MONSTER: THE ED GEIN STORY
OUR WORK
When Netflix and Ryan Murphy Productions set out to create the third season of the Monster anthology, The Ed Gein Story, they needed visuals that would feel unsettlingly real yet deeply respectful of the subject matter. To achieve this, they turned to FOLKS VFX, whose team handled more than 650 shots across all eight episodes, shaping the dark, chilling atmosphere of the series.
From the earliest stages, FOLKS’ VFX Supervisor John Rouse and VFX Producer Josh Seward were embedded with the production team, collaborating directly with directors Max Winkler and Ian Brennan.
“We were involved right from pre-production,” says Rouse. “That gave us time to plan element shoots, previs sequences, and figure out how to integrate practical and digital work seamlessly.”
Filming took place across Chicago and Los Angeles, but much of the season is set in snowy Wisconsin. To maintain continuity, FOLKS faced the challenge of matching natural Chicago exteriors with LA soundstages. “We wanted the snow to feel completely real,” explains Rouse.
“Sometimes we had snow on the ground, sometimes we didn’t, so we extended it digitally and enhancing the environment without making it feel artificial.”
One of the most striking sequences involved a swarm of digital moths. Built using Houdini simulations, the moths interact dynamically with flashlights and shadows, creating an eerie sense of life within the farmhouse walls.
“The moths were deceptively complex,” Seward shares. “We choreographed how they landed, took off, and followed beams of light, all to make sure they felt grounded in reality.”
Then came the chainsaw nightmare sequences, some of the most intense VFX moments of the season. FOLKS created two period-accurate CG chainsaws — one from the 1940s and another from the 1970s — and digitally enhanced scenes where characters hallucinate violent events. Safety props were used on set, with FOLKS adding spinning chains, blood simulations, and fabric tearing later in post.
Beyond gore and creatures, much of FOLKS’ work focused on building the world itself. From graveyard set extensions to digital farmhouse reconstructions, the team blended practical sets with visual effects so seamlessly that viewers can’t tell where the camera stops and the CG begins.
This level of detail required a global collaboration. FOLKS coordinated teams across Bogotá, Montreal, Toronto, Mumbai, Los Angeles, and Saguenay. Bogotá handled complex CG work, including the moth simulations and snow augmentation, while Montreal focused on matte paintings and set extensions. Mumbai managed paint, roto, and compositing, and Los Angeles provided senior compositors specializing in high-detail blood integration.
“It was a true 24-hour workflow,” says Seward. “We’d hand off shots at the end of the day and wake up to see progress from another team.”
Through innovative simulations, seamless integration, and close creative partnerships, FOLKS helped define the haunting aesthetic of Monster: The Ed Gein Story. The result is a season where the visual effects enhance the storytelling without overshadowing it — drawing viewers into a world that feels disturbingly real.
OUR TEAM
The visual effects in 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story' were made possible by the talent and dedication of our team at FOLKS, led by:
John Rouse | VFX Supervisor
Josh Seward | VFX Producer
TRAILER
On a remote Wisconsin farm, troubled loner Ed Gein's twisted bond with his domineering mother triggers a terrifying descent into madness.
