In contrast to some criticisms from critics and viewers of the initial season, “Squid Game” Season 2 managed to maintain its appeal despite mixed reviews – with Looper’s Akos Peterbencze labeling it an enjoyable yet underwhelming sequel. However, it had its merits. Upon multiple viewings, attentive fans will appreciate intricate details in the second season that are both delightful and surprising. Moreover, the visual style and CGI effects, as consistently impressive, continued to shine throughout the series.
A freshly-unveiled demo reel by visual effects studio Gulliver Studios showcases various instances demonstrating the imagination, detail, and dedication behind crafting the special effects for the upcoming season – subtleties you might not have realized were digitally enhanced. Below are a few intriguing snapshots of how “Squid Game” Season 2 transformed before and after visual effects were applied.
The stairways were expanded through digital effects
One distinctive feature in “Squid Game” is a labyrinthine network of staircases, passageways, suspension bridges, and balconies that contestants and guards navigate within the game’s arena. This intricate maze, as explained by the show’s production designer Chae Kyoung-sun, was designed to mimic the sensation of endless stairs, reminiscent of M. C. Escher’s drawings.
To make it seem expansive, the designers combined their physical sets with computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the towering sections of the labyrinth: While the upper floors of the maze are actual sets built on solid ground, they’re extended below with CGI, as evident in the overhead shot provided. The Gulliver VFX showcase presents numerous shots of the maze’s staircases connecting different rooms within the complex, and each one is awe-inspiring – demonstrating the skill of the CGI artists in making a relatively small real-life set appear incredibly and convincingly large.
The stormy boat scenes were filmed on a set
In “Squid Game” Season 2, the sequences on Captain Park’s (Oh Dal-su) boat offer some of the most gripping and heart-pounding moments. This is largely due to the nerve-wracking aspect of sailing on the open sea.
In an unexpected twist, the intense storm scenes you see were actually filmed inside a closed studio. A real boat was positioned within a controlled pool, enclosed by blue chroma walls. Later, the virtual sea and storm effects were added digitally.
The island is real, but the cave isn’t
A significant portion of “Squid Game” was captured on location, with many scenes set on a hidden island resembling the game arena being filmed using various scenic views around Seongapdo Island, a small crescent-shaped isle situated off Incheon’s coast in the northwest region of South Korea.
While most of the physical features of the island were accurately portrayed, the cave that appears to connect directly to the sea through dive packs is a digital creation. It was inserted into the side of a rocky cliff during aerial filming.
Some explosions were partly practical
Despite the underwhelming plot development concerning Jun-ho’s (Wi Ha-joon) team’s infiltration on the island, which left many wondering about the remaining bombs, Gulliver Studios’ showreel provides valuable insight into the visual effects employed during the single explosion we witnessed.
In the scene where the team inadvertently triggers a bomb after opening a hatch, the special effects team crafted a real explosion, and a cable was utilized to pull back the actor, mimicking a shockwave effect. Subsequently, fiery bursts were digitally inserted into the smoke using computer-generated imagery (CGI), giving an enhanced visual experience. It’s all about adding some extra flair, right?
The control room was filmed with blank computer screens
In the world of “Squid Game”, one more notable aspect of its production design is the control room where managers dressed in pink monitor the entire island through security cameras linked to monitors. While most of it appears practical, given how expansive, intricate, and detailed the environment is, the show cleverly avoided the tedious task of matching what’s shown on the monitors with real-time action.
Instead, all the security cameras’ displays within the control room, encompassing both the smaller monitors and the larger screens overhead, appeared completely black during filming, with the appropriate footage added afterwards.
The floor screens were also blank before VFX
During filming, not only were the security cameras blank, but the main attraction of the control room – the floor screens displaying the headshots and player numbers of every Squid Game contestant – were also empty in reality. The content on these screens was added later in post-production.
Just as the monitors, the functional floor displays had a bright white hue, likely designed to mimic the lighting effect you’d see from an in-universe picture display.
The Gyeonggi skyline was changed digitally
In the second season, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) concealed his operations from the Pink Motel in Seoul, a place later found by Jun-ho. Interestingly, this motel scene was shot at a genuine location with only minor digital modifications. The motel you see is actually situated in Guri, a city neighboring Seoul within the Gyeonggi Province.
