Spectacularly constructed realities abound in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. From the pier of Prohibition era Atlantic City to Jimmy Darmody’s physically impossible beach house to Jack Harrow’s war-ravaged face, Boardwalk Empire’s use of visual effects is startling and innovative. While filmmaking has always relied on technical innovation to give the audience the new experiences they crave, the computer-assembled truth of such a character-driven period piece breaks new ground both in production-driven narrative as well as what the audience anticipates seeing. A pioneer in what could be called the “soap opera meets action movie,” Boardwalk Empire raises audience expectations as to what is considered “real” as well as what the very definition of television is today. This paper explores the implications of the visual effects and storytelling in Boardwalk Empire as well as its effect on the audience’s perception and processing of the narrative.
About the presenterEileen White
Eileen White is an award-winning filmmaker whose films have been exhibited at numerous festivals. Currently, she is working on a documentary about the reunion of the British band, The Libertines and a text on teaching film production. She currently teaches film history and production at Queensborough Community College.