HALO 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Title Sequence + Q&A – Polynoid

In December of last year Halo 4 came out and the world rejoiced. Along with it came a web series called Forward Unto Dawn which was a live action VFX set that brought the Halo universe to life. It opened with 5 fantastic title sequences created by Polynoid a German Design/VFX house.

From the Press Release:

Polynoid’s microfilms illustrate the intense relationship between Cortana, an artificial intelligence entity and indispensable aide to Master Chief, the long-time hero of the Halo series. Set aboard a spacecraft, the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, as it drifts towards imminent doom, Cortana must battle to awaken Master Chief from cryo-stasis before it’s too late.

“For us, Cortana was the centerpiece around which we spun our story,” said Polynoid’s Jan Bitzer. “When we started working out the scenes and shots, we did it under the premise that Cortana is the only ‘alive’ being we could play with.”

With elegantly framed shots, drifting cameras and gloomy lighting, Polynoid emphasized the soul-crushing loneliness aboard the nearly empty spacecraft. To effectively communicate the passing of time, Polynoid switched from the relative calm of zero-gravity to intense time-lapsed action.

“[The time lapse sequence] was technically the most challenging. We spent a lot of time tweaking it; always trying to improve every shot simultaneously to guarantee a consistent quality for the overall piece,” Bitzer noted.

Polynoid and Blacklist collaborated with 343 Industries every step of the way, carefully guarding production from the massive press surrounding “Halo 4.” “Polynoid are gamers, and this was a dream opportunity,” said Blacklist Executive Producer Adina Sales. “This project was a perfect fit for our team.  343 was looking for a sophisticated interpretation and they encouraged us to push the artistic lense.  Polynoid had a clear vision from the outset and we were determined to deliver in spades.  We’re very proud of the results.”

Here you can see a detailed making of that goes through their entire process from conception:

Don’t forget to check out their site page for the sequence for some stills and styleframes!

We dropped them a line to do a little Q&A with Polynoid’s Jan Bitzer and Fabian Pross.  Here’s a snippet but click ‘Full Interview’ to view the entire thing!

Fabian Pross on the FX:

We used Softimage ICE for almost all our effects work. The rampancy is actually not simulated, but a combination of procedural modeling and some keyframes.

Jan Bitzer on the Asset Development

343 Industries provided us with most of the CG assets which we had to bring together on an equal production level. Some elements where very high poly and had to be optimized, while others were simplified game assets and needed detail work.

 

Full Interview

Street Fighter III – Furrinkazan Trailer

Victor Hugo, a talented Brazil-based artist, has created yet another fantastic piece this time based around the world of Street Fighter.  In this teaser trailer you can see the quality level is set quite high and I know I can’t wait for the full short! It brings Street Fighter to a whole new light by matching the cartoony style of Pixar with our old favorite.  Also check out his website for a full gallery of images that carry much the same style and polish as the trailer.

In his Vimeo account you can see a few tests for the project as well as a rigging reel.  Here’s a hair test to whet your appetite:

From Victor:

Street Fighter III – Fuurinkazan it’s a fan-made short animation movie made by Victor Hugo Queiroz (www.vitorugo.com) and Derek Henriques (www.derekhenriques.com), who tells the story of the fight between Ryu VS Hugo, well known by fans as was told on Street Fighter III with a whole new and original design.

Portugues – Street Fighter III – Fuurinkazan é um filme feito por fãs que conta a história da luta entre Ryu e Hugo, conhecida pelos fãs e contada na história de Street Fighter III, mas com uma proposta completamente nova tanto no visual dos personagens, quanto na maneira de descrever visualmente a luta.

Credits

La Poste – Digital District

A superbly executed take on the old trope of the unfolding book voyage.  Digital District, a French studio based in Paris, has taken the lighting to the next level while using engaging camera angles to highlight every detail that has been put into this spot.  The layout and animation flows smoothly around the piece with great attention to the thoughtful transitions.

Gotta say it again though, you should check out their Reel! It’s pretty fantastic.  This is definitely a studio to keep your eye on if you haven’t been already.

I, Pet Goat II

The Canadian studio Heliofant has crafted the breathtaking piece “I, Pet Goat II” which features some spectacular visuals through use of amazing lighting and shading.  Calling on political events and ideas so far in the 20th century and more current events, the imagery is a bit heavy handed however they definitely get the point across in this surreal, sociopolitically motivated short.

If you check out their Gallery you can read a full and detailed explanation behind the different symbolism throughout.  You can also download full res wallpapers designed for the short.

From Heliofant:

A story about the fire at the heart of suffering.

Bringing together dancers, musicians, visual artists and 3d animators, the film takes a critical look at the events of the past decade that have shaped our world.
Main softwares used: Maya, Vray, FumeFX, RealFlow

Credits

Gabe Askew for The Columbia Water Center “Deeper Than Water”

Gabe Askew creates another top quality spot via Hornet Inc. for an environmental commentary piece for the Columbia Water Center. Utilizing a stylized stop motion approach, Gabe’s beautiful motion info-graphic is showcased by a smooth, continuous camera.  It employs a masterful use of lighting to highlight these scenes and draw us further into the seamlessly connected miniature worlds Gabe has created.

Long time readers might remember a previous posting for Gabe’s fan video of Grizzly Bear’s Two Weeks that also embraces a captivating 3D faux diorama setting.  Check out the video on Hornet’s site  for some written commentary from Gabe.

Credits