SHARK ATTACK 360
How Little Shadow and Arrow Media created a ground breaking series for National Geographic
It was clear from the outset that Arrow had big ambitions for S2 and really wanted to raise the bar
Our initial task was to deliver a pitch that would meet expectations and then exceed them. Being all about the visuals, we created a 2-minute sizzle reel and a series of bespoke images that encapsulated our vision. It did the trick. In a thrilling collaboration with Arrow Media, Little Shadow took on the ambitious task of creating the visual effects (VFX) for “Shark Attack 360,” an 8-part series for Sharkfest 2024.
This series, lead by acclaimed marine biologist, Diva Amon dives deep into the world of shark bites, with her team of specialists, investigating and unravelling the mysteries behind these fascinating, yet fearsome creatures.
Pre-Production
The shoot took place at the iconic Collin’s Music Hall in Islington, London. This multi-storey, underground rotunda, though unfinished, provided the perfect brutalist backdrop for the series. To ensure unrestricted movement through the location, Little Shadow collaborated with Lidar Lounge to create a detailed create a 1:1 replica Lidar scan of the space. This digital twin served as the foundation for planning every shot in intricate detail. Then, in our studio in Farringdon, London, we dedicated two weeks prior to the shoot to meticulously plan each and every shot for the eight episodes with Director, Martin Cass who had a great eye for detail and pre-planning.
This meant that when it came to shooting, everyone including Diva knew what they needed to be doing. As a result of this pre-planning, we ended up finishing early on the last day! It also meant that during post-production, we could present the artists with a clear vision for each shot, avoiding the need to interpret scripts or rough storyboards hastily drawn on the back of a piece of paper.
On-Set
On set, the A camera was a Sony FX9 with a Zeiss suite of CP.3 XD lenses, supported by Ncam camera tracking (now ZEISS CinCraft Scenario). Two additional FX6 cameras served as the B and C cameras. A large greenscreen at one end of the location acted as a portal to the ocean and other environments, real-time composites with sharks swimming around Diva and her team.
The raw camera footage, along with camera tracking data, was processed through Little Shadow’s on-set VP Box, allowing live matte passes and composites of Diva with keyed backgrounds, sharks, and props to be recorded on every take. This enabled the creation of sequence edits, including composites, within hours of the shoot, allowing for quick review by executives and the channel.
Post-Production
Once into Post the shots were turned over to us and we were unleashed into a well organised process of shot turnarounds. In post-production, Little Shadow seamlessly blended real-world photography with the digital twin of the lab, staying true to the original brief.
The lab scenes featured a variety of environments, from the open ocean to murky riverbeds, shipwrecks, and even views of the Earth and Moon. These elements played a pivotal role in the investigation process, creating a versatile space where Diva, her team, and the digital sharks could coexist.
Hear from the team
"When Arrow Media won a re-commission from National Geographic for Shark Attack 360 we had big ambitions and vision and wanted expert guidance on how to realise them. We threw it open to some of the biggest names in the VFX business. From their opening pitch Little Shadow blew us away with their creativity, commitment, and willingness to over-deliver brilliantly realised virtual life-sized sharks swimming around our presenter in our ‘360 Lab’. And using state-of-the-art gaming technology gave wings to our creative ambition - allowing the presenter, and the camera operators, to interact perfectly with the digital predators. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to work with them which I hope will be sooner than later. "
"Little Shadow’s contribution to Shark Attack 360 has been transformative. At the heart of our series lies the VFX 360 Shark Lab, where life-sized sharks gracefully swim alongside our presenters and experts, forming the investigative backbone of the show and educating our audience about these magnificent creatures. From day one Little Shadow grasped our vision with enthusiasm, offering innovative ideas to bring our shark lab to life in ways that surpassed our expectations. Working closely with their team has been enjoyable and creatively stimulating. They proposed groundbreaking in camera VFX techniques which was creatively liberating. It allowed us to attempt shots and camera moves we’d have never dreamt of shooting more traditionally. It was Little Shadow’s constant desire to make every VFX scene the best it could be that makes our 360 Shark Lab something quite special. It's a series I am personally immensely proud of and that is thanks in no small part to Little Shadow. "
"We worked with the hugely impressive team at Little Shadow for the second series of Shark Attack 360 (NatGeo / Disney+/ Hulu) and were blown away from pitch through to delivery. It was a hugely collaborative experience in which our ambitions for the series were often exceeded. Little Shadow are always across cutting edge technology and in their capable hands, deliver VFX far beyond the budget. I can’t wait to work with them again."
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the entire team at Arrow Media Intl. for giving us the immense trust and creative freedom to play.
Produced by Arrow Media
- Executive Producer
- Nick Metcalfe
- Showrunner
- Laura Offer
- Producer / Director
- Martin Cass
- VFX Producer
- Matthew Chancellor
- Line Producer
- Sarah Smith
VFX by Little Shadow
- VFX lead
- Lucas Zoltowski
- Creative leads
- Simon Percy
- Caroline Phasey
- Senior VFX Producer
- Amber Woodcock
- Production Coordinator
- Hamish Macleod
- VFX Artists
- Greg Cox
- Caroline Phasey
- Garry Brown
- Kirk Smith
- Andrew Eadington
- Koen Vissers
- Kim Watts
- Elaine Sprankle
- Bjørn Sørensen
- Devin Buzzarello
- Eleana Gabriel
- Eddy Idris
- Ben Walker
- VFX Technology Support
- Jorj Aleem