“axisVFX did a fantastic job for us, delivering VFX work that blended beautifully with the look of our prehistoric and Bronze Age worlds – while working under very demanding pressure from our tight delivery dates,” adds Tom Barnes, technical director at Aardman Animations.

The work included the film’s dramatic prologue, epic stadium shots, the moody badlands, lava, fire and water effects.

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

As the main VFX studio on Early Man, axisVFX was responsible for the VFX work on 1,350 shots from start to end. Over 50 people were involved, contributing to eight months of R&D and pre-production before delivering on the final shot list. axisVFX used the stop-motion attributes of the film’s physical puppets and constructed environments in its work, seamlessly integrating Aardman’s CG and puppet worlds. Axis Studios’ Glasgow HQ also contributed, providing complementary render support and simulation expertise.

Early Man sees axisVFX continue its long-standing relationship with Aardman, with the studios having previously collaborated on Shaun the Sheep Movie and Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas. Howard Jones, co-founder and VFX supervisor at axisVFX, was also compositing lead on The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (a.k.a. The Pirates! Band of Misfits). With both studios based in Bristol, they enjoyed a constant creative dialogue on Early Man, meeting weekly to ensure the VFX and stop motion elements worked seamlessly as one.

Howard Jones, co-founder and VFX supervisor at axisVFX, comments: “Early Man provided axisVFX with an opportunity to further flex its skill set and experiment with new technology. It was also fantastic to once again work with Aardman. It’s great to see Bristol continue to grow as a creative hub and deliver amazing projects, supporting the broader UK industry as it does so.”