Take a long, meditative journey through Ontario's stunning scenery and historically rich environments in this collection of slow documentaries. From the historic Rideau Canal in Ottawa to the mighty waters of the Niagara River, and from the picturesque waters of the Bruce Peninsula shoreline to an unforgettable journey aboard Northern Ontario's Train 185, this TVO Original series features mesmerizing boat rides, bird's-eye views, and train journeys. (tvo.org)

ELECTRIC SQUARE added photorealistic vfx to this relaxing journey down the French River. We took on adding a CG float plane to the opening shot, to a stunning journey under the river's surface to visit the interior of a beaver lodge, to fully re-creating a company logging town. We loved opportunity to create long, luxurious animations.

A spectacular new series from The Nature of Things. Journey deep into nature to discover how animals use sound in extraordinary ways to hunt, find a mate and survive. (cbc.ca)

ELECTRIC SQUARE took on the challenge of actualizing the invisible world of sound, creating a visual language across the series. We worked closed with the directors to create images that would be elegant, informative, and integrate in a variety of environments. We also got to nerd out over actual field-captured data that we used to drive certain sections of the animations where scientific accuracy was priority.
Bees, gibbons, elephants, and more. All these creatures have a special way of using sound, and it was up to us to show what it might look like.

Anthony Morgan shines a light where the sun doesn’t usually shine. Why we have butts, how they evolved and how to keep yours healthy. (cbc.ca)

ELECTRIC SQUARE creating a tonne of graphics for this fun and informative film for The Nature of Things. A lot of the work we did was to artfully bridge the concepts between the humour and serious science of this delicate subject And we never once resorted to a peach emoji!

You, Forever is a hybrid film that incorporates documentary and dark comedy fantasy fiction. Robert Ettinger - the 'father of cryonics' - speaks candidly about his life’s work while his patients experience an unnatural existence in suspended animation. (youforeverfilm.com)

ELECTRIC SQUARE worked very closely with producer / director Brenda Kovrig to design and create the frozen forest world of Ettinger's cryonics afterlife.
As the story takes place over multiple locations and with multiple camera setups, our digital world needed to be versatile and elaborate enough to handle a large volume of green screen compositing.
We also created an animated stunt parrot, dramatic weather vfx, and even took a brief trip to outer space to visit with some flying saucer people.

The remarkable, true, survival story of a Jewish boy hiding in the forests of Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe during WWII. Based on the memoir THE BOY IN THE WOODS by Maxwell Smart and inspired by the award-winning feature documentary CHEATING HITLER by Rebecca Snow. (myriadpictures.com)

ELECTRIC SQUARE was thrilled to add a variety of invisible vfx touches to nearly 40 shots in this feature film. We created digital set extensions, bullet hits, bloody wounds, Nazi trucks, chilly breath plumes, smoke and glowing embers.
In one very special shot, we had the privilege of animating artwork by the real-world Maxwell Smart, as his fictional childhood counterpart imagines painting the cosmos as he gazes at the night sky beyond the treetops.

Humour, crazy stunts and stunning animations: Curb Your Carbon reveals the simple and effective ways we can all help fight climate change in an easy-to-understand way. Oh, and it’s narrated by environmental activist and Canadian actor, Ryan Reynolds. (cbc.ca)

ELECTRIC SQUARE created everything from torrential milk simulations to anthropomorphized apples and everything in between. In total, we produced nearly 8 minutes of visual effect and animation in a variety of styles for this film.

Leo the catfish is leading the next round of kid eco-heroes, this time on a mission to save the bees, beetles, butterflies… any and all creatures that help plants grow by spreading pollen: The Pollinators! (fifthground.com)

ELECTRIC SQUARE was delighted to reunite with Leo for this second incarnation of her adventures. Our digital catfish creation was revamped and given more dynamic rigging, a more elaborate HQ environment, and more characteristic sass.

William Gadoury was just shy of 14 when he came up with a wild hypothesis that made headlines around the world. His theory? That the Maya built their cities based on constellations, and according to his research, there should be a missing ruin hidden in the Mexican jungle. (cbc.ca)

ELECTRIC SQUARE created numerous maps and infographics to help place the viewer right in the jungle with William. We also pulled some digital slight of hand to re-create Mayan structures in the real-world environments being explored.

The world’s best chefs know a secret. There’s a hidden ingredient in their tastiest dishes: science! Featuring some of the world’s top culinary experts, Chef Secrets: The Science of Cooking, a documentary from The Nature of Things, goes deep inside the kitchen to reveal why science is the key to becoming a better home cook. (cbc.ca)

ELECTRIC SQUARE created a quirky line-art look for the graphics, which lent themselves well both to being integrated right into the film and to effectively explain the mouthwatering molecular science at work.

Dead Man's Switch: a crypto mystery unpacks the mysterious and improbable story of Canadian CEO Gerald Cotten and his failed cryptocurrency exchange, QuadrigaCX.
In 2018, 30-year-old Cotten travelled to India to open an orphanage and celebrate his honeymoon. Nine days later, he was allegedly dead due to Crohn's disease, and $215 million in cash and cryptocurrency were suddenly missing.

ELECTRIC SQUARE developed a style based on courtroom drawings to animate the theories, re-creations and speculations about the truth of this shadowy story.

From the most towering turbine to the tiniest detail, uncover fascinating stories hidden within the historic Niagara Parks Power Station, our newest must-see attraction.

Explore the first major power plant on the Canadian side of the Niagara River with immersive exhibits, restored artifacts and interactive storytelling. And at night, feel the once-dormant power station come to life in a breathtaking interactive experience you'll never forget. (niagaraparks.com)

ELECTRIC SQUARE re-created the station digitally for use in the exhibit's interactive video installation, including to the full-scale flooding of the penstock and using water simulations to spin the turbines. Electrifying!

In his new feature documentary Borealis, acclaimed director Kevin McMahon (Waterlife) travels deep into the heart of the boreal forest to explore the chorus of life in Canada’s iconic wilderness. How do trees move, communicate and survive the destructive forces of fire, insects, and human encroachment? Borealis offers an immersive portrait of the lifecycles of the forest from the perspective of the plants and animals that live there. (nfb.ca)

ELECTRIC SQUARE created respirating stoma, swarms of pine beetles, and cell-level depictions of photosynthesis. Our aim was for the visual effects to blend as realistically and seamlessly into this gorgeously-shot film, so that hopefully the viewer is left unaware that they are even seeing an effect shot.