The primary alterations carried out by the Visual Effects (VFX) team involved:
1. Eliminating two stories from a building situated on the same street.
2. Swapping this scene with an image of the Gyeonggi Province skyline and a train moving past.
3. Modifying the motel sign’s text to read “PINK.”
Keying effects were used on the ceiling
On “Squid Game” Season 2, just like Season 1, the dormitory where the players sleep resembles a tight, jail-like facility. The ceiling, adorned with industrial metal beams, mirrors its real-life appearance closely. However, the transparent piggy bank used to collect prize money is an addition made using computer-generated imagery (CGI).
To make the visual effects look authentic, a big white backdrop and strategically positioned lighting were employed to aid in the process known as keying, where elements in an image are separated based on their color or brightness. The actors, however, simply looked at the backdrop and the light box used for set illumination and reference points for the VFX team, while in reality appearing to stare intently at a captivating stack of money on screen.
The Red Light, Green Light arena was a plain, empty lot
It’s possible to argue that the initial playground, where the intense Red Light, Green Light game takes place across both seasons, is the scariest location in “Squid Game.” The open-roofed structure and towering walls adorned with idyllic landscapes (created by CGI artists) serve as a grim irony, suggesting the players’ imprisonment while offering a deceptive illusion of freedom and connection to the outside world.
In reality, instead of a grand arena, scenes were shot in a much smaller lot, possibly in Daejeon city, where many of the show’s sets were built. Approximately 90% of the arena’s sandy floor that you see is actual ground. The entrance gates shaped like houses from which players enter the game hall are authentic as well. To create a sense of confinement, they added a large digital clock on the wall and some computer-generated players to simulate the crowd.
The doll’s eyes were computer-animated
To symbolize the cultural impact of “Squid Game,” one could imagine the face representing it as that of a non-human entity – specifically, the expressionless visage of Young-hee, the imposing robot doll, who serves as the antagonist during the Red Light, Green Light contests.
In the movie set, a replica of the character Young-hee was constructed and arranged, yet an essential aspect of her portrayal – the lifelike movement of her eyes scanning for any action in the arena – was created using computer-generated imagery (CGI). Interestingly, the real-life version of Young-hee, devoid of any eye movement, remains eerily unsettling in a unique manner.
A blue dot was used to animate the bee
Watching “Squid Game” is always emotional, but the fate of Mi-na (Song Ji-woo), or Player 196, who tragically lost due to a bee stinging her neck during the initial game, was incredibly sad – yet tinged with a bit of dark comedy.
In order to capture the scenes accurately, the VFX (Visual Effects) team marked Song Ji-woo with a small blue dot on her neck as a guide for creating the CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) bee. The demo reel of “Gulliver” highlights the meticulousness involved in CGI work; examine Mi-na’s hoop earring, and you’ll see that the VFX team had to erase the blue reflection caused by the chroma walls during post-production.
Even the corridors were extended with CGI
If the labyrinthine staircase is vast and overpowering, the narrower, less imposing hallways connecting rooms in the “Squid Game” complex are instead oppressive and induce a sense of claustrophobia. Notably, Season 2 makes extensive use of these corridors by setting the climactic gunfight scene within them.
In a digital enhancement, they inserted a distant stairway spanning one hall, enhancing its maze-like quality, which had previously been a simple, solid blue screen. Additionally, a row of hanging lights, similar to the existing ones, were added.
One of the shootouts used reference snipers in a floating place
The scene from the Gulliver showreel is particularly useful in illustrating that the Squid Game maze was an impressive work of illusion. During the final shootout (Season 2), it becomes clear that the maze features walls adorned with balconies and stairs, while a vast open space, or atrium, lies at its center.
In the physical setting, a significant portion of one wall at an angle was virtually created by computers. Actors, armed with replica guns, were strategically positioned within the open area, later to be erased digitally. This setup served as a reference for the sniper scenes during post-production.
The guard? Real. The blood? Not so much
As a gamer, I got a kick out of the intense shootout scene – it was like watching a masterclass on visual effects! One particular shot stood out for me, though. It looked so real in every aspect, except for one gruesome element that was skillfully crafted by the CGI artists.
