CLIENT
Affyn
FOCUS
CG and Film Production
DATE
Oct 2022
ABOUT
“A mobile Metaverse with a digital layer that is mapped to the real world where users can explore, play and participate in activities based on their geolocation” - Affyn.
MADNESS
To present the different possibilities of how users may interact with the game, we sought to meld both the digital and real worlds — an approach that was only possible through the marriage of conventional film production storytelling and visual effects technology.
This meant that our CG artists didn’t just bring game world elements into the real in relatable scenarios suggestive of their game world counterparts, they were also heavily involved in the process of imagining and designing the game world and its characters.
METHOD
As firm believers that process determines output, our kernel concept of converging two worlds had to extend beyond the creative outcomes our directors were gunning for. It meant a conscious, deep-seated integration between live-action production processes, post production and visual effects pipelines with neither relegated as an after thought to each other.
From blurring the lines between practical effects that lended physical interactions to our live-action cast and sets, and visual effects for elements that just weren’t possible in the real world, to a tailored post production pipeline that didn’t merely account for the myriad of tools and colour spaces our teams had to work with - Maya for modeling, Substance Painter for textures, NukeX for compositing, Houdini for VFX and Davinci Resolve for colour grading - but also when in the pipeline they came into play.
This re-engineering of our processes was necessary in delivering on a believability our directors placed emphasis on, especially in a film that is as character driven as this is.
TWO WORLDS CONVERGE
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To provide an immersive experience to our viewers, heavy focus was placed on the texturing, lighting and compositing to bring everything together. We used Substance Painter for textures and DaVinci Resolve for the color grading. Taking reference from similar media such as Detective Pikachu, we managed to achieve balance by merging the two worlds.
MORE FUN TOGETHER
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We wanted to embody Affyns slogan “More Fun Together" by giving the creatures personality to enhance their footing in the world. Showing Pigasus urgency to wake his owner gives the same sense as a playful child, and Bronto's curiosity resembles that of a golden retriever. These personalities bring life to the Nexus buddies as they join your journey with family and friends.
BEHIND THE SCENE
Take a look at how we made the 2 worlds colide
CREDITS
Thank you, to all whom we've crossed paths with on this magnificient work.
/// 01
CG Production → Method N Madness™️
Executive Producer/ Director → Tan Wen Hao
CG Producer → Christian Fontaine
Assistant Producer → Euan Garcia
CG Director → Alex Scollay
Concept Artist → Francesco Guarini
CG Modeling → Andres Salvatierra, Arianna Querin
CG Generalists→ Tan Ya Ting, Huzaifi Razali, Hisham Taufik, Nick Lim, Chetan Walia, Zheng Jie
Animation Lead → Lucio Mennillo
Animation Artist → Jaikumar Balasubramanian, Rahul Mohan Gore, Jaturon Jetwiriyanon, Rama Jha, Salman Attar, Nabeel Ahmed, Luka Trinh
VFX Artist → Kulapong Vaiyamugamuygul
Compositing → Luis Calvo
/// 02
Production → Semicolon
Director → Jac Min
Assistant Director → Tan Jiayu
Excecutive Producer → Michelle Yap
Assistant Producer → Joanna Teo
Director of Photography → Shyan Tan
Camera → Chris Ang
Gaffer → Benjamin Ong
Colourist → Eugene Seah (The Chop Shop Post)
Audio → Fuse
/// 03
Art Director → Chris Koh
Casting → Hello Group
Wardrobe Stylist → Sharon Tan
Hair + Makeup → Casey Ling