Simon Percy from Little Shadow talks to TVBEurope about how the animation studio used a mobile virtual production setup to create a VFX shark lab for the second season of the Disney series
By Jenny Priestley
Published: July 1, 2024 Updated: July 2, 2024
Simon Percy from Little Shadow talks to TVBEurope about how the animation studio used a mobile virtual production setup to create a VFX shark lab for the second season of the Disney series
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Simon Percy from Little Shadow talks to TVBEurope about how the animation studio used a mobile virtual production setup to create a VFX shark lab for the second season of the Disney series
https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/taking-a-bite-out-of-the-vfx-for-shark-attack-360 title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Arrow Media's Shark Attack 360 returns for a second season this week, as it investigates why sharks bite people.
The show uses cutting-edge VFX technology to analyse data and understand, in forensic detail, the reasons behind shark attacks.
The producers worked with Little Shadow to create the effects for the series. Simon Percy, director at Little Shadow, talks to TVBEurope about the company's work on the show.
How did Little Shadow get involved with Shark Attack 360? We first worked with Arrow Media on Season One of Shark Attack 360. We were brought in later in the production to work on a series of visual effects clean-ups, blood augmentation, and experiment explainers. We managed to complete these tasks in an expedient manner over the Christmas period and must have made an impression with the Arrow Media team because, in May 2023, we received a call to pitch on all the CGI in season two.
It was clear from the outset that Arrow Media had big ambitions for series two and really wanted to raise the bar. So, our initial task was to deliver a pitch that would meet expectations and then exceed them. Being all about the visuals, we created a 2-minute sizzle reel and a series of bespoke images and dev films that showed the scope of our vision. We were elated that our ambition was rewarded and we were brought onto the Arrow Media team and made welcome.
What were you tasked with? We were tasked with developing and delivering the visual effects for the series, including creating realistic and interactive virtual sharks, integrating them into a hybrid virtual production setup, and ensuring a smooth production pipeline that could handle the project's demands.
From the start executive Producer, Nick Metcalfe and series producer, Laura Offer made it clear that there needed to be a new post/VFX pipeline that would not only create greater flexibility within the Lab but enable more impressive cinematic shark encounters. Linked to that was the desire to make a more immersive presenter/collaborator experience within the Lab by enhancing its use to explain and investigate the attacks. And finally, enable the shoot and post process to become more efficient, avoiding pickup, shot redos or delays in seeing previs in the edits.
Challenge accepted!
How did you go about delivering that? From the outset, our desire was to have a digital replica of our shoot location and from the moment that was chosen - we leapt into action. One of our trusted partners, Lidar Lounge captured a lidar scan of the set to create a 1:1 replica of the multi-level structure to allow shot planning, previs and final shots to be crafted ahead of the shoot and commencing edits.
We generated a pipeline using our hybrid virtual production technology. This method did not involve a full LED volume but instead used our bespoke virtual production setup, including camera tracking, live green screen keying, monitoring and recording in one box. Bringing all the high-end VP tools to bear, allowing augmented AR elements, such as our sharks, into the live scene in real-time.
Intricate planning with the DoP, director, and producers was critical to pre-visualise each sequence ahead of shooting, giving us a clear 3D template for every scene while maintaining flexibility for adjustments on the fly. This is where our mobile VP setup came into its own, it allowed the previs to inform lighting and camera setups well ahead of the shoot, meaning shot setups were incredibly quick. But more importantly, it gave Diva a comfort screen displaying the sharks and other key props accurately into frame in real-time, ensuring correct eye lines and appropriate heights for hand gestures and pointing.
This process allowed framing of shots and the takes to be set up and run through rapidly. We could easily capture the raw clean footage, a matte pass and a composite of the scene with the sharks and props. This enabled the rushes and full-scene composites to be edited within minutes of the turnover of the camera cards. A major benefit was ensuring all the material was shot correctly, eliminating the need for reshoots and avoiding the long wait for 3D compositions that typically follow weeks after the shoot. Double tick against the brief's challenge.
One of our desires was to enhance the energy, realism, and motion of the sharks. We spent considerable time improving the detail and accuracy of the shark models. This included retexturing, re-topologising and adding a new animation rig that allowed for a greater range of subtle motions. We created new mouth, jaw, and eye controls layered on top of a soft body system to simulate the near-cloth-like movement of shark skin during violent movements. Additionally, we developed a particle simulation system to generate bubbles through the gills and mouths during attacks.
Our work began with the great white shark, focusing on the mouth region to ensure accurate animation of its distinctive overbite. We needed to balance the jaw's movement with the anatomical structure of th
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 GAMES PROGRAM
Tribeca Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary With World Premieres and Pl...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
MADONNA BRINGS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CONFESSIONS II TO 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL
The Global Icon Will Unveil a Cine...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
Simon Percy from Little Shadow talks to TVBEurope about how the animation studio used a mobile virtual production setup to create a VFX shark lab for the second season of the Disney series