On the movie set, as the camera focuses tightly on a realistic balcony, a pink-uniformed security figure brandishing a weapon is shown getting hit by gunfire. This character, portrayed by a genuine actor, was not harmed during the production process. The bullet marks on the wall and some blood effects are computer-generated enhancements.
CGI lights were added to a practical carousel
In the hall where they were compelled to play the top game from Season 2, Mingle, the setup was functional, yet the artificial lighting used during that specific scene fell short of the same description. The blue and red lights, which merged into a nightclub-like pink and purple radiance, intensifying the bittersweet irony of their plight, were not originally present but added in post-production using digital techniques.
To achieve that effect, naturally, the lighting arrangement needed to be meticulously thought out to create shadows and mirrors at the right spots.
The piggy bank was carefully rendered in CGI
The term “Iconic” suits the transparent piggy bank suspended above the players in the games, as it encapsulates the over-the-top, exaggerated reality TV atmosphere depicted in “Squid Game” more effectively than any other visual representation.
On the TV show, the piggy bank appears incredibly lifelike and touchable, but credit goes to the VFX team for creating its impactful on-screen presence. As shown in the previous shot, it’s mostly CGI in many scenes. Before it looked authentic as a real-life prop, the piggy bank underwent various stages of digital processing or rendering.
The lighting for a piggy bank shot was kept as real as possible
Even though the piggy bank was completely computer-generated in all scenes with it in the “Gulliver” trailer, this doesn’t imply that the filmmakers didn’t need to consider practical aspects when designing the visual effect.
From the vantage point of a piggy bank, this dormitory shot gives an impression that most of the scene’s lighting originated naturally – essentially, a lamp was strategically positioned to mimic the light source coming downwards, bending through the piggy bank as it refracted within the storyline.
The spinning top was a 100% CGI creation
One game introduced in Season 2 of “Squid Game” is called the six-legged pentathlon, where five contestants who are tethered together must finish five different childhood games within a five-minute timeframe to traverse an entire rainbow-colored course – this challenging scene was so difficult to film in reality that it left some actors feeling unwell.
One game called “paengi chigi” involves wrapping a string around a spinning toy and then throwing it so that it spins for several seconds. A visual effects reel shows that the spinning top was created entirely using computer-generated imagery (CGI), as the image above displays an unfinished model on the left. It’s likely much simpler to make the top spin in digital form compared to doing it in real life.
X marked the spots on the blue chroma walls
In the hypothetical “Squid Game” Season 2, it could be that Young-hee’s ruthless gaze seemed to zero in on the players during the Red Light, Green Light game. However, in reality, the significant location for X was elsewhere.
In a typical chroma key setup, the arena’s side walls were adorned with cross patterns for ease of integrating a backdrop (or landscape wallpaper) during post-production, as the camera and players navigated the space. Interestingly, these crosses seemed to share a very similar hue with the fictional finish line, which was also pink.
Performers had to fire at empty balconies
In a series like “Squid Game,” even performers without spoken lines must immerse themselves deeply in pretend scenarios. For instance, during the shootout scene in Season 2, actors playing pink guards were seen pretending to fire guns at empty balconies, as if there were targets hidden behind them or nearby.
In reality, the set design offered fewer complex pathways compared to what was depicted earlier, with certain staircases terminating on the ground rather than spiraling endlessly. Nonetheless, it’s likely that filming it provided an exhilarating experience for the actors portraying guards (no humor intended).
A skyscraper became a giant wall
In this scene, Gi-hun and Hyun-ju (played by Park Sung-hoon) gaze up at a towering wall that appears in the actual setting. However, this wall was digitally generated using computer-generated imagery (CGI), replacing what once stood as a mirrored-glass skyscraper.
If you assume that creating animated CGI for a solid blue wall is straightforward, you might be taken aback by how many stages of rendering the specific animation actually required.
The Seongapdo woods were reshaped into an arena
From an aerial perspective, the actual island of Seongapdo, serving as a filming site for the game island scenes in “Squid Game” Season 2, required significant alterations during post-production to establish the setting for the Red Light, Green Light game arena.
In this revised version, artificial structures visible in the frame were eliminated, and the forest landscape was digitally modified for a clearer view of the scene where the earth suddenly parts to expose a rectangular hole containing a sand-covered game hall below.
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2025-05-15 22:02