At first glance, The Fault in Our Stars may not seem like an effects-heavy production. However, the intimate and touching story of two teens living with cancer, based on the book of the same name by John Green, in fact required some intricate effects work. To get the look they wanted, the producers turned to four New York visual effects companies: Phosphene, LookFX, Spontaneous and Scoundrel.

All told, 200 of the film’s 350 effects shots were done in New York, which is also where the film located its VFX office.

The effects work the film required was far from simple. Gus, the character played by Ansel Elgort, has had a leg amputated due to bone cancer. Using shots of Elgort moving with both legs, the team at Phosphene composited a prosthetic leg and stump onto Elgort’s Gus. The production also consulted with doctors to ensure that the remaining part of the character’s leg was medically accurate for the specific amputation he would have undergone...

Read the full article on the NY Loves Film site by clicking here.