It’s been a year since the dark and gritty short film, ‘Arena Breakout,’ directed by the talented Morten Vinther, made its mark on the digital landscape. Crafted for the new game by Morefun Studios, this cinematic masterpiece continues to captivate audiences with its authentic storytelling and groundbreaking use of digital humans.
Looking back, Vinther shares his excitement about the journey of creating this exceptional piece. The challenge of bringing authentic emotions to life through digital characters was met with enthusiasm by the director, who expresses deep gratitude to the team that made it all possible. Special mentions go to Derron Ross, Mikal Vega, and the mocap team for delivering outstanding performances.
Nine months in the making, this ‘baby’ stands as a testament to the incredible CG work by the Shanghai studio, led by Christian Kalata with support from the Bangalore team. Mark Driscoll and Terry Gallagher played crucial roles in steering the ship, with Joe Mackedanz skillfully editing, Daniel DeVue adding vibrant colors, and Pascual Rubio perfecting the human element through sculpting.
The film boasts a stellar lineup of contributions, including mocap by Rouge, facial performance capture by DI4D, and a captivating score by Sonic Tree. Morten Vinther, known for pushing the boundaries of technology, continues to breathe life into believable characters and worlds. A storyteller at heart, his passion for moving people and challenging their senses is evident throughout the film.
As we revisit ‘Arena Breakout’ after its one-year mark, it’s clear that the film is more than just a momentary experience—it’s a timeless piece that redefines storytelling and visual effects.
Morten Vinther, an award-winning Danish Director, Writer, and VFX Supervisor, has left an indelible mark with ‘Arena Breakout’ and his other notable works, including the cinematic for Sony PlayStation’s ‘The Last of Us Part II’ and the launch film for EA/Koei Tecmo’s ‘Wild Hearts.’ As we celebrate a year of digital mastery, let’s continue to immerse ourselves in the mesmerizing worlds Vinther creates.
Production: The Mill/MPC
Director: Morten Vinther
Executive Producer: Chingwen Huang
Senior Producer: Mark Driscoll
Producer: Xiao Liu, Dipesh Mahesh Gajjarr
Editorial
Editorial: The Mill
Editor: Joe Mackedanz
VFX: The Mill/MPC
VFX Supervisor: Christian Kalata
Character & Environment Lead: Aram Hazke
Head of Character Development: Pascual Rubio Cervera
CG Supervisor: Jacob T Oommen
Lighting & Comp Lead: Yao Zhang
Animation Lead: Alexey Petryaev
Animation Supervisor: Mahesh M S
Grooming Artist: Anton Zheltyakov
Concept Artist: David Kang, Tim Sturdy
Asset Lead: Ullas Thunga k
Asset Team: Cathy Xi, Iris Jiao, Fiona Shi, Harshitha V V, Jayadeep Chandran, Jyoti Prakash Panda, Palash Ramnaresh Soni, S Shashi Kumar, Selva Kumar K, Shashanka Sekhar Beshra, Sumitha D, Sunku Ayusha, Vignesh Sivakumar
Animation Team: Voach Wang, Cherish Zhou, Bismark Pei, Ambalika Nandy, Ravi Panwar, Sachin Mohanty, Sandeep Kumar Goje, Shiny Rajan, Sinjan Ghosh, Srinivas Rao Rella
FX Team: Anton Zheltyakov, Voach Wang, Jade Wang, Kyle Wang, Dhaval Shashikant Bhanage, Hari Prasad Anumula
FX Lead: Umesh Namdev
Senior Lighter: Angela Liu
Senior Compositor: Zhongyan Dai
DMP Artist: L Taylor He
Rigging Team: Garlapati Yeswanth, Kuntal Kanti Bera
It’s been a year since the dark and gritty short film, ‘Arena Breakout,’ directed by the talented Morten Vinther, made its mark on the digital landscape. Crafted for the new game by Morefun Studios, this cinematic masterpiece continues to captivate audiences with its authentic storytelling and groundbreaking use of digital humans.
Looking back, Vinther shares his excitement about the journey of creating this exceptional piece. The challenge of bringing authentic emotions to life through digital characters was met with enthusiasm by the director, who expresses deep gratitude to the team that made it all possible. Special mentions go to Derron Ross, Mikal Vega, and the mocap team for delivering outstanding performances.
Nine months in the making, this ‘baby’ stands as a testament to the incredible CG work by the Shanghai studio, led by Christian Kalata with support from the Bangalore team. Mark Driscoll and Terry Gallagher played crucial roles in steering the ship, with Joe Mackedanz skillfully editing, Daniel DeVue adding vibrant colors, and Pascual Rubio perfecting the human element through sculpting.
The film boasts a stellar lineup of contributions, including mocap by Rouge, facial performance capture by DI4D, and a captivating score by Sonic Tree. Morten Vinther, known for pushing the boundaries of technology, continues to breathe life into believable characters and worlds. A storyteller at heart, his passion for moving people and challenging their senses is evident throughout the film.
As we revisit ‘Arena Breakout’ after its one-year mark, it’s clear that the film is more than just a momentary experience—it’s a timeless piece that redefines storytelling and visual effects.
Morten Vinther, an award-winning Danish Director, Writer, and VFX Supervisor, has left an indelible mark with ‘Arena Breakout’ and his other notable works, including the cinematic for Sony PlayStation’s ‘The Last of Us Part II’ and the launch film for EA/Koei Tecmo’s ‘Wild Hearts.’ As we celebrate a year of digital mastery, let’s continue to immerse ourselves in the mesmerizing worlds Vinther creates.
Credits:
Client: Tencent
Executive Producer: 孙⼀鸣（Sun Yiming), 窦洪彬（Dou Hongbin）
Producer: 张皓林（Zhang Haolin), 雷檬玲（Lei Mengling）
Creative Director: ⻰泽辉（Long Zehui）
Art Director: 李⼦聪（Li Zicong）
Production
Production: The Mill/MPC
Director: Morten Vinther
Executive Producer: Chingwen Huang
Senior Producer: Mark Driscoll
Producer: Xiao Liu, Dipesh Mahesh Gajjarr
Editorial
Editorial: The Mill
Editor: Joe Mackedanz
VFX: The Mill/MPC
VFX Supervisor: Christian Kalata
Character & Environment Lead: Aram Hazke
Head of Character Development: Pascual Rubio Cervera
CG Supervisor: Jacob T Oommen
Lighting & Comp Lead: Yao Zhang
Animation Lead: Alexey Petryaev
Animation Supervisor: Mahesh M S
Grooming Artist: Anton Zheltyakov
Concept Artist: David Kang, Tim Sturdy
Asset Lead: Ullas Thunga k
Asset Team: Cathy Xi, Iris Jiao, Fiona Shi, Harshitha V V, Jayadeep Chandran, Jyoti Prakash Panda, Palash Ramnaresh Soni, S Shashi Kumar, Selva Kumar K, Shashanka Sekhar Beshra, Sumitha D, Sunku Ayusha, Vignesh Sivakumar
Animation Team: Voach Wang, Cherish Zhou, Bismark Pei, Ambalika Nandy, Ravi Panwar, Sachin Mohanty, Sandeep Kumar Goje, Shiny Rajan, Sinjan Ghosh, Srinivas Rao Rella
FX Team: Anton Zheltyakov, Voach Wang, Jade Wang, Kyle Wang, Dhaval Shashikant Bhanage, Hari Prasad Anumula
FX Lead: Umesh Namdev
Senior Lighter: Angela Liu
Senior Compositor: Zhongyan Dai
DMP Artist: L Taylor He
Rigging Team: Garlapati Yeswanth, Kuntal Kanti Bera