Target had the exclusive on the re-release of 1989, which, as it turns out, involved more seagull choreography than you’d expect. As VFX supervisor on the project—and with a turnaround that left little room for sleep—we did a quick hop to Houston, then on to L.A., to film trained seagulls against a blue screen. Yes, trained seagulls. That’s a real thing.

The main challenge? Figuring out just how much dancing these birds should be doing. Too little, and it’s flat. Too much, and it’s something else entirely. We built a fully CG storefront, composited in the birds, and eventually found a sweet spot between realism and just enough weirdness to feel right. Strange job. Fun job. Very 1989.