The Conjuring – Last Rites: Scott Edelstein – Production VFX Supervisor

09.29.25

Featured in Art of VFX

In early 2025, Scott Edelstein walked us through the VFX crafted by Digital Domain for Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Now, he returns-this time diving into the world of horror-to share details about his work on The Conjuring: Last Rites.

Can you tell us how you first got involved on The Conjuring: Last Rites and what your initial conversations with the filmmakers were about the visual effects needs of the project?

I got the call from my good friend and producer, Eric Bruneau, who asked if I'd be interested in working on a horror film. Since most of my recent projects had been superhero-sized, the chance to dive into horror felt like a fun new challenge. I love the genre, so I jumped right in. My first Zooms with Eric and director Michael Chaves were all about methodology - how do we capture as much as possible in camera while keeping things grounded? One of the earliest topics was the Smurl neighborhood build. We knew it would be a huge set extension, so the goal was to shoot with minimal bluescreen to preserve the lighting, reflections and atmosphere on set. That set the tone for the whole project: authenticity first.

How was the collaboration with Director Michael Chaves?

Working with Michael was honestly amazing. He's one of the most collaborative directors I've met - open to ideas, genuinely curious, and always asking the right questions. He is very knowledgeable in VFX, which kept me on my toes. He has this little grin he gives right before suggesting something that will keep my team busy for weeks. But he listens, he trusts, and he really understands how all the pieces fit together. I'd happily replicate that experience on every project if I could.

How did you organize the work with your VFX Producer Eric Bruneau?

On a show this size, it's a bit like air traffic control. My producer, Eric, and I would sit with our VFX editor Greg Reed, watch the cut again and again, and break down every shot. Once we had our notes, we'd review with Michael and editor Elliot Greenberg to make sure nothing was missing. From there, Romulo Adriano Jr., our production manager, built the schedule in Shotgrid. That schedule became our north star - it told us how many vendors we needed, how difficult the work would be, and allowed our coordinators, Janki Patel and Ellie Bones, to keep everything on track. It was a true team sport.

How did you choose the various vendors and split the work amongst them?

We had Digital Domain onboard early with previs, so they naturally carried a large portion of the final VFX. Ingenuity Studios joined early as well and handled a huge part of the show as well. Both Digital Domain and Ingenuity have great reputations and had worked with the director in the past so that connection was extremely valuable. As the schedule grew - and as the shot count kept climbing - we brought on more vendors until we had ten in total: Digital Domain, Ingenuity, Framestore, Rodeo FX, Rotomaker, Lola VFX, Flawless AI, Dan Bartolucci Post, Lidar Lounge, and Proof. Each one was chosen for their strengths - some excel at creature work, others at invisible set extensions - and together they helped us cover an enormous range of effects at the level of quality the film demanded.

One of the major aspects of the VFX work was recreating Pennsylvania in the 1980s. What kind of research and references did your team rely on to make the environments feel historically accurate?

The Smurl neighborhood was our biggest build. The practical backlot, designed by production designer John Frankish and his incredible art department team, gave us three houses and part of a street. Everything beyond that - the rest of the neighborhood - was VFX. We leaned on art department drawings, researched the real street, and pulled from films like The Deer Hunter to capture that middle-class, industrial feel of Pennsylvania in the mid-80s. The looming steel mill was especially important - it's a constant presence in the background that gives the setting a sense of claustrophobia. Our job was to make it all feel authentic, not stylized.

The film features numerous terrifying appearances of the demon. What was the creative process behind designing and bringing this entity to life on screen?

We had several demons in the film, and true to the Conjuring Universe, we leaned heavily on practical makeup and costumes. Those teams did an incredible job creating tactile, terrifying looks, and VFX came in to enhance - eye treatments, subtle augmentations, compositing practical demon elements into live plates. The philosophy was always: shoot it real whenever possible, and let VFX support rather than overshadow.

Did you approach the demon differently depending on whether it was a subtle apparition, a jump scare, or a full-on manifestation?

Definitely. A subtle apparition needs restraint - just enough enhancement to make the audience question what they're seeing. A jump scare requires timing and impact. And then there's Annabelle. We've never seen her alive before, so we had to make her move, make her huge, and make her utterly seamless. We started with real photography of the doll, then transitioned to a CG asset for the moments where she comes to life. It was a blast (and slightly unsettling) to give Annabelle motion for the first time.

There's an impressive oner that travels around the Smurl house. Can you walk us through how that sequence was designed and executed from a VFX perspective?

That sequence was one of the biggest technical feats of the film. We started with boards, then shot the head and tail of the shot - exteriors on location, interiors on stage - and lined them up precisely. Postvis at Digital Domain mapped the camera path, and once approved, the team built out the full environment. They added rain, atmosphere, and all the invisible stitches that made it feel like a single shot. The trickiest part was an actor walking through camera right at the split - it had to be flawless. It was by far the most complex shot in the film, but I think it's also one of the most rewarding moments.

What were the biggest technical or creative challenges of blending practical effects, sets, and VFX to keep the audience immersed in the horror?

Mirrors. Hands down, mirrors. There's a big mirror motif in the film, and any time you're doing VFX in a mirrored room or with a moving mirror as the focal point, it's a nightmare. We had to be extremely clever with angles, composites, and digital replacements to pull it off.

Looking back, is there a particular sequence or invisible effect in The Conjuring: Last Rites that you're most proud of, or that audiences might not realize was heavily supported by VFX?

The Smurl neighborhood. It was an enormous extension - 2D, 2.5D, and 3D assets stitched together - and it had to look perfect from every angle, day and night, without ever distracting from the story. If audiences don't realize it's VFX, then we succeeded. On the flip side, you'd think the basement blood flood would be augmented by VFX but was actually practical - thousands of gallons of fake blood pumped into the set. And then there's Judy's mirrored changing room: shot practically with one-way mirrors, but ultimately heavily rebuilt in VFX. It's a nice balance of invisible work and pure movie magic.

How long have you worked on this show?

I started conversations in June 2024, officially came onboard that September, and we delivered final shots in July 2025. So just over a year of living with demons. My family was very relieved when it was over.

What's the VFX shots count?

We started with around 600 shots. By the end we delivered 863. Like all good horror stories, it grew bigger than we expected.

What is your next project?

After delivery, I escaped with my family to Thailand for three weeks - much needed! Since then I've been in talks with a few studios, but honestly, I'd love to team up with Michael Chaves and Eric Bruneau again. This project had one of the best teams I've ever been a part of, from prep through final delivery. If I get the chance to do that again, I'd jump at it.

A big thanks for your time.