Permanent Collection

Here’s How Studio Birthplace Turned the Rainforest Canopy Into a Football Pitch for WWF

Posted on Monday, June 8, 2026

In their latest awareness campaign for WWF, Studio Birthplace directors Jorik Dozy and Sil van der Woerd leverage football’s global appeal to rally support for the protection of forests ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Sil van der Woerd and Jorik Dozy: “So much environmental communication is built around loss and urgency, and while those realities are important, we wanted to approach this story differently, with positivity.

“Every sequence demanded precise timing, choreography, and coordination between performers, rigging operators and camera crews.”

“Staging a football match on top of the Indonesian rainforest presented a unique set of challenges. Working closely with an expert stunt team, we tested a range of rigging systems and movements to create action that felt both safe and spectacular.

“This balance required close collaboration between the creative and stunt teams. Every sequence demanded precise timing, choreography, and coordination between performers, rigging operators and camera crews, ultimately helping to shape the film’s distinctive visual language.

“At a time when AI-generated content is everywhere, it felt important to create something human. This film and the wider campaign, was built through real collaboration. That collective effort is what made it special.”

Watch the finished film:

Images

Two people secured with harnesses and ropes are suspended in midair near a lush rainforest canopy. Crew members in helmets stand below, monitoring the activity—a scene brought to life by Studio Birthplace for WWF. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A laptop screen displays a design program with a storyboard showing two photos of a person climbing a tree and a colorful diagram of the rainforest canopy, complete with arrows, stick figures, and WWF-inspired details. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A person wearing a yellow helmet and safety harness stands on a high tree platform, preparing for a zip line adventure above the lush rainforest canopy—an area as vast as a football pitch. Colorful benches and three others are visible below in the trees. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A film crew sets up a scene outdoors in a rainforest canopy, with a blue screen backdrop and lighting equipment. Two people stand on a metal platform with a camera, while others work around the set surrounded by trees and gear. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Six people in green soccer uniforms stand in a lush forest, some holding a soccer ball beneath the rainforest canopy. Text reads: Hope has roots, Team Forest, Join the Team, Stand with them, and WWF. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Client: WWF

Production: Studio Birthplace
Director: Jorik Dozy, Sil van der Woerd
EP: Alea Rahim
Producer: Baby Tamba
DOP: Charlie Balch
1st AD: Muhammad Hambali (Baly)
Stunt Coordinator: Saifuddin Mubdy (Udeh)
Team Forest Jersey: Arthefact

BTS/Stills: Indi Casadei

VFX: Heckler Singapore

Color: Harbor Picture Company

Stunt Performers: Udea Nans, Andrian Maulana, Delia Amanda Putri, Diki Syahputra

Music: Elijah Siegler
Sound Design: Joe Wills, Tim Burns

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
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Category: Advertising, Featured, VFX · Tags: Elijah Siegler, Heckler, Joe Wills, Jorik Dozy, Sil van der Woerd, Studio Birthplace, Tim Burns, WWF