# Dubai Safari Park

**Client:** Dubai Safari Park
**Year:** 2024
**Type:** 3D Billboard Campaign
**Role:** 3D Artist · Director, end to end
**Stack:** Blender, Cinema 4D, After Effects

---

Dubai Safari Park asked us to handle the 3D production for a billboard featuring one of their gorillas. The goal was to represent the animal clearly and recognisably. We focused on matching its real features and movement. The animation ends with a simple message: "You Have a Friend Here."

[Dubai Safari Park billboard with a 3D gorilla](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Safari-park_video_2.mp4)

## Brief

**Objective.** Create a 3D billboard animation that presents the gorilla accurately and clearly.

**Challenge.** Representing a real animal in 3D requires attention to detail. Most of the effort went into the posture, pacing, and how the animation reads from a distance.

## Concept and ideation

We used footage and images provided by the park.

Visual references guided the tone and direction. Moodboards helped organise the look and feel.

![Gorilla reference and moodboard 1](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla_1.webp)

![Gorilla reference and moodboard 2](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla_2.webp)

![Gorilla reference and moodboard 3](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla_3.webp)

![Gorilla reference and moodboard 4](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla_4.webp)

![Gorilla reference and moodboard 5](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla_5.webp)

![Gorilla reference and moodboard 6](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla_6.webp)

## 3D modeling

We split the modeling into two stages: first, understanding the real anatomy and structure from reference photos; second, building the digital replica with a focus on accuracy and clarity.

The gorilla model was created with proportion, volume, and movement in mind.

![Early gorilla model before refinement](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/Gorilla-Before.webp)

[Turntable of the final gorilla model](https://ibrahim3d.com/media/dubai-safari-park/gorillaModel.mp4)

## Reflections

The project showed that small, specific choices make a big difference when accuracy is the goal.

**What worked.** Reference accuracy, character movement, and clear messaging.

**What was tricky.** Balancing realistic anatomy with billboard readability.

## Related projects

- [Imtiaz](https://ibrahim3d.com/work/imtiaz.md)
- [Orchard](https://ibrahim3d.com/work/orchard.md)

---

[View all content](https://ibrahim3d.com/sitemap.md)