Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

How UNIT created a CG photoreal gorilla for Paramount+ drama Stags

14/01/2025

UNIT VFX supervisor Nuno Pereira tells TVBEurope about the work that went into creating an emotive CG gorilla called El Ni o

By Jenny Priestley

Published: January 14, 2025 Updated: January 15, 2025

UNIT VFX supervisor Nuno Pereira tells TVBEurope about the work that went into creating an emotive CG gorilla called El Ni o

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> UNIT VFX supervisor Nuno Pereira tells TVBEurope about the work that went into creating an emotive CG gorilla called El Ni o

https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/how-unit-created-a-cg-photoreal-gorilla-for-paramount-drama-stags title=Share via Email class=share-email>

Released by Paramount , Stags follows Stu, who heads to South America for his stag do with a group of his closest friends. But what they expect to be a fun-filled week takes a dark turn with the group sent to a lawless prison island run by two warring siblings.

Production company Eleven Film called on UNIT Film & TV to create El Ni o, a CG photoreal gorilla as well as CG environments for the series.

The producers wanted UNIT to enhance the live-action suit version of the gorilla that was used on set, VFX supervisor Nuno Pereira tells TVBEurope. We built a really strong team around the challenge and ended up creating a full CG asset which was used in most shots. In the end, together with Giancarlo Sanchez, the director, we felt this was necessary to bring a crucial character to life, which was vital to the visual storytelling.

El Ni o Pereira led the UNIT team which brought to life the gorilla's movements, fur, eyes and overall emotive performance.

Our team focused on achieving a photoreal and naturalistic look for El Nino, which involved incredibly detailed animation and accurate lighting, he continues. 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. As we started to develop this asset, and we were having rounds of feedback and dailies with the client, everyone realised that with so much work put into this asset to only have four shots, it would be a waste not to do more. So the shots and sequences, which included the CG version of the gorilla, quickly grew in number, scope and ambition.

The team carried out intensive background research work for both the look and development of the creature as well as its behaviour. Alongside many other sources of reference, we went to the extent of contacting a zoo to allow us to capture these amazing creatures in the closest way possible.

Creating realistic fur on screen can be notoriously difficult, traditionally the team at UNIT would use Houdini's fur tools but for Stags creature supervisor Aritz Basauri opted to use Maya and Yeti. Though we still did all the dynamics in Houdini, we had to develop proprietary tools and come up with a specific pipeline to manage the data back and forth between the applications without losing any detail, explains Pereira.

Another tricky part of the project was getting the gorilla to emote. After capturing the gorilla suit performance on set, the team felt it didn't provide enough range of motion and the performance wasn't quite right .

When you get that close, it's just not a real animal. The gorilla emotes only through its body language. But there's a really good mix of in-camera gorilla with full CG.

Our animation supervisor, Brett Margules, did an outstanding job in creating the baseline actions for walking, breathing, running and the facial expressions that were all very much grounded in real life gorillas. The animations for most shots then stemmed from that. We worked very closely for several weeks with the rigging team to ensure we had ample control over what we could do with the gorilla. However, we always kept true to what the real animal can do and made the conscientious decision to stick to that so we didn't create something that started to look unrealistic or like a movie character.

Pereira says it was important to create small, intricate details to help build realism, such as when the gorilla's hands land on the floor creating dust motes and changing the way his fur moves.

We go from the start where we experience the creature as a terrifying, brute force of nature and by the end of the sequence, people realise there is another side of El Ni o, and we only had 3 or 4 shots to make that happen, he adds. El Ni o realises that Gaucho is wounded and reaches out for the wound and then, really tenderly to him. This was the key moment where the gorilla connects with Gaucho and where the practical suit did not have enough range of motion to portray what the real gorilla does.

When we were on set, Javier, who plays Gaucho, started ad-libbing so all of these gestures that he's doing - none of those were scripted. Giancarlo and myself thought it was gold, and we could do a lot with it and that it could help inform the animation and the performance of the gorilla. So when Gaucho does something with his mouth, we have the gorilla mimicking him. This connection was really, really hard to achieve the look in the gorilla's eyes, as you were cutting directly to a human. It's really hard to just cut back-to-back sequences where you have real human emotion and then digital pixels.

In total the UNIT team worked on Stags for a total of 17 weeks, delivering both El Ni o and other visual effects across the series. In the end, from those initial four shots, the UNIT team delivered over 300 VFX shots across three episodes, states Pereira.
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/how-unit-created-a-cg-photor...
See more stories from tvb

More from TVB Europe

18/02/2025

Facing the future of 4D scanning

Clear Angle Studios is leading a quiet revolution in the art of 4D scanning. CEO, Dominic Ridley, tells TVBEurope about the tech behind their remarkable progres...

