Case Study: Framestore achieves immersive, Academy Award–winning Blade Runner 2049 VFX with Autodesk

Masters of Visual Effects Create a Futuristic CGI World for Blade Runner 2049

Framestore, the award‑winning visual‑effects studio, was tasked with helping realize the futuristic world of Blade Runner 2049—a challenge to match and extend the original film’s iconic environments across hundreds of massive CGI shots. To meet tight creative and technical demands, Framestore used Autodesk tools, including Arnold for rendering, Shotgun for production tracking, and Maya and the Media & Entertainment Collection for 3D design and asset creation.

Using Autodesk’s software stack, Framestore built vast, detailed environments, managed over 1,300 frames in Shotgun, and ran Arnold rendering tests to balance image quality and turnaround time. The studio delivered nearly 300 of the film’s 1,190 VFX shots, contributing to Blade Runner 2049’s critical acclaim and earning Framestore a 2018 Academy Award and 2018 BAFTA for Best Visual Effects, while strengthening its Montreal team’s capabilities.

Framestore

Richard Hoover

VFX Supervisor for Blade Runner 2049