Gotham's shadows come alive with VFX in 'The Penguin'

Gotham comes to life

In the shadowy, perilous heart of Gotham City, HBO's miniseries ‘The Penguin’ brings the city's gritty underworld to life like never before. This captivating spin-off from the 2022 film ‘The Batman’ follows the rise of crime lord Oz Cobblepot, played brilliantly by Colin Farrell, who won a Golden Globe for his performance.

The series enthrals viewers with its dark, moody visuals and intricate cityscapes, brought to life through high-end visual effects (VFX). With an award-winning track record in VFX—including eight Emmy nominations in the past five years—Accenture Song was an ideal partner for HBO to realize its ambitious visual goals for ‘The Penguin’. In fact, one of Accenture Song’s artists has already received a Visual Effects Society 2025 award nomination for ‘The Penguin’ episode After Hours.

Over the past decade, VFX have revolutionized the movie industry, offering filmmakers the ability to digitally create impossible shots and environments that look highly realistic and believable. Now, demand for VFX has never been higher: streaming services have been a boon for the VFX industry, with increased appetite for cinematic-quality effects on the small screen. As the global streaming market is set to reach a value of $2 trillion by 2032, the need for stunning effects will only continue to grow.

Creative genius meets cutting-edge software

To achieve these effects on “The Penguin”, Accenture Song assembled a powerhouse team of 60 technical and creative experts, leveraging cutting-edge software tools to create Gotham's immersive world.

The team was tasked with matching the visual tone and look of ‘The Batman’, blending a neo-gothic architectural style with a New York City-inspired skyline, all grounded in reality. Over 10 months, the team handled 110 shots—some highly complex, including a pivotal fire scene captured from seven different angles. Rigorous quality control and regular feedback sessions with HBO ensured each shot met the highest standards.

From the iconic skyline to the rain-drenched streets, every detail was meticulously crafted to reflect the city's ominous nature. Realistic weather effects, such as rain and fog, amplified the noir aesthetic and contributed to the foreboding atmosphere. Combined with stunning fire and water simulations, these effects brought dynamic intensity to key moments. Among the most significant of these are the opening and closing sequences of ‘The Penguin,’ masterfully crafted by the Accenture Song team to transform Gotham into a living, breathing character.

The show opens with a sweeping view of the Gotham skyline, panning below railway overpasses to the dark streets of the city’s seedy underbelly, where The Penguin and his henchmen do business—setting the tone for the entire show. In the finale, Oswald dances with his girlfriend Eve.  To create this scene, the team built a detailed digital version of a hotel and its surroundings. They combined live-action shots of the actors and the city with computer-generated images and hand-painted elements, including the Bat signal in the sky.

A history of successful VFX collaborations

This is not the first successful VFX collaboration for Accenture Song, whose impressive VFX portfolio includes award-winning shows such as ‘Stranger Things’, ‘The Nevers’ and ‘Watchmen’, along with other accolades such Visual Effects Society Awards and numerous industry award nominations. ‘The Penguin’ stands as a testament to the transformative power of visual effects in storytelling, immersing viewers in a world where darkness reigns and ambition knows no bounds.