Editing Babylon 5 (section)

=== Visuals ===
{{See also|Babylon 5#Mastering problems}}
In anticipation of the emerging [[HDTV]] standard, rather than the usual [[4:3]] format, the series was shot in [[16:9]], with the image cropped to 4:3 for initial television transmissions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=20076 |title=We are shooting in 16:9 |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=September 22, 1993 |publisher=Midnight Design Productions, LLC |access-date=February 26, 2019 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111170407/http://www.jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=20076 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was one of the first television shows to use computer technology in creating [[visual effects]], rather than models and miniatures, primarily out of budgetary concerns; Straczynski estimated that each of their episodes cost {{USD|650,000}} to make, compared to the {{USD|1.5 million}} cost of each episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''.<ref name="newsarama 2019"/> The visual effects were achieved using [[Amiga]]-based [[Video Toaster]]s at first, and later [[Pentium compatible processor|Pentium]], [[Macintosh]], and [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]]-based systems using [[LightWave 3D]].<ref>{{cite web |date=18 January 1993 |author=Variety Staff |title=TV f/x take cue from movies |url=https://variety.com/1993/tv/news/tv-f-x-take-cue-from-movies-103031/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |quote=computer-generated under the supervision of Ron Thornton |access-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430193931/https://variety.com/1993/tv/news/tv-f-x-take-cue-from-movies-103031/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/effects.html |title=Babylon 5 Behind the Scenes: The Effects |date=August 12, 1997 |work=The Lurker's Guide To Babylon 5 |access-date=February 8, 2019 |archive-date=September 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060906094508/http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/effects.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The effects sequences were designed to simulate [[Newtonian physics]], with particular emphasis on the effects of inertia on the motion of spacecraft.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=20155 |title=Re: Physics of Babylon 5 |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=September 10, 1993 |website=JMSNews |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028170256/http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=20155 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Foundation Imaging]] provided the special effects for the pilot film (for which it won an Emmy) and the first three seasons of the show, led by [[Ron Thornton (visual effects designer)|Ron Thornton]]. After co-executive producer Douglas Netter and producer John Copeland approached Straczynski with the idea of producing the effects in-house, Straczynski agreed to replace Foundation, for season 4 and 5, once a new team had been established by [[Netter Digital]], and an equal level of quality was assured,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.babylonpodcast.com/tag/jms/ |title=Babylon Podcast #161: Interview with JMS, Part 1 |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |author-link=J. Michael Straczynski |date=June 16, 2009 |publisher=Babylon Podcast |access-date=November 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091109005352/http://www.babylonpodcast.com/tag/jms/ |archive-date=November 9, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> by using similar technology and a number of former Foundation employees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=11343 |title=Re: ATTN JMS: Foundation Imaging Collapse - Sinking into the sand? |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=September 11, 1996 |website=JMSNews |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028165514/http://jmsnews.com/messages/message?id=11343 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Emmy-winning alien make-up was provided by Optic Nerve Studios.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://makeupmag.com/optic-nerve-co-founder-john-vulich-dead-55/ |title=Optic Nerve Co-Founder John Vulich Dead at 55 |last=Nazzarro |first=Joe |date=October 17, 2016 |website=Make-Up Artist Magazine |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024091346/https://makeupmag.com/optic-nerve-co-founder-john-vulich-dead-55/ |url-status=live }}</ref>