Twentieth Century Fox’s Marmaduke presented us with a unique set of challenges – mostly centred on the loveable hound himself.

The eponymous canine’s jowly features meant we had to pull out all the lighting and compositing stops to keep everything in line whatever scrapes – and awkward positions – he got into.

Getting this right is even more tricky than a full CG head replacement – our work had to blend seamlessly with the rest of the dog’s movements, right down to the texture of the fur.

We got round the problem by drawing on our own proprietary software and custom-building tools. We used these to transpose actor Owen Wilson’s facial tics and idiosyncrasies onto Marmaduke’s face – creating a unique synergy between the voice talent and his animated character.

The project, which saw us complete 650 shots in 11 months, was our third canine-themed job to date, following Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Underdog.