Axis Studios seamlessly merged VFX with stop motion animation across 1,350 shots for Aardman Animations’ latest feature, Early Man. The work included the film’s dramatic prologue, stadium shots, moody badlands, as well as water and fire FX – all the shots were completed over a 13 month period.

Set at the dawn of time, Early Man tells the story of a courageous caveman, Dug (Eddie Redmayne), and his best friend Hognob, as they unite their tribe against the villain, Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston). The pair go head-to-head in a winner takes all football match to save their home.

Axis were the main VFX department working on Early Man, with a team of over 50 people taking responsibility for the full workload – this included eight months of R&D and pre-production. The team used elements from the film’s physical, stop motion puppets and constructed environments around them, flawlessly integrating the puppets into the CG world. Axis also provided complementary render support and simulation expertise.