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| Grimm's Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), seen here in his CG Bludbot incarnation created by HIVE-FX of Portland, Ore. Photo: HIVE-FX |
With few exceptions, compelling TV
dramas used to be the exclusive property of cable/satellite channels. This was
not because network shows were subject to more stringent regulations regarding
colorful language and nudity. Often, the cable shows simply had bigger budgets
for their original dramas, because they may only be producing a few at a time –
and for a shorter season than is typical of network TV. Sure, you could rely on
your Big Three networks for passable one-hour dramas and the occasional
made-for-television movie or miniseries, but for gripping, human drama, one had
to be willing to pay for the viewing privilege. Millions of Americans, myself
included, have been – and will continue to be – eager to spend a monthly fee to
view series such as Band of Brothers
and The Sopranos (HBO), Mad Men (AMC),
Battlestar Galactica (Syfy), and Homeland (Showtime). However, during the last few years, the
major networks have turned their attention toward producing better dramatic
series with sizeable casts, big budgets, and even on-location shooting.
Programs such as The West Wing (NBC), Lost (ABC), NCIS
(CBS) and now Grimm (NBC) have brought
creative storytelling, captivating action, and high production values back to
the masses. Grimm, as featured in the May/June issue of Markee, is the
latest TV drama to charm the U.S. television viewing audience. In fact, its
recent May season finale won its Friday night timeslot with nearly 6 million
viewers.
Grimm is a rather
unique program that reinterprets the well-known “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” with a
modern twist. Portland police detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) has
inherited the ability to see supernatural creatures, and as a “Grimm,” he is
tasked with keeping the balance between mankind and the mythological. There’s
truly nothing like it on TV, so Christine Bunish spoke with the show’s visual
effects team at HIVE-FX to learn how some of Grimm’s
scariest monsters are created as viewers watch them change from their human
forms.
As you will see in our May/June issue, the production values of today’s
network dramas certainly are on par with those of the pay channels. And the
success of effects-heavy programming such as Grimm
should lead to more shows in that vein. In turn, that will put more VFX artists
and companies to work, the prospect of which pleases me a great deal.
If you've never seen the show, be sure to catch up on Grimm during its hiatus, and tune in this fall when it returns.
