CAUSE AND FX GOES ON A JOURNEY WITH JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT
From Wellington’s Avalon Studios to Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley – and even outer space – Cause and FX took Mr. Corman beyond the limits of the sound stage, helping to realise the show’s stylised dreamscapes and quirky environments.
Darkly funny, oddly beautiful, and heartfelt, Mr. Corman is a comedy-drama following the plight of fifth-grade teacher Josh Corman. It is a magical-realist portrait of a thirty-something experiencing a deep-rooted sense of dismay at his lot in life and imagining what could have been.
MR CORMAN
BREAKDOWN
BRINGING MR CORMAN’S DREAMSAPES TO LIFE
Cause and FX collaborated closely with the A24 production team to deliver writer, director, and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s creative vision.
Sometimes surreal and sometimes reflecting a heightened version of reality, the show presents Josh’s fantasies as collage-like animated sequences. Characters, shot on greenscreen, become part of whimsical musical numbers and video-game-flavoured action sequences.
STYLISING THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
Production began in Van Nuys in early 2020 and resumed in New Zealand after an extended COVID shutdown. The series was shot over 55 days across 25 locations, with Wellington standing in for suburban Los Angeles.
Cause contributed over 250 shots to the 10-episode series. VFX work included green screen compositing, full digital environments, set extensions, 3D transitions, matte painting, cosmetic enhancements, and creative problem-solving to achieve a unique, stylised vision.
