Utgard Viking Game Trailer Case Study

Utgard Viking Game Trailer Case Study

Utgard - Teaser Viking Game Trailer

Project Description

For Lyber’s release of viking-themed mobile game Utgard, we worked with our client to put together this short cinematic announcement game trailer for them.

Read on for more info on how we created it.

Client: Utgard.io

Project: Utgard Teaser Trailer

Directed by: Giorgos Chronopoulos

Music by: Marika Schanz

The Brief
Talos_Drakkar_Viking_Boat_Game_Cinematic_Teaser_Trailer

Viking Cinematic Teaser Game Trailer

Our client Lyber needed a short CGI animated teaser trailer to announce their in-development viking themed mobile game Utgard.
A short script was provided hitting some main points they wanted to show, which we took and elaborated upon. As the game itself uses relatively simple and low poly character models, we proceeded to the concept phase to design the higher resolution cinematic character models for the cinematic.

Pre-Production Stage

After reviewing the list of character types, we settled on a few to use, mainly focusing on the Berserkr character, but in addition, we came up with an original new character type, a Druidic/Seer female.
We proceeded to create some concept mock-ups of the design for approval.

Druid Character Concept

viking game cinematic trailer - female druid concept design
Initial design as an archer, which then changed to a druid/seer character.
viking game cinematic trailer - concept design

Storyboard

Once a more refined script was agreed upon, we could then proceed to present a storyboard to block out the shots visually. Here is a portion of the storyboard for the game trailer.

viking game trailer Storyboard
Modelling Stage

With a clear plan for the trailer approved, we proceeded to build all the remaining assets we would need, from the ocean, snowy landscape, drakkar boat and all the character models. We needed two main characters and a collection of background vikings rowing the boat.

Viking Berserkr Game Model

Berserker Character Model

One character from the game is a Berseker warrior type. Using an early version of the game model as our reference, we went about recreating the design to a higher detail level suitable for a cinematic game trailer.

 

Viking_Berserkr_3DCharacter_model
Viking_Berserkr_3DCharacter_model_render_Figure

Druid / Seer Character Model

This character started as a version of one the client was developng but then we suggested some idea they though would be cool as a new character type that they would then add to the game. So we continued to develope this Druidic Seer character type.

viking game cinematic trailer female druid concept design
viking game cinematic trailer female druid concept design
viking game cinematic trailer female druid concept design
viking game cinematic trailer female druid concept design

Background Viking Characters

We also needed a small collection of lower resolution background viking characters to row the drakkar boat. These are 3 examples from which we also created more variations though they are barely visible in the final shots, it’s often preferable to make sure everything holds up well in case you want more freedom with your camera movements to get closer.

Gaea Snowy CGI Landscape 3D creation

Snowy Landscape Model

The main landscape base was created in Gaea. The maps were exported and the scene built in Maya and Redshift before scattering trees and adding the buildings

Viking game trailer cinematic snowy landscape_7.2.2
Animation Stage
Post- Production
Viking Character from Cinematic Game Trailer

Compositing & Grading

The final renders from Redshift were first compositing in Fusion Studio, then brought into our Davinchi Resolve timeline to tweak the edit and grading.

We also use some film looks and grain effect to help the CG renders looks less digital. A process we are always refining and pushing with each project to get the look we need.

Music

With our rough edit approved, we also added in the music composed by Marika Schanz. Who is also a talented 3D artist. You can see more of her work here: https://www.marikaschanz.com

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Get Logo Design And Key Art For Your Game – Apeiron Case Study

Get Logo Design And Key Art For Your Game – Apeiron Case Study

Apeiron: Logo Design & Key Art
Apeiron Fantasy Game Logo design and Key Art

Project Description

For ER-Studios‘s upcoming third-person RPG fantasy game Apeiron, we were brought in to rebrand the game. With a  new title and direction, they needed a new logo and key art for their announcement at various games trade shows and for listing on various on-line stores such as steam.

Read on for more info on how we created it.

Client: Exiled-Republic LLC

Project: Apeiron Series Identity & Key Art

Art Director: Giorgos Chronopoulos

New Logo Design
fantasy video game logo design service

Rebrand and new logo design

The game was previously titled Tales of the Forgotten Heroes: Alchemist.

Looking at the previous logo design you can see here, it starts to become a problem when viewed on the old website header, the text and overall design is illegible at that size. So with us now on board, and the new provided shorter title, we had the opportunity to create a more fitting design to go with it.

The game was now being re titled Apeiron, from Greek meaning without end, boundless, limitless, infinite. After discussions on the direction on the game featuring a magical crystal and an ancient great tree that was all connected. we began to brainstorm those ideas further.

Apeiron Fantasy Game Logo design and Key Art
Ideation

Sketches

With the core idea based on the infinite, we wanted to incorporate that idea somehow. I immediately had a pretty clear vision of the infinity symbol created with branches of the trees wrapped around the crystal in the infinity sign in some form. 

fantasy game logo design concept

Full Logo and Title

Discussions on the font started very early on in discussions, so this informed the direction to take. With that in mind, the way the symbol was to be part of the title was always part of the design philosophy. thinking about how that symbol would integrate as part of the full title as well as work by itself in a simpler form. 

Once we put forward a few ideas, the client was super happy and things moved a long very quickly with no revisions required. We just proceeded to refine a chosen concept through the stages from initial discussions, sketches, to vector design presentations and then a 3D rendered final details version for cover art/key art.

 

fantasy game logo design concept
Clean Logo

After some refinement, we came to this design using base of the i to represent the great tree’s trunk, and balancing the leaves on the branches and referencing the crystal with two simple shapes when added to the curves of the ‘branches’.

 

Apeiron Fantasy Game Logo design and Key Art
Apeiron Fantasy Game Logo design and Key Art
Game Key Art

 While the logo design was being developed, we also started working on the key art in parallel.

The brief for the key art, was to depict a garden of Eden styles vista, with the main cast of characters looking out to the horizon. In the center, would be The Great Tress.

Apeiron Fantasy Game Logo design and Key Art

Unreal 5 Game Character Models

We took the game character models from Unreal 5, and reshaded them in Redshift in Maya. We also converted the Unreal rig over to one we could modfy in Maya and have more control for posing and potential future animation.

Apeiron: Fantasy Game Character from Unreal 5
Apeiron: Fantasy Game Character from Unreal 5
Apeiron: Fantasy Game Character from Unreal 5
Apeiron: Fantasy Game Character from Unreal 5

We needed to do some sculpting on the final poses and retouching in post to get them looking how we wanted. As these were also early versions of the characters..

Building Eden

We started a base landscape using Gaea, then brought that base into Maya, where we scattered trees, plants, grass and rocks to build up the scene. The shading and lighting was rendered using Redshift for Maya.

Apeiron Eden Landscape in Gaea Fantasy Game Key Art and Logo Design

The Great Tree

The Great Tree, had one side that was dying, so we have to incorporate that into the design.

Apeiron The Great Tree - Fantasy Game Key Art and Logo Design

Apeiron Series

You can see the game’s listing on Steam here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251920/Apeiron/

Apeiron Preview Trailer:

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