Given that Zack Snyder is the same filmmaker that made 300, it should come as little surprise that much of what we saw in this year’s superhero smackdown Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was created in a computer. Indeed, a new visual effects breakdown reel has surfaced online that shows off some of the extensive effects work, and how Snyder blended practical elements with CG effects to result in the finished product.

It’s interesting to see scenes like Jesse Eisenberg standing on a rooftop towards the end of the film, and realize that that was just Eisenberg standing in front of a big green screen with a heavy fan blowing on him. Indeed, many of the set photos throughout the production of Batman v Superman were simply the principal actors on soundstages full of green screen. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, and Snyder has certainly proved his talent at blending visual effects with real world environments to create thrilling aesthetics. Despite all the criticism thrown his way, Snyder sure knows how to craft a visually dynamic palette. And with 300, he showed he could do this with all green screen and no real-world environments, so seeing some actual practical explosions or real locations in this footage is a nice surprise.

This reel was likely created in connection with Warner Bros.’ Oscar push for the film in the Best Visual Effects race, but unfortunately Batman v Superman was cut from the shortlist last week along with Deadpool, Suicide Squad, X-Men: Apocalypse, and most shockingly Warcraft. That leaves Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange as the sole superhero contenders left in the Visual Effects race, and the Best Visual Effects branch will consider the 10 shortlisted films in due time before its whittled down to the final nominees in January.

For now, take a look at the Batman v Superman VFX video below from Scaline Effects.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE - Scanline VFX Shot Breakdowns Reel from ScanlineVFX on Vimeo.

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Image via Clay Enos
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Image via Clay Enos
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Image via Warner Bros.
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Image via Warner Bros.