17/02/2025

How BBC Wales returned live to 1985

TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night By Jenny Priestley Published: February 14, 2025 ...

17/02/2025

Film studio tax relief programme gets underway in England

Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 17, 20...

17/02/2025

Empowering progress from within

As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...

14/02/2025

Stop-motion triumph

Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail By C...

14/02/2025

BitFire appoints Jim Akimchuk as CEO

BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration By Jen...

14/02/2025

Arena TV liquidators dismiss banks' defence as unsustainable'

The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021 By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 14, ...

13/02/2025

Opinion: what can OTT learn from social media?

Bleuenn Le Goffic, VP business transformation at Accedo, explores the opportunities available to video services through emulating social media models By Contri...

13/02/2025

Under pressure: How BT's MAUD is managing the distribution chain

The way content is consumed is changing, which means delivery infrastructures are being put under more and more pressure. BT's broadband engineering directo...

13/02/2025

Adobe releases beta version of Firefly Video Model

Generate Video, which is powered by the Firefly Video Model, can create video clips of up to five seconds in length from a text prompt or image By Jenny Priest...

13/02/2025

NEP Europe reorganises into three clusters to leverage strengths and share resources'

According to the company, the new structure will enable it to leverage its stren...

12/02/2025

Neural Performance Toolset, Robbie Williams as an ape, and The Penguin win at VES Awards

The annual awards celebrate global visual effects artists across a wide range of...

12/02/2025

Meet the VP international

Charlie Johnson, VP international at Digital Envoy, tells TVBEurope how early experience in sales was the perfect grounding for a role in media and entertainmen...

11/02/2025

Live cloud broadcasting: the future of media workflows

In its latest ebook, M2A Media explains how cloud solutions empower organisations to scale dynamically, automate complex processes simultaneously, and deliver s...

10/02/2025

Meet the director of post production

Adam Downey, director of post production at Sky, tells TVBEurope how seeing a harmonious team working to deliver a project is like watching a ballet By Matthew...

10/02/2025

Rai, RT, Riedel Networks join EBU's Security4Media association

The association aims to support the media technology industry by identifying vulnerabilities in media systems and solutions By Jenny Priestley Published: Feb...

10/02/2025

Amazon: court decision will not impact Prime Video users in Germany

A Dusseldorf court ruling on a patent dispute warned the company could face heavy fines By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 10, 2025 A Dusseldorf cour...

07/02/2025

Deadline extended for IBC2025 Technical Paper submissions

Participants now have an extra week in which to submit their synopses for the programme By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 7, 2025 Updated: February 1...

07/02/2025

BFI statistics show 3.4 billion UK high-end TV production spend

The HETV figures represent almost two thirds of the overall UK production spend By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 7, 2025 The HETV figures represent...

06/02/2025

Mind the gap: Perifery acquires Pixitmedia to expand post production capabilities

DataCore CEO Dave Zabrowski tells TVBEurope the deal will add the missing link ...

06/02/2025

Winners announced for Best of Show at ISE 2025 Awards

The TVBEurope category recognises broadcast-grade technology products on show in Barcelona By TVBEurope Staff Published: February 6, 2025 Updated: February...

05/02/2025

Inside IBC's innovation boom: what's powering the future of media?

Speaking exclusively to TVBEurope, four of its experts weigh in on the IBCs role in fostering innovation, the technological shifts on the horizon, and why sport...

05/02/2025

Meet the director of product marketing

Vincent Noyer, director of product marketing at LYNX Technik, tells TVBEurope how remaining engaged and proactive leads to opportunities for growth By Matthew ...

04/02/2025

Colourist Claudio Del Bravo on grading Queer

Explaining the process to TVBEurope, Del Bravo said the films look was inspired by the Technicolor three-strip' process, evoking the rich colours of early ...

03/02/2025

InterDigital initiates IP enforcement action against Disney

The company said it deserves fair compensation for its innovation, with the long-term success of the streaming industry for consumers and creators dependent on ...

03/02/2025

My ISE: Ciaran Doran previews the show

Ciaran Doran, chair of ISE 2025's AV Broadcast Summit, is looking forward to checking out traditional TV broadcast vendors' tailored products and servic...

03/02/2025

Barb: UK SVoD growth largely flat' in fourth quarter

The report included an ad tier estimate for Netflix, Disney and Amazon By Matthew Corrigan Published: February 3, 2025 Updated: February 10, 2025 The r...

