastation of aerial warfare during that era. A consortium of vendors, including DNEG and Dimension Studio’s DNEG Virtual Production, contributed over 1,600 shots and 200 assets across 32 sequences spanning eight of the series’ nine episodes.

Reflecting on the legacy of Band of Brothers as a benchmark for TV visual effects before Game of Thrones, Xavier Bernasconi, VFX Supervisor at DNEG, expressed his awe and responsibility in joining this production two decades later. He emphasized the meticulous attention to detail in depicting World War II, citing influences like the documentary The Cold Blue, which provided rare footage of B-17s in action.

The production utilized virtual production techniques to simulate the danger and spectacle of aerial combat. Bernasconi highlighted the use of a large gimbal motion base with a B-17 cockpit, enhancing the actors’ immersion during intense sequences like navigating through flak explosions at high speeds. Cloudscapes served as visual and narrative anchors, guiding the audience through the geography and action of each mission.

Ensuring geographical clarity was crucial, particularly given the extensive locations covered in each episode. Bernasconi detailed efforts to depict recognizable landmarks such as the English Channel, Berlin, the Alps, and Africa, providing viewers with spatial orientation amidst the vast European theater.

Creative liberties were taken to balance viewer expectations with historical accuracy, enhancing the believability of each scene. The team integrated sophisticated camera shakes and plane dynamics to simulate the turbulent conditions of combat, from engine vibrations to the impact of enemy fire.

In summary, Masters of the Air not only honors the legacy of its predecessors but also pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling with its immersive portrayal of wartime heroism and sacrifice.