A Zoic Studios graphic made an unexpected appearance on a Chinese state website last week when it was mistaken for an actual aircraft carrier. The intricate design was originally used for the sci-fi TV show “Battlestar Galactica” but was comically, though unintentionally, repurposed for an article featuring “Four Major Trends in Aircraft Carrier Development” on the China Internet Information Center website. Readers suspected that the image might have been a fake and eventually traced it back to the talented VFX team at Zoic Studios.

Zoic Studios was responsible for the mind-numbing visual effects for the Sci-Fi Channel’s wildly successful series “Battlestar Galactica.” Out of their Culver City studios, the Zoic team worked to create highly interactive battle scenes that would become the focal point of every episode. With the help of VFX programs After Effects, Shake, and Autodesk’s Combustion 4, Zoic was able to achieve fantasy real effects that became a fully immersive experience for the audience. Zoic received a 2007 VES Awards for “Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Broadcast Program” for the series as well as two additional VES nominations and three Creative Emmy Awards nominations in 2005 and 2006.