31/01/2025

Blackmagic Design reveals customisable URSA Cine 12K camera

The URSA Cine 12K LF Body excludes shoulder mounts, handles, some lens mounts, battery plates, power supply, lenses and the high capacity 8TB media module By J...

31/01/2025

Anton/Bauer takes power outside with EDEN

EDEN aims to provide continuous power when operating in remote locations, and can be recharged using solar power By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 31, 2...

30/01/2025

Hotcam opens broadcast kit repairs and servicing department

The department will be overseen by Hotcams head of engineering, Hugo Santos By Jenny Priestley Published: January 30, 2025 The department will be overseen...

30/01/2025

FilmLight takes colour grading remote

The solution provides users with remote low latency colour grading as part of Baselight 6.0 By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 30, 2025 The solution p...

30/01/2025

Public opinion sought on Pinewood growth plans

Proposed expansion plans include new film stages and a data centre By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 30, 2025 Proposed expansion plans include new fi...

30/01/2025

MediaForEurope makes bid for Poland's TVN'

According to reports, MFE has submitted a non-binding bid to acquire news channels TVN24 and TVN24BiS By Jenny Priestley Published: January 30, 2025 Update...

29/01/2025

ARRI launches ALEXA 35 Base camera with flexible upgrade options

A suite of five licences can be purchased, upgrading the camera to meet specific requirements as needed By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 29, 2025 A ...

29/01/2025

Government considers extending UK TV Licence to streaming-only households

A range of options is reportedly under consideration ahead of the current Royal Charter periods ending in 2027 By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 29, 202...

28/01/2025

ARRI, Steadicam among Scientific and Technical Academy Award winners

As well as the 14 honours, the Academy is awarding an Oscar statuette to recognise all the individuals who have developed and supported captioning technology, ...

28/01/2025

Paramount bound' to Skydance deal

PRP has reportedly claimed the board is obligated to consider its revised offer, although the move has been described by one commentator as silliness By Matthe...

27/01/2025

ITN discovers rare 1960s live TV news bulletin

Cinelab Film & Digital restored the 16mm film, which is believed to have been captured by a film camera recording the film from a TV screen By Jenny Priestley ...

27/01/2025

Bridging the gap between AV and broadcast

TVBEurope catches up with Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events, to hear about how this year's ISE Show will incorporate broadcast tec...

27/01/2025

Late challenge reportedly reignites Paramount takeover saga

Investment group PRP is reportedly attempting to table a last-minute offer, claiming its previous proposal was not presented to shareholders by the Paramount bo...

24/01/2025

Raymond Yeung chosen as SMPTE standards vice president

Yeung took on the role on January 1st, and will continue to serve throughout this year By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 24, 2025 Yeung took on the r...

24/01/2025

DAZN wants to be the Spotify of sport'

According to reports, the streamers executives want to develop the company into a $200 billion media group, that would offer subscribers the equivalent of a Spo...

23/01/2025

Adobe aims to accelerate post production workflows with Premiere Pro updates

Using media intelligence (currently in beta), editors can search for the type of clip needed, and it will automatically recognise objects, locations, camera ang...

23/01/2025

Sony debuts new features ahead of BURANO v2.0 release

The upgrade will include additional recording modes, added support for SDI output, proxy recording and more By Matthew Corrigan Published: January 23, 2025 ...

23/01/2025

CoSTAR to open UK's first National R&D Lab for creative industries

Set to open next January, the facility will feature a 236 square metre sound stage, virtual production technology and a series of labs featuring spatial audio, ...

22/01/2025

Panasonic introduces four new 4K professional camcorders

Featuring IP connectivity, the cameras aim to provide an end-to-end solution for on-location filming, production and distribution By Matthew Corrigan Publish...

22/01/2025

AV and broadcast convergence ebook now available

ISE 2025: Technology Convergence is now free to access ahead of ISE 2025, and is jam-packed with features, interviews and product news By Jenny Priestley Pub...

21/01/2025

The devil's in the detail': industry reacts to UK DCMS funding boost

Media and entertainment business leaders across the UK have cautiously welcomed the announcement, while calling for continuing support By Matthew Corrigan Pu...

20/01/2025

Netflix approves Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF digital film camera

To qualify, cameras must meet capture requirements including dynamic range, codec, resolution and workflow compatibility By Matthew Corrigan Published: Janua...

20/01/2025

Best of Show at ISE 2025 deadline extended

Companies now have until January 24th to submit products for the annual awards By TVBEurope Staff Published: January 20, 2025 Updated: January 21, 2025 ...