Why Does 'Masters Of The Air' Feel So Real? Incredible Special Effects Explained

How did "Masters of the Air" manage to produce such a realistic feeling during its combat scenes?

The WWII series about American bomber crews hammering the Germans in Europe has turned into a massive hit since its premiere, and every single new episode tends to set the internet on fire.

It's a must-watch series for anyone who loves history and WWII stories. One of the big things I wondered is how the hell it looks so real.

The answer isn't as complicated as you might think.

"Masters of the Air" uses a lot of awesome special effects.

"Ten years ago, the technology wasn’t there. And we really needed the technology to be there for us to simulate all of these planes in the air doing these very dramatic sequences," producer Gary Goetzman explained to NBC News.

Well, the technology exists now, and not only did it work well, the combat scenes are downright incredible. How did that happen? Turns out that there were several moving pieces. 

"Over the last 60 years, we have used blue screens and green screens. And now using AI, we are able to automatically generate the [images] without the need of a green or blue screen. It’s known as AI rotoscoping, and it’s all come about in the last two years," Stephen Rosenbaum, a two-time Academy Award winner visual effects artist, told NBC News when talking about how technology has changed.

Not only has technology changed, but a set was built to make the cast feel as realistic as possible, including screens mimicking flak fire.

"We built these giant LED walls. … One was a horseshoe-shaped wall and we played back the previz [pre-visualization] we had created, so when the actors were looking out the windows they can see planes flying by, flak exploding, [and] it allowed them to actually respond and know where to look," Rosenbaum further explained.

There you have it, folks. They combined new technology with a setup to try to mirror the real thing the best they could. I guess that explains why the acting scenes in the plane are so well done.

"Masters of the Air" is definitely worth your time.

You're really missing out if you're not already watching the Apple TV+ series. I have a very high standard for great entertainment, and it easily exceeds it.

It's one of the best shows ever made and one of the best war stories ever told. It's not as great as "Band of Brothers," but I would give it the slight edge over "The Pacific."

"Masters of the Air" is an incredible series. (Credit: Apple TV+)

It's unbelievably brutal and violent, which is exactly what it was like for the actual bomber crews in WWII. They had to face heavy German flak and fighters while flying in what was essentially a tin can armed with machine guns.

It was nothing short of a miracle to hit the 25 mission benchmark alive and not wounded.

"Masters of the Air" brings the intensity and danger of the situation to life in a way I've never seen before for a movie about the air war. Definitely check it out, and hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.