The key objective of our VFX was to seamlessly blend the real world of the film, with the CGI world of the hyenas. To create empathy for our child, we kept VFX as realistic as possible. We ‘cast’ each hyena based on a real-world counterpart, and shot safari-park footage to inform their actions on camera. This ensures the hyenas look photo-real, and their mannerisms are true to behaviour in their natural habitat. On location we shot with a life-size taxidermy model to accurately light scenes. Each hyena was built from the inside out in post-production. A big challenge was accurately establishing the hyenas in quick shots to dramatise the peril our child feels. So we focused on specific actions that conveyed their menacing nature without feeling gratuitous or fantastical. This helps connect viewers to our child’s experience, irrespective of their own experience of anxiety.