BBC One Drama

Space Digital Scotland delivered over 150 visual effects shots for Vigil Series 3, the six-part BBC One drama produced by World Productions, which premiered on Sunday 30 August 2026.

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre, this time called to a remote Arctic research station in Svalbard, where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been found shot dead.

Working across five episodes, the Space team delivered explosions, gunfire, planes, helicopters and extensive environment work. The recurring challenge was location. With only limited time available to shoot on the archipelago itself, much of the series was filmed in Glasgow, Stirling, East Kilbride and Hamilton. Space artists then altered or replaced buildings, added snow and layered in distant mountains so that every scene reads as one remote arctic outpost. Footage from Svalbard was treated the other way round: buildings and even whole villages were digitally removed, including around the main science hub, to deepen the isolation at the heart of the show.

Marcus Wilson, Producer at World Productions, said: “Space Digital were brilliant partners on Vigil 3. From early conversations where we worked through the best approach to our environment work, to deep involvement in the filming and a creative postproduction process, they produced visual effects that supported our narrative and enhanced our story environment. My only disappointment is that they won’t get as much credit as they deserve, because so much of what they did was so seamless and credible that the viewer will never believe it wasn’t there.”

Matt Wood, Head of VFX, said: “Vigil 3 marks our formal expansion north of the border and we couldn’t have hoped for a better project to start with. World Productions tapped exceptional local talent who worked hard to accommodate the sometimes mysterious ways of VFX. It was a unique and rewarding collaboration, even extending to Space VFX artists directing drone shoots in Svalbard via live video call. As ever we hope audiences don’t notice what we did and enjoy their time in what appears to be a remote arctic outpost.”

The project marks Space Digital Scotland’s first involvement with the Vigil franchise. Further details of the work, including key sequences and behind-the-scenes assets, will be published here shortly.

Vigil Series 3 is available on BBC iPlayer, with episodes airing weekly on BBC One.