Stags – CG Gorilla Breakdown
Details
The production of STAGS saw UNIT’s new Film & TV VFX Team working closely with the talented team at Eleven Film - the contribution was vital to the visual storytelling, delivering 300 VFX shots across three episodes.
UNIT assembled a dedicated, specialist CG Creature Team to bring to life a crucial element of the series - a Photoreal CG representation of a real Gorilla. This team included Animators, Modellers, CG Generalists for Lighting, Compositors, and VFX Supervisors to bring the most realistic performance to the screen.
UNIT’s VFX Supervisor Nuno Pereira led the VFX Supervision and the creation of the Gorilla ‘El Niño’ working to enhance the most realistic fur, movements, eyes and overall emotive performance from the CG creature.
A second skilled, senior team excelled in clean-up and invisible VFX work, ensuring seamless integration of effects across all scenes.
The total production period spanned 17 weeks and kicked off last year.
International distribution of STAGS is handled by Sony Pictures Television, expanding its reach to global audiences eager for fresh and thrilling content. STAGS is exclusively available on Paramount+ in the UK.
Nuno Pereira, UNIT VFX Supervisor said: "Working on 'STAGS' was an exciting challenge, particularly bringing the CG Gorilla to life. Our team focused on achieving a photoreal and naturalistic look, which involved incredibly detailed animation and accurate lighting. We aimed to ensure the creature felt integral to the story, blending seamlessly with the live-action elements and enhancing the overall tension and drama of the series."
Amanda Luckwell, UNIT Cofounder said: "We couldn’t be prouder to launch our new UNIT Film & TV VFX division with a hugely talented team of creature, character and environmental VFX artists. Our most recent work creating the CG creature in 'STAGS' required meticulous attention to detail. The complex Gorilla ‘El Niño’ fits seamlessly into the VFX environments we also brought to life, with seamless scene transitions - whereby our goal was to enhance the narrative without drawing attention away from it. The process was extensive, but it allowed us to create a truly emotive CG character and a variety of VFX environments that really elevated the storytelling."