CandyShopVFX is a visual effects and compositing studio in Chalandri, Athens. Since 2013 we have been building shots for commercials, brand films and broadcast, from a single clean-up to a full CG sequence.
VFX work reaches us two ways. Either an agency or a production company hands us a cut that needs shots built, or we are on set from the start, supervising the plates so the work holds together later. Both begin with the same question: what does the shot need to do.
What we take on
- Compositing and finishing. Multi-layer comps, grain and lens matching, conform and final masters.
- Clean-up and beauty work. Rig and wire removal, logo and label changes, product and skin retouching in motion.
- Set extensions and environments. Building the part of the world the schedule could not shoot.
- CG integration. Vehicles, products and objects placed into live-action plates so they sit in the same light as everything else.
- Simulation. Fluids, particles, smoke and destruction, built by our advanced CG team.
- Tracking and screen replacements. Camera solves, match-moving, phone and monitor screens replaced shot by shot.
- Keying and roto. Green screen work on hair, motion blur and everything else that makes a key difficult.
VFX supervision on set
The cheapest visual effect is the one that was shot correctly. When we supervise, we are on set deciding what gets shot as a plate and what gets built later, taking the references the comp will need, and telling the director on the day whether an idea will hold up in the final frame.
It costs a supervision day. It saves the week that a rescued shot would have taken.
Advanced CG
Since 2018 the heavier CG runs through The Δivision, our team for fluids, particles, creatures, characters and full environments. It is AI-assisted where that removes the grunt work, and artist-led everywhere it matters, because a simulation that looks right is still a judgement call and not a render setting.
How a VFX project runs
- Breakdown. We read the board or the cut and list every shot that needs work, with a time estimate against each one. You see the cost per shot before anything starts.
- Plates. Either we supervise the shoot, or we receive the footage and check it against what the shots will need.
- First pass. Every shot goes to a rough comp early, so the look is agreed before the detail work goes in.
- Refinement. Two rounds of notes are included in every quote. Review runs in the browser with timecoded comments, so nothing gets lost in an email thread.
- Finishing and delivery. Conform, grade, versions and cutdowns, delivered in the formats each broadcaster and platform asks for.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to be on set, or can you work from a finished cut?
Both. Most projects reach us as a locked or near-locked cut and we build the shots from the plates we are given. On more demanding work we come on set as VFX supervisors, so the plates are shot in a way that makes the effect possible and affordable later. If the shot is complex, having us there on the day is almost always cheaper than fixing it afterwards.
What software do you use for VFX and compositing?
Compositing and finishing run on Nuke. CG, simulation and 3D are handled in-house by our advanced CG team. We deliver in whatever format the broadcaster, agency or platform requires, and we can work inside a client pipeline when one exists.
How long does a VFX shot take?
A clean-up or screen replacement is usually a day or less per shot. A set extension or a CG element integrated into live action is typically three to five days. Simulation work, such as fluids, particles or destruction, depends on the look and on how many iterations the client wants to see, so we scope those per shot after reading the board.
Can you do CGI product shots as well as live-action VFX?
Yes. We build full CG product shots and 3D animation, and we integrate CG into live-action plates. Because the same team does both, a campaign can mix real footage and CG without the look drifting between them.
Do you work with clients outside Greece?
Yes. We work in English and Greek, review remotely with agencies and brands abroad, and deliver masters and versions in the formats each market needs. Being in Athens keeps our rates below most Western European studios without changing how the work is supervised.
Talk to us about a shot
Send the board, the script or the cut and we come back with a shot-by-shot breakdown and a cost. If you are still at the idea stage, fifteen minutes on the phone usually settles whether something should be shot, built, or both.
info@candyshopvfx.com · +30 210 681 0803
Related: post-production and finishing · AI video production
