Brief
VFX supervisor Jerome Chen details Spider‑Man: Brand New Day’s rapid post‑production
The film’s visual effects team completed 445 shots in a single week and reimagined Hulk’s look, the VFX boss said at a Turin conference.
By Felo News Desk · Published
At the View Conference in Turin, visual‑effects supervisor Jerome Chen said Marvel and Sony’s "Spider‑Man: Brand New Day" was completed with nearly 2,000 VFX shots in just 24 weeks of post‑production, including a record‑fast delivery of 445 shots in one week.
What happened
Chen explained that three‑quarters of the film’s visual effects were finished during the final six weeks of the schedule. Preparations began with a scouting trip to New York in December 2024, even before a final script was available. While most principal photography took place in the U.K., locations such as Pinewood Studios, London and Glasgow stood in for New York, with production designer Charles Wood’s concept art guiding a restrained colour palette punctuated by saturated moments.
What the reports add
Chen compared the week’s output to his first supervisory role on a 1999 film that contained 450 shots over two years. He noted that a brief script segment introducing Spider‑Man and a tank expanded into 11 shots and roughly 52 seconds of footage, requiring physical tabletop models to plan a vehicle crash. A compact camera rig mounted on a helmet captured Tom Holland’s performance close to his face, later composited with a blurry red shape to suggest the interior of his mask.
What was said
"In one week, we did about 445 shots," Chen told Variety. He added, "Sometimes the easiest tricks are the most effective." Regarding Hulk’s redesign, Chen said, "I realized that nobody had ever looked closely at Hulk’s toenails before," joking about the level of detail the team pursued.
How it came about
The film’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton, wanted a grounded, street‑level Spider‑Man, making the city itself a character. Chen’s team used visual cues such as hanging traffic signals, scaffolding, water towers and specific power‑line configurations to recreate New York digitally, even removing British curb markings. For Hulk, Chen consulted Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and altered the character’s proportions, hair colour, arm length and eye colour to reflect a more savage, telepathically controlled state.
Key facts
- The film contained nearly 2,000 VFX shots completed in 24 weeks. (variety.com)
- 445 VFX shots were delivered in a single week, a record pace for the team. (variety.com)
- Three‑quarters of the VFX work was finished in the final six weeks of post‑production. (variety.com)
- Jerome Chen oversaw a redesign of Hulk, changing proportions, hair colour and eye colour. (variety.com)
- Production scouting in New York took place in December 2024 before the script was finalized. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ VFX Boss Jerome Chen on Hulk’s Redesign, Finishing 445 Shots in a Week”
