From director Paul Greengrass and inspired by real events, The Lost Bus is a white-knuckle ride through one of America’s deadliest wildfires as a wayward school bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) and a dedicated school teacher (America Ferrera) battle to save 22 children from the terrifying inferno.

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On The Lost Bus, our team helped chart the fire’s path from the earliest previs through to 161 final shots, building a highly accurate digital twin of Paradise in Unreal Engine to plan the action, fire behaviour, lighting and camera movement. When real fires shut down aerial photography, the production shifted to full-CG sequences, with our beloFX team creating everything from sweeping firefighting-plane shots to the claustrophobic traffic jams on the ground.

From an "Ember Cam" to extensive fire, smoke and wind simulations, our team worked closely with Production VFX Supervisor Charlie Noble to balance Greengrass' signature documentary-style authenticity with cinematic storytelling — replacing entire environments while grounding every moment in the cast’s performance and the terrifying, fast-moving reality of the event.

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Learn more about our work:

befores & afters: 
Take a VFX Ride on The Lost Bus
 

VFX Voice: 
beloFX Boards The Lost Bus for its Harrowing Trial By Fire