Inside a suburban home, a family says goodbye to their pet cockatoo, Ferris as they head out for the day. As the front door closes Ferris kicks his cage door open with the swagger of someone who finally has the whole house to themselves. Ferris struts out of his cage and down to the couch, where the Foxtel remote lies. Through Foxtel’s new voice control capability, Ferris escapes into different TV shows and movies.

For Ferris, stepping out of his cage is like walking into a penthouse suite on the first day of summer vacation. He’s got the world at his feet, the wind under his wings, and the very best entertainment at his calling.

Fin’s digital creature team really got to stretch their wings on this one. We were tasked with creating, not just a photoreal animal, but a cheeky and relatable character. Nicknamed Ferris, after another lovable rogue who took a day off in the 1980s, our hero bird demanded the creation of bespoke feather grooming software, developed entirely in house, to massively accelerate the usually long simulation times associated with these creatures. By the end of this project’s (alarmingly) short schedule the team could animate, simulate and render a shot all within the space of a day.