Move comes shortly after creation of virtual production division

Stags Paramount+ Unit VFX (1)

Unit has launched a film and TV VFX division, with its first project being six-part Paramount+ drama Stags.

The new film and TV VFX division is led by Unit co-founder Amanda Luckwell, whow will be working with a number of longform artists including VFX supervisor Nuno Pereira, who joined earlier this year, as well as a mix of CG creatures, environments and fluids specialists. There are over 20 VFX artists in the business unit.

The film and TV division sits alongside Unit’s dedicated film & TV picture post department led by Louise Stevenson and the Unit advertising department. Unit also launched a virtual production division last month.

Stags Paramount+ Unit VFX (2)

The first project for the unit involved creating a CG photoreal gorilla and CG environments for Eleven Film production Stags. Stags follows the story of Stu (played by Nico Mirallegro), who heads to South America for his stag do with a group of his closest friends, but but their trip takes a dark turn when they are sent to a lawless prison island run by two warring siblings. 

Unit produced over 300 VFX shots over 17 weeks for the show, which feature across three episodes. Pereira led the team to enhance the most realistic movements, fur, eyes and overall emotive performance from the CG gorilla, while a second team completed other invisible VFX work.

Stags Paramount+ Unit VFX (1)

Pereira 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.”

Luckwell 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.”