PROJECT RUNNING HORSE
CLIENT: CREATURE EFFECTS INC.
Problem:  With millions of dollars invested on an actor's ability to complete a project, how does a studio ensure safety, repeatability, & reliability when introducing an unpredictable element like animals?

Solution:  Eliminate the unpredictable element from the equation and design an anatomically & anthropomorphically correct substitute.

The true challenge of this project was Creature Effects Inc. informing us that in 21 days, the completed horse needed to be on a plane for New Zealand.  Within the first few hours we developed a concept model & motion study to determine the best plan of attack.  By the end of the fourth day, completing and validating the virtual model, we began the mechanical fabrication & finishing process.  Seven days later, Datum3 delivered the completed running horse to Creature Effects’ art department for cosmetic completion.

The initial project was designed for Walt Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”.  Since it’s return, Creature Effects Inc. has continued to utilize the horse in various commercials and feature film projects.

One memorable appearance was featured during Super Bowl XXII.  In an advertisement promoting Vitaminwater, Shaquille O’Neal is a jockey in a horse race, ultimately winning by “his own” nose.