Beasts Immersive Experience

For the 2024 Super-Natural exhibition at Chester Zoo, Flipbook Studio was tasked with creating an immersive, multi-screen digital experience called Beasts. The team took this opportunity to craft a stunning, 360-degree visual journey that transports visitors into the heart of the Beastlands universe, based on the popular novels by zoologist, children’s TV presenter, and acclaimed author Dr. Jess French.

Our role in this project went beyond traditional CGI and animation; we were responsible for the entire creative production process, across 14 huge projection displays—from conceptualisation to design and production. Our team worked closely with both Chester Zoo and author Jess French to ensure that the Beastlands world was brought to life in a way that captivates audiences of all ages.

The experience utilises floor and wall projections and immersive animation and visual effects. This approach allowed us to surround visitors with dynamic visuals designed to make the most of the space and make the viewer feel like they’ve stepped into another world. We designed the content on each screen to encourage visitors to walk around the space and discover new flora and fauna, with the odd jump scare thrown in for good measure.

We designed and developed three distinct ecosystems each with it’s own unique set of mythical creatures, adapted for life in each environment.

• The Silk Forest: A mystical woodland that grows on and around active lava fields, containing creatures adapted to the heat and humidity.
• Shivertips: A cold and treacherous ice-covered mountain landscape, where visitors encounter beasts adapted to this harsh environment.
• The Crystal Caves: A mesmerising subterranean world illuminated by glowing crystals and home to ancient and elusive creatures.

Through our creative use of CG animation and wall/floor projections, each of the environments we created invites visitors to step into a new world and experience the magic of Beastlands firsthand.

Take a look at some of the early concept art and creature design work we produced.

The immersive film experience has been widely praised by visitors and the media alike. If you have a project that requires our expertise in combining cutting-edge animation and film technology with immersive storytelling, then do reach out.