Cause and FX

Viewers have high expectations when it comes to visual effects, and could care less if a show's budget is more public television than Hollywood. 'You don't hear people standing around the water cooler saying 'That tv show last night, the cgi was really great considering their budget,'' says Andy Davies-Coward, creative director at Bristol-based visual effects and cgi house 422 South. 'It just doesn't happen like that. The value judgments people make are absolute, and the broadcasters have pressure to out-wow each other by having the latest thing.' The trickle down effect means producers face added pressure to deliver superior fx, and they share that responsibility with the fx companies they hire to create them.