I served as Creative Director and 3D Lead for the official reveal of Tazuni, the mascot for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023. This project involved a complex mix of character animation, realistic environment simulation, and 2D/3D integration.

FIFA needed a high-energy reveal trailer for Tazuni, a fun, football-loving penguin based on the species endemic to Australia and New Zealand. The brief was to create a narrative-driven piece where Tazuni discovers her love for the game on a beach before stepping onto the world stage.

I was tasked with the Creative Direction and the complete oversight of the 3D production pipeline. The goal was to deliver a character that felt tangible and alive, placed within a stadium environment that matched the grandeur of a World Cup event.

Jeremy Mansford and I were involved in the design of the mascot from the very start. Our focus went beyond just aesthetics; we needed to ensure Tazuni was not only visually appealing to a global audience but also mechanically functional. We refined her proportions and design to guarantee she could authentically perform all the complex footballing actions and tricks we wanted her to achieve in the final animation.

Stadium Atmosphere: Creating a believable stadium environment was the technical anchor of the project. We needed to nail the specific "floodlight look", that unique, slightly hazy, high-contrast lighting seen in evening matches, along with realistic grass that could withstand close-up camera moves.

Hybrid Aesthetics: Directed by Jeremy Mansford, the 2D animated segments needed to transition seamlessly into my 3D sequences. The look development (lookdev) had to strike a balance between a stylized mascot design and a stylised 3d version of the 2d world.

Character Motion: As a penguin playing football, Tazuni’s movement had to be physically grounded yet characterful. We couldn't rely on generic motion capture; the football tricks had to be authentic to the sport.

Live-Action Reference: To ensure the football skills looked authentic, I filmed a professional football player performing the specific tricks scripted for Tazuni.

Internal Pacing Guide: I edited this footage into a tight narrative guide. This served as an internal blueprint for the team, giving our animators a frame-accurate reference for weight and timing to ensure the hand-keyed animation felt grounded and realistic without relying on motion capture.

Look Development & Lighting: I personally handled the lookdev and lighting, building a custom setup to replicate the harsh, multi-source glare of stadium floodlights. This involved heavy volumetric lighting to create that "big game" atmosphere.

Grading: As the lead on grading, I unified the color palette, ensuring the transition from the sandy beach (warm, natural light) to the stadium (cool, electric blue tones) felt emotive and cohesive.

Official Reveal Trailer: A high-fidelity animated film used across FIFA’s global channels to introduce Tazuni to the world.

Social & Broadcast Assets: High-res stills and cut-downs for various media formats.

I bridge the gap between "Creative Director" and "Technical Specialist." I don't just dream up the visuals; I build the pipelines to achieve them.

Authentic Animation: I use real-world reference to ground even the most stylized characters in reality.

Atmospheric Lighting: I specialize in lighting that tells a story, turning empty 3D environments into cinematic stages.

Full Pipeline Oversight: From the initial edit to the final color grade, I ensure the creative vision remains consistent through every step of production.

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