For HBO’s Perry Mason, the showrunners wanted to take viewers back to Los Angeles of the 1930s, a time steeped in noir that fit the tone and style of the show perfectly. The only problem was that the Depression-era City of Angels no longer exists.

In order to turn back the clock on the setting of the show, HBO turned to Digital Domain. The VFX team, led by visual effects supervisor Mitch Drain, researched the look of the city as it was and compared it to the modern urban layout it is now. The team then worked to integrate the two as seamlessly as possible. New techniques brought all designs back to life, from the buildings to the streets to the iconic ‘Angels Flight’ cable-car, a once iconic vertical trolley that last operated in 1969.

The result was a show that has been praised by fans and critics alike, earning heavy award-buzz and a second season to continue the story of a detective walking the streets of old-time Los Angles that no longer exists.