A classic Supernatural episode gets a glowing review from VFX artists 17 years after originally airing. The long-running CW series, centered on Sam and Dean Winchester (portrayed by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively) and their hunt for paranormal and evil creatures, concluded in 2020. The memorable season 3 episode, “Time Is on My Side,” followed a nefarious doctor seeking a method for achieving eternal life. Throughout the episode, he removed the organs of innocent strangers, and in one particularly disturbing sequence, almost extracted Sam’s eyes.
In their recent “VFX Artists React to Bad and Great CGi” video, Corridor Crew looked at the eyeball-removal scene from Supernatural. Mentioning that it was considered poor CG, Wren noted that “I’m ready to see some bad VFX, but then I saw it,” and he was impressed by what it looked like for 2008.
Discussing the eye, the group questioned whether it was real, with Jordan explaining how the episode could have been “puppeting the eye socket” and “have projected footage or just rotoed footage” used. However, they revealed that it might have been an actual eye and, when noting the scoop, the movements were altered to achieve the effect. Niko then praised how the VFX came together, for the show’s budget. Read his comments below:
From being shot from a TV show, where they didn’t build any extra props, they just said, ‘Lay on the table. Let me get a shot of you looking around. Now let’s hold his eye open a little more. Let me get another shot of you looking around. I’m going to just grab a janky 3D model of a scoop.’ Just with some compositing in After Effects, make it look like your eyeball’s being scooped out, and have it be this effective. Like, that’s really impressive and clever VFX work in my opinion.
What This Means For Supernatural
The Show Features A Lot Of Effects
The shot of Sam, fastened to a table with his eyes taped open, was one of the most unnerving moments in that episode, made all the more frightening when Dr. Benton began using the scoop. Supernatural featured a lot of visual and practical effects, some of which were on display in “Time Is on My Side,” but the eyeball sequence remains a standout. As Wren explained, “the scoop is CG” and managed to conceal parts of the eye, so some areas may have been real, while others were “digitally pulled down more.”
Related
10 Best Stand-Alone Episodes Of Supernatural
With over 300 episodes and 15 seasons, Supernatural is a long show to commit to. So here are the 10 best standalone episodes to watch without context.
When Supernatural season 3, episode 15 begins, one of Benton’s victims stumbles into a hospital with his liver removed, although the surgery process and gory fallout are not shown on-screen. However, there are several other moments of impressive effects, including the appearance of Benton, someone who has been alive for well over a century and whose face remains held together by stitches. There is also a horrifying sequence of the doctor removing a still-beating heart from a jogger.
Our Take On The Eyeball Scoop Scene In Supernatural
One Of The Most Memorable Parts Of The Episode
The eyeball-scooping scene is among the most memorable of that episode, as evidenced by the reaction of Corridor Crew and their praise of it. It is interesting to hear about how the VFX was actually accomplished, and how Supernatural managed to pull off such a moment, given its television-sized budget. For an episode that aired 17 years ago, the effects look better than some other instances from the show’s run, and it is worth wondering what other scenes hold up just as well.
Source: Corridor Crew
Supernatural
8/10
- Release Date
-
2005 – 2020-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Eric Kripke
- Directors
-
Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Robert Singer
- Writers
-
Eric Kripke, Andrew Dabb, Robert Berens