CHINA Edition
Hungarian Edition
In the background of many celebrated films lies the often invisible but essential work of visual effects. Few understand this better than Béla Klingl, founder of KGB Studio, a Budapest-based VFX and animation company that has quietly contributed to some of Hungary’s most acclaimed cinematic works. With a career spanning over two decades, Klingl and his team have worked on projects ranging from animated shorts to Oscar-winning features.
Their latest high-profile collaboration was with American director Sean Baker on Anora, a film that achieved remarkable success by winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This historic sweep not only underscored the film’s excellence but also highlighted the pivotal role of seamless visual effects in storytelling. In this interview, Béla Klingl discusses the evolution of his studio, the challenges of “invisible VFX,” and how Hungary fits into the international post-production landscape.
Budapest Reporter: What have been the most significant projects for KGB studio since its founding in 1999?
Béla Klingl: The studio’s been around for about 25 years now. One of our earliest big international moments came with “Maestro”, directed by Géza M. Tóth, about 20 years ago. It was an Oscar-nominated animated short.
We’ve worked on quite a few films since then. Right from the start, we were involved in György Pálfi’s early films, and continued collaborating with him later as well. We originally defined ourselves as an animation studio, but over time we ended up doing mostly VFX work. We did our own animated films and series too, but when it comes to live-action productions, some really notable ones include Ildikó Enyedi’s “On Body and Soul” (“Testről és lélekről”), which was not only Oscar-nominated, but also won the Golden Bear and a bunch of other awards. Then we also worked on her next film, “The Story of My Wife” (“A feleségem története”).
As for “Anora”, that also came to us through Ildikó. When Sean Baker visited Hungary for CineFest, he asked Ildikó who did the VFX on her film, and she recommended us. A few months later we got an email from Sean, and that’s how the collaboration started.
Budapest Reporter: What kind of VFX work did you do on Anora?
Béla Klingl: The big difference here was that we weren’t on set at all. Usually, we’re present during the shoot, especially for complicated or risky shots. But this time, everything happened remotely. Sometimes we’d get questions or photos from the set, asking for advice on how to film something so that it would work for post-production.
There’s a scene, for example, where a plane stops after landing. It was much cheaper to tow the plane with a car than using its engines and brakes. So they asked how to shoot that so the car could be removed later. That kind of thing.
This is what I call invisible VFX—when we have to remove or add things in a way that the viewer doesn’t even notice. It might be something like solving continuity issues between shots filmed at different times, replacing the sky so it matches between shots from different days, or making sure the background looks consistent.
We had regular Zoom calls with the director and producers several times a week after shooting ended, going through feedback and adjusting the shots accordingly.
Budapest Reporter: Did you have any idea early on that this film might become such a big success?
Béla Klingl: No, not at all. We knew Sean’s previous films, and we liked them, so it felt like a great opportunity to work with someone whose work we respected. But we also knew it was a low-budget indie film. I wouldn’t have guessed it would win the Palme d’Or or break records at the Academy Awards.
That really surprised us, especially since it wasn’t what you’d call a typical Oscar film—no big budget, no over-the-top emotional spectacle. When we work on a film, we usually only see a few scenes, not the entire film. Sometimes we get the script too, but that’s about it. It’s hard to predict anything at that stage. We just focus on the work itself, and I think even the director at that point is mainly focused on telling the story.
Budapest Reporter: You mentioned “invisible VFX”. I’m sure it’s difficult to explain and show the importance of the work you do to someone unfamiliar with post production. How do you deal with that?
Béla Klingl: On “Anora”, we had about 100 shots with VFX. But back on “On Body and Soul”, we had around 80. In that film, the lead character’s apartment was built in a studio. There was green screen behind the windows, and even the “exterior” scenes were studio setups. The whole background was added in post.
People would see our name in the credits and ask what we even did. That’s precisely the goal—if no one notices the VFX, then we did it right. It’s not about flashy CGI; it’s about integrating things so seamlessly that nothing feels off.
And this kind of work still takes months, especially because we’re a small studio. We don’t have hundreds of people working on these films.
Budapest Reporter: Is there a lot of competition between Hungarian studios for international VFX jobs?
Béla Klingl: Actually, not really. We recently worked on an American action movie where three Hungarian studios joined forces. Everyone has different specialties, and it’s more common that we collaborate than compete. We often divide the work based on expertise—some studios are stronger in certain types of effects than others.
Budapest Reporter: Hungary has become a well-established filming location in recent years. Do you see many productions coming here specifically for VFX?
Béla Klingl: That’s still pretty rare. Most of the productions shot here are large-scale and require complex VFX. In those cases, the director and post-production supervisors often continue working with major U.S. studios because it’s easier logistically. They want direct contact, in-person reviews, and so on. Also, the scale of VFX work on those projects is huge. There just aren’t enough VFX professionals in Hungary.
We’ve seen more demand in practical effects and makeup—things used directly on set. That makes sense because those elements have to be there during the shoot. VFX, on the other hand, comes later and takes a long time.
But we’re optimistic. Sean has already recommended us to other American indie directors, and we’re in talks with a few. There’s interest, and people are hearing that we did good work. Plus, compared to U.S. prices, we’re much more affordable. In independent films, the VFX budget is tiny—nothing like the 30–40% you see in blockbuster productions. So they need to be careful with every dollar, and we can help with that.
Budapest Reporter: You said there aren’t enough VFX professionals here for major productions. Do you think that’ll change as Hungary expands its film industry services?
Béla Klingl: There are training programs—I’ve even given lectures at some—but learning VFX or computer animation isn’t something you can do in a couple of months. You need at least six months of hands-on studio experience just to get started, and even then, you need to keep learning constantly on your own time.
New technologies pop up all the time. It takes years to become a really good VFX artist, and that’s the challenge.
