Even though Kevin Costner’s large body of work spans a host of genres, his true love is the Western, which became his directorial playground for Dances with Wolves, Open Range, and his most recent: a four-part cinematic franchise that chronicles the settlement of the American West before and after the Civil War, beginning with Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1. Costner not only directed and co-wrote the script but reportedly invested $38 million of his own money. Going along for the ride was Ingenuity Studios, which rustled up some digital artists under the supervision of J.P. Jaramillo to create 256 shots consisting of river, canyon and town environments, high plains critters including horses and insects, and effects like fire, smoke, rain, blood, and muzzle flashes.
“On a personal level, Kevin Costner has this investment in the film that is different from a director making a studio movie,” notes Jaramillo, VFX Supervisor, Ingenuity Studios. …