Xfinity

Aviators

VFX
Color
Immersive Experiences
Original Content

For The Aviators, PREYMAKER teamed up with Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) and Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser (Dune: Part Two, The Mandalorian, The Batman, Dune) to prove that when it comes to visual effects, the best visual effects should not look like visual effects at all.
When a grandfather shares his love of flying with his granddaughter while preparing for a reunion with fellow veterans, she gets an idea; why not experience this love again?

Using the power of Xfinity Internet and virtual reality goggles, she introduces her grandfather to something incredible. He and his Navy buddies get to fly again through the immersive experience of flight simulation.

Preymaker was an integral creative partner from pre-production through final delivery.

The team was responsible for all post-production and cinematic grading, as well as generating 100% of CGI for the aerial cinematography sequences. They built the A-4 Skyhawk Jets from scratch, crafting flying scenes that look entirely captured in-camera, complete with meticulously-created digital landscapes and clouds. These sequences are seamlessly edited into the story and feel as authentic as any of the live-action sequences .

Effects Grounded in Truth

Extraordinary effects in service of story, not spectacle.
The goal was to create visceral VFX flying scenes without overpowering the storytelling. To do this, the team decided it was essential to approach every digital element as it would be in physical reality. While the aerial sequences were created entirely in CGI—with only the pilots themselves being real—each shot was designed to mirror traditional practical cinematography techniques.
Preymaker located and extensively studied actual A-4 Skyhawk jets, documenting not just their structure but also their patina and other analogue details. They were awed by the sheer bulk and brute machinery of these vintage aircraft and meticulously recreated every worn rivet and the sheen on metal caused by years of pilots' hands touching the same spot. From the airbase to instrumentation to flight gear and goggles, each digital element was crafted with the same attention to historical accuracy. Developed in the early 1950’s A4 skyhawks were part of an aviation revolution.Capturing their authentic flight characteristics was essential to make the film feel visceral and real

Using the power of Xfinity Internet and virtual reality goggles, she introduces her grandfather to something incredible. He and his Navy buddies get to fly again through the immersive experience of flight simulation.

Preymaker was an integral creative partner from pre-production through final delivery.

Speed

Creating SPEED for digital aerial sequences.

Conveying a sense of speed required solving a fundamental problem of visual relativity. “Seeing” from realistic vantage points—rendering images as if cameras were mounted on companion aircraft or very far away using extremely long lenses—wasn’t enough. The team knew we also had to feel these jets moving fast.

“To make jets feel like they're truly moving at high speeds, you need reference points for the eye,” explains Kneale. "We quickly realized that clouds would be our solution.” However, this led to an even more complex challenge. They couldn't simply film plate shots of real clouds. The team had to generate multiple layers of cloud formations, ensuring they were at the correct altitude, and simulated to interact naturally with the passing aircraft. It was one of the project's most technically demanding achievements.

Process

PreVis and iteration.
Preymaker engaged in extensive previsualization, creating detailed footage of the jets in Unreal Engine. This early groundwork proved invaluable—while PreVis is typically used as a rough guide, the team pushed the technology to serve as temporary footage as production unfolded. High-quality digital renders were intercut with live-action footage to iterate and test various approaches to the storytelling. The result was a more efficient approval process and a more cohesive storytelling experience by giving the editor valuable “aerial rushes” when the film was being cut. Having footage at this early stage elevated the aerial sequences' role in the film and made them a central character in the film.

Integrated Color Grading

Perfecting the look.
The final step was the cinematic color grade by Preymaker colorist Mark Sana, which Kneale describes as crucial. “The grade was so important, along with the VFX and CGI. We felt that the color grade glued it all together.” Having full creative and technical control over both visual effects and grade allowed perfect integration of every element and constant refinement of the colors as the project evolved Greig Fraiser attended the color grade multiple times via preymaker’s custom “Cloud Stage” viewing platform, giving valuable color direction.

The irony of Preymaker’s success lies in their invisibility. Their goal is for the work to feel as seamlessly authentic as the live-action storytelling. Jim Elliott, Executive Creative Director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, the agency behind The Aviators Xfinity campaign, expressed his admiration.

“I'm still flabbergasted by the realism,” he said, “by what you and your team at Preymaker were able to pull off in so little time. Simply miraculous.”

Preymaker’s work on The Aviators proves how much artistry and craft goes into ensuring that VFX remains hidden. The result is a story that hinges on excitement and emotion through human storytelling, not the bewildering and astonishing advances they have harnessed through technology. However, their success is spectacular all the same.

Short Film

The three-minute film, as well as shorter versions for broadcast, premiered in May 2024 during Military Appreciation Month.
Vietnam veterans Jack Gillett, Jim Lloyd, Bill Moir, and Elester Latham who acted in the film were reunited and interviewed on the today show as part of a show segment.