Go Explore with Andy Day

Research & Development

Once the core themes and structure for the films was established, we could begin research into the visual style and develop a consistent look throughout all 6 films. Leaning in to the video game-like nature of the content, we chose a vibrant, low-poly aesthetic for the films that would allow us to create large 3D environments quickly, whilst still maintaining a striking, familiar and visually appealing look to the films for the audience.

Pre-visualisation

With the visual style and concept in place, we built out animatics and 3D pre-vis sequences inside Cinema 4D to map out Andy’s journey through these virtual worlds. These pre-vis sequences not only meant we had a head-start once the edits were complete, they also became an essential tool on set – guiding shot sizes, framing, Andy’s eye-lines, and even the movements & pacing during his performance.

Filming & Green Screen Production

Filming took place in MediaCityUK at Dock10, in one of their fantastic green screen studios. We captured Andy’s performance with a Blackmagic URSA at 8K, giving us incredible colour depth and resolution (a real priority when doing chroma keying) and maximum flexibility in post – allowing for reframing, and punch-ins without losing resolution. During filming, we had the 3D pre-vis sequences on hand to guide Andy’s performance, the framing of shots, and to work out timings throughout filming. Our team also VFX-supervised throughout the shoot to ensure the green screen footage captured was of the highest quality, and that any issues during compositing were kept to a minimum.

Building the Worlds

Back in the studio, we continued to build the environments in Cinema 4D, layering in textures, lighting, and dynamic elements to bring each scene to life, alongside a cast of original & colourful characters, creatures, and aliens that guided or interacted with Andy & the young audience throughout the adventures. Faux-game UI elements were developed to reinforce interactivity, gamify the experience, and help encourage the audience to join in with actions, dances, and challenges. During this stage, the edits of each film were also used to refine and time all the 3D sequences, so that when it came to the final compositing, everything would line up perfectly both from a timing and position perspective.

Post Production & Compositing

Once the 3D worlds were ready and edits fully locked, we could then move on to final compositing within Fusion and DaVinci Resolve. This involved building out a node-based approach to keying to make sure Andy felt like he was truly standing, swimming or flying through each 3D environment. Clean plates captured on the day were used to improve matte quality along with separately tweaked inner, head/hair and fine outer keys, contact shadows where needed, and a light wrap added to blend the backgrounds with Andy more convincingly.

Collaboration & Iteration

Throughout the whole process, we worked closely with our production partners Craftwork Media, the BBC and the series director, iterating quickly and sharing previews for feedback via Frame.io. This close collaboration ensured that the films were of the highest quality, that the balance of education and entertainment was spot on, and that Andy’s performance matched the 3D worlds and characters we’d created.

Now you know a bit more about how we made the films, check out our favourite from the series “Snap the Shark” in full below…