This week's Hotshot sees games developer Ubisoft launch the first of three ambitious web films promoting forthcoming title Assassin's Creed Lineage in tandem with in-house VFX studio Hybride Technologies.
Launched yesterday on the homepage of YouTube in eight countries, the first instalment in the Lineage series reinvents the gaming franchise, transposing the original plotline from the not-too-distant future to renaissance Venice and Florence. The aim of the pre-launch campaign is to build the back story and stimulate engagement ahead of the game's release on November 17.
The story rewinds a generation to focus on a character called Giovanni, father of the game's main character Ezio, as he attempts to uncover a conspiracy that leads from the Medici family back to the Vatican. Developed in conjunction with Ubisoft's VFX studio, Hybride Technologies, the film blends live action with CG intensive scenery and effects to create a slick visualisation of the world of the game.
According to Yannis Mallat, Ubisoft Montreal's CEO, the idea behind the film prequels is part of the company's more long term convergence strategy. "The thinking is to expand our videogame brands and to develop them on additional platforms to provide a global experience to an extended audience," he explains.
Having previously worked on VFX-driven features including 300 and Sin City, Hybride were ideally positioned to bridge the gap between Ubisoft's gaming expertise and the ambitious aim of creating a trilogy of online mini-films to compliment the videogame title. Collaborating on a range of visual and narrative elements, the game designers and the film team have managed to weave details, such as weaponry and costume, into the series, uniting the two projects and adding cohesion to the overall offering.
"The main difference in working with a game IP is that we had to respect the story and universe of the game," explains Pierre Raymond, president and head of operations. "Therefore we needed to consider the environments defined by the Assassin's Creed universe as well as the in-game characters."
Jade Raymond, EP on the game, elaborates on the collaboration: "A good example was the common casting of our main characters. The same actors were cast in both the film and game so that we can work with them to help evolve the characters. We're going a step further than just photographic likeness. We've recorded the actors' voices and mo-capped them for the game's narrative sequences. This process really helps give more life and credibility to our in-game characters."
Check out the first installment below and keep an eye out for the next episode over the following week.
