VFX studio’s fast turnaround for HBO feature

Union completed of their VFX work on Mountainhead in just four weeks from start to finish.

The HBO Original film is written and directed by Jesse Armstrong; executive produced by Jesse Armstrong, Frank Rich, Lucy Prebble, Jon Brown, Tony Roche, Will Tracy, Mark Mylod, and Jill Footlick.

Mountainhead follows a group of billionaire friends who get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis. This was Armstrong’s feature directorial debut, an impressive feat with its incredibly fast and unique turnaround time. 

Union got a call in February 2025 to provide VFX for the film, starting work two months later and delivering in May, a short 16 days before it premiered on HBO and HBO Max. 

This was a challenge that Union Executive Producer & Co-Founder Tim Caplan was ready to accept.  Caplan said, “The VFX work involved multiple digital matte paintings of snowy environment landscapes, additional snow, screen replacements and the opening sequence, consisting of a fully CG TRAAM building.

“Completing this work within a four-week post schedule was very ambitious, but we had full confidence working with Co-Producer Katy Bishop and Post Production Supervisor Robert Platt-Higgins, as we have successfully collaborated with them on previous projects.”

Close communication with On-Set VFX Supervisor David Van Dyke during the Utah shoot was essential.  The entire creative team worked together to ensure all of  Jesse Armstrong’s VFX requirements could be met within the timeframe.  

While the shoot was underway in Utah, back in London the Union team were providing previs/layouts for the big opening TRAAM shots.  This was incredibly beneficial for the efficiency of the project as it allowed Armstrong and Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind, to visualise and get a sense of scale ahead of shooting.

VFX Producer, Tallulah Baker adds, “We had to do things differently, such as work together to identify ‘safe’ locked shots that we could get cracking on while the shoot was underway.   The picture wasn’t locked until a week before delivery, so we were constantly on top of the ongoing changes and what those meant for the VFX.  

Flexibility and collaboration were vital for the success of this ambitious but very rewarding project. We had to work closely with the creative team to ensure the edit and VFX were in complete harmony.  Everyone was invested in finding solutions together to make sure we got there.”

Mountainhead was released on time on 31st May and received an EMMY nomination for Outstanding Television Movie.

Synopsis

From seven-time Emmy® winner and Oscar® nominee Jesse Armstrong (Succession) comes Mountainhead—a razor-sharp new Sky Exclusive film that blends biting satire with nerve-jangling tension. Written, directed, and executive produced by Armstrong, the film marks his feature debut and reunites the creative forces behind one of the most critically acclaimed dramas of the past decade.

Set against the backdrop of a spiralling international crisis, Mountainhead follows a group of tech billionaires retreating to an isolated alpine chalet. What begins as a seemingly controlled escape devolves into chaos as loyalties fracture, tensions rise, and moral certainties collapse under the weight of their own ambition.

Starring Steve Carell as Randall, Jason Schwartzman as Souper (Hugo Van Yalk), Cory Michael Smith as Venis, and Ramy Youssef as Jeff, this darkly comic thriller probes the limits of power, privilege, and paranoia with Armstrong’s trademark wit and precision.

VFX by Union

Watch now on HBO Max, NOW and Sky.