Visual Effects for a Holiday Feature
Turning a summer shoot in Buffalo into a snowy Christmas town. I finished more than 150 shots, from a day-to-night build of The Starlight to a gift-wrapped office tower and snowfall outside every window.
Technologies
Project Timeline
Aug 25, 2026
First plates turned over
Oct 7, 2026
Last plate batch
Nov 2026
Premiere
Three Generations, One Christmas was shot in and around Buffalo, New York, in the summer. The story takes place in a small town buried in snow at Christmas.
The biggest single build was The Starlight. On the day it was a plain beige civic building in full sun. In the movie it's lit up at night with a marquee, a neon blade sign, string lights and snow on a wet street.
Plate
Final
Every exterior was green. The same houses and streets show up across many scenes from different angles, so the snow had to match from shot to shot. And the actors walk through a lot of it: past the For Sale house, through an open front door, in front of boardroom windows and behind the wheel of a moving car.
The rule was the same as on every show like this. Change the world, keep the performance.
Plate
Final
Built The Starlight in post with a day-to-night relight, marquee, neon sign, string lights, a wreath, snow and a wet road
Tracked a giant red ribbon and bow onto a glass office tower through a moving camera
Winterized whole exteriors around moving actors, from lawns and porches to roofs and street trees
Replaced summer backgrounds through boardroom windows, an open front door and moving car windows
Snow-flocked practical Christmas trees and dusted an entire Buffalo aerial
Kept every performance from the plate with roto mattes, clean plates and window-by-window passes
Plate
Final
150+
Shots Finished
Buffalo, NY
Location
UHD 4K
Resolution
Summer to Winter
Season Shift
A surprising amount of this movie happens next to a window. Each pane is its own pass: the background is replaced behind the glass, while reflections, mullions and the actor in front stay exactly as they were shot.
Plate
Final
Plate
Final
Plate
Final
Paul Melluzzo is a creative director and technologist, and the founder of Omnislash Visual. His work brings together visual storytelling, design, and software development - from films and animation to apps and creative tools.
