Mindhunter‘s Visual Effects are So Good You Don’t Know They’re There

A new behind-the-scenes clip from Mindhunter highlights just how crazy and intense the editing process can be on a TV show. The serial killer series that you have no doubt been binging on Netflix is trademark David Fincher. It’s dark and suspenseful and you might not realize the benefits of all the digital enhancement that has contributed to the final project.

The clip from Adobe, whose products are used on the series, features the editing team showing off their impressive work. (It’s not formatted to embed, but you can watch it here.) As the clip reveals, CGI isn’t just for special effects anymore. You’ll see how the team makes edits from small touch ups to replacing green screens and much more.

Assistant Editor Billy Peake explains the process of using split screens for merging multiple takes. It’s a mind blowing process where the editor actually merges two different takes to get the best performance from each actor even if they’re on the screen at the same time. There is virtually no trace of the process that merged the two.

“We are in this new golden age of episodic television,” Editor Byron Smith declared. “Editorial becomes more interesting when you’ve got more control and you’ve got the best tools.” Rather than editing shot for shot, the team is editing by pixels now. The techniques and talent that this team exhibits is the reason that your favorite TV show now looks more amazing than movies of decades past.

After watching the clip, you’ll probably be eyeing your screen a little closer, but the best editing can’t be seen. 

Mindhunter is available on Netflix now.

Featured Image: Holt McCallany and Jonathan Groff in Mindhunter. Photo Credit: Patrick Harbron/Netflix