THE SECRET LIFE OF THE DIGITAL ZOO

In the latest Lemonade Spotlight we visit the FABLEfx Digital Zoo to get a closer look at the mysterious and varied wildlife that resides there. From pizza loving lions to bath-taking dolphins we explore each CG animal and what makes them unique with a closer look at how they were created by the folks at FABLEfx.

Before the tour commences we would like to give you an introduction to the team at FABLEfx and how the Digital Zoo started …

FABLEfx is a highly specialised vfx studio based in Stockholm working on a cloud based production line. CG animals and characters are what FABLEfx are most passionate about. This requires a long range of skilled artists that they’re proud of putting together. Not only can they meet demanding requests, but they can often do so on tight schedules.

A key feature is the development of their Digital Zoo containing cg animals ready for production. The Zoo currently contains over 100 animals of all breeds and shapes. Correct anatomy, fur, feathers, muscles - all vital features for the end result. Each animal is carefully researched and analyzed prior to asset build.

Over the years the team has earned the trust from clients such as AAA, Pizza Hut, VW, Mercedes, 3Mobile, Audi, Ferrero, Migros… On long format work they have delivered work for HBO, Netflix, Hulu and BBC.

BUILDING THE ZOO

All of the FABLEfx animals are carefully built with anatomically correct skeleton and muscle system. Without proper muscles the skin would not deform in a correct way when the animal moves, so this is an essential component for a high quality result.

Layer upon layer of fascia, fat, skin and hair complete the build, after which an extensive look development phase ensues. Fur and feather systems go through extensive simulation tests.

DANCING ON ICE - SPOT

The first stop on our tour is located in the northern part of the zoo in the icy snow fulled hills of the polar bear enclosure, where an unlikely friendship between a polar bear and a squirrel has blossomed over the shared love of ice-skating. Yes you heard that correctly, one of the zookeepers on an early Monday morning shift witnessed the pair dazzling the frozen lake with moves that would make Torvill and Dean blush. Nobody knows how the squirrel managed to break into the bear enclosure, some say he had help from the shifty penguins but one thing is for clear their shared love of Dancing On Ice is probably the only reason the squirrel is still alive…

FABLEfx Zookeeper - ‘When we saw last years Dancing On Ice trailer our immediate thoughts were "wow, really cool and definitely something we at FABLEfx would love to have been a part of!" So saying we were heads over heels when we were approached this year would be a huge understatement. After seeing the witty animatic we both saw it's huge potential but also how much more advanced and challenging this would be. With some additional water and ice VFX help by our friends at ILP, we must say we think this turned out pretty awesome.”

The zoo informed us that they now do ice-skating workshops with a mixture of the zoo animals, with hopes of one day entering a pair into the Winter Olympics.

CLARENCE THE LION - PIZZA HUT - TVC

We now make our way over to the Pizza Hut shack located in the eastern part of the zoo, where Clarence the Lion resides and after years of chomping on CGI deer he’s now swapped to a meat free pizza diet. The zookeepers have spent thousands of pounds on Pizza Hut delivery just to keep up with Clarence’s pizza obsession.

Actor and part-time lion tamer Parker J Patterson also provides Clarence with his daily pizza top-up, we understand Clarence might have tried eating him on a couple of occasions but his lust for pizza always outweighs the taste of human.

Clarence had this to say “Do I ever feel like he might be lunch? No, not really we’ve got a bond that goes beyond the fact he feeds me pizza, one day I would like to grab a drink with him or even go to see The Lion King at musical.”

COZY THE GORILLA - PETA - TVC

THE FABLEfx Digital Zoo is also here to make important messages to help inform and educate people, like the PETA Freedom campaign. Directed by Jesper Ohlsson and in collaboration with Chapel Films, the campaign was created during lockdown and uses the universal language of music, namely Queen, to convey the heart-rending emotions of Cozy, who resides in a zoo.

“Just as COVID-19 was spreading with daily bad news and an industry in lockdown, we received a request from PETA Germany. They wanted to create a new memorable message about Gorillas in captivity”, says Kaj Steveman, Creative Producer at FABLEfx.

AAA - GOPHER - TVC

The next stop on our tour we head over to the AAA Gopher

LAMBI - SUBSTAINABLE SOFTNESS - TVC

We now make our way over to the mystical woods to visit one of the Digital Zoo’s most mysterious inhabitants, Lambi the lamb. The inquisitive animal was a joy for the the team at FABLEfx to work on with the marketing team at Lambi and Hasan & Partners and director Guy Aslan all sharing the same fantastical vision.

The lamb does however have a bad habit of entrancing a lot of the visitors and zoo staff and on some nights they find people who have tried broking into the Digital Zoo to rest along side the animal and gaze at the stars.