To complete his vision of the apocalypse, The Road director John Hillcoat turned to DIVE, the Philadelphia-based visual effects and film finishing company that recently color-corrected the Barnes Foundation doc The Art of the Steal.
According the DIVE's executive producer, Andy Williams, Hillcoat initially selected DIVE so the relatively low-budget movie could take advantage of the Pennsylvania tax incentive — most of the The Road was shot outside of Pittsburgh. But he also needed the apocalypse to look credible. Visual effects supervisor Mark Forker spent the majority of The Road shoot on set in western Pennsylvania and beyond, working directly with Hillcoat, advising on how to frame shots and light scenes to minimize post-production work.
What couldn't be done on camera was sent back to Philly. It's apt that we're responsible for making the end of the world look believable.
Read Sam Adams' review of The Road.