SAS: Rogue Heroes (
Rogue Heroes here in the US) is a British historical drama series created by Steven Knight. The series debuted on BBC One back in 2022, with its first season focusing on the origins of the British Army Special Air Service (SAS) during World War II. Its second season premiered this January and focuses on the SAS operations in the European theatre of war.
SAS: Rogue Heroes is produced by Kudos Film & Television. Ingenuity Studios (www.ingenuitystudios.com) provided visual effects services for Season 2, in which the SAS leads the invasion of Sicily (“Operation Husky”), the first major allied assault on German occupied Europe. Ingenuity has studios in Atlanta, London, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Vancouver. In total, the studio delivered 629 shots for Season 2, serving as the primary VFX studio for the series. Ingenuity also served this role for Season 1, working with the same producer and production team. The second season added British television director Stephen Woolfenden, who is known for his work as second unit director on the Harry Potter films.
Some of the studio's visual effects highlights include the opening episode of Season 2, which depicts three landing crafts with approximately 18 men on each boat, set to go ashore. Production was not able to capture real footage of this action in open water due to marine safety. To remedy this, a large water tank served as the setting for one practical boat, and the Ingenuity team then added two additional boats via CG as they headed to the cliffs of Sicily. CG water extensions rounded out the water, and a matte painting portrayed the cliffs in the distance. Ingenuity Studios developed an in-house tool to mimic WWII tracer fire to help visualize the bullets zipping through the air and hitting the boats.
Additional Season 2 highlights include gliders that crash into water (all CG), a pivotal scene in which Connor Swindells’ character lieutenant David Stirling falls from 40-feet high wall in an escape attempt, and a gruesome scene in which a boy is put out of his misery after being hit during a bombing.
Ingenuity also replicated numerous Panzer tanks for a scene in Episode 4 in which the SAS troops find themselves outnumbered. There was only one tank for the shoot, so the studio created CG tanks to fill out the scene, as well as the damage incurred by bazooka blasts.
And in Season 2's last episode, 60 of American Dakota planes head toward northern France, dropping paratroopers for the D-Day invasion. Ingenuity used the film A Bridge Too Far as a reference for the planes and parachutes, as well as the French landscape below them. All were created digitally for this climactic closing sequence. Ingenuity Studios relied on tools such as Nuke, Houdini, Maya to create the show's visual effects.
“We had a very positive experience working with Dave Sewell, Patrick Dean, Mary-Margaret Cimino and the team at Ingenuity Studios on SAS Rogue Heroes Series 2,” notes director Stephen Woolfenden. “I felt so supported as the director of the series. Throughout the post production process, weekly VFX reviews with Ingenuity were a joy. They were dynamic, fun, creative and kept the show on schedule through great detail and organization. Changes and tweaks were handled quickly and with understanding. Research paid off and it felt like sequences were evolving, growing and punching high above their budget.”
"We are so proud to partner with the phenomenal SAS Rogue Heroes team once again, and to work with director Stephen Woolfenden," adds Ingenuity Studios' VP/EP, Patrick Dean, "Our collaboration on Season 2 began early in the process, giving us the ideal vantage point to develop our initial strategy. We like to work closely with the production to get the most out of the shots. The reviews with the director and producer were almost always in-person, very collaborative, creative and relaxed.”
"This production was especially concerned about photoreal, accurate historical detail," adds David Sewell, production VFX supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. "The (necessary) VFX work needed to be unquestionably authentic. Ingenuity and its artists have a pedigree in achieving these high standards. This is the second season on this show and it still inspires me and the team to produce invisible but striking VFX shots. We drove for shots that stand out and impress, and support the story. That was always the challenge during filming and post."
Ingenuity credits also include partner/executive VFX supervisor Grant Miller, president/VFX supervisor David Lebensfeld, EVP Matthew Poliquin, VFX producer Mary-Margaret Cimino, assistant VFX supervisor Eoin O’Sullivan, CG supervisor Rich Fry and production coordinator Tom Marcus-Walker.