RIFT PRODUCTION.
CROSSING OVER A true transmedia offering, many assets were shared between feature film and video game
“In settling on something final, we looked to many reference points and employed a lot of trial and error. There were moments where I tried shaders, my head of CG tried some, then our other artists tried their own. Finally, it was a case of loving what we’d done with hair in one option, eyes in another and clothing in a third. We combined a lot of ideas – and finding that final style was a collaborative effort, for sure.” PLAYER, READY? Although not unheard of, completing more than one deliverable simultaneously is a rare feat. In addition to the upcoming feature, Rift is currently being developed as a third-person shooter. It seems only logical, considering Unreal Engine’s
“I went back to the ideas thrown out during script development and realised there was so much potential in our multi-branch narrative”
in our multi-branch narrative that couldn’t fit within a 90-minute film. Essentially, all we did was take the assets, migrate them into our game project, then work some code. It became a pure transmedia project.” Today, multiplatform media itself is not remotely uncommon. It’s utilising the arduous work of creative teams between these distinct offerings that’s much more infrequent – and what a loss it is. Of all the benefits that may be taken from Hazimation’s innovative approach, this could be the most promising. As we hurtle towards a metaverse world in which mediums look likely to merge, how fantastical might content be if created in wholly collaborative ways? Not just between filmmaking departments, as is the case with Rift , but experts from multiple industries. Returning, for now, to the subject of film production, Dulull’s succinct summary speaks volumes. “This changes the way movies are being made. But really, viewers don’t care how it’s done – they only want to see the best results.”
original application, but it was not a light creative decision for Dulull. “We never intended to make a video game. The idea came when running film sequences as a game to capture elements we didn’t want to animate, like vehicle suspensions during a car chase,” the director explains. “We realised what was possible, but wanted to have a good reason for it. I went back to all the ideas thrown out during script development and realised there was so much potential
A BETTER WAY With Unreal Engine’s rendering, the multiple passes of a traditional animation weren’t required, improving speed of production and allowing different creative teams to work simultaneously
31. SEPTEMBER 2022
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