Industry First: documentary film uses unreal engine

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Swiss filmmaker #samir and Swiss indie game studio #blindflugstudios collaborate to combine Unreal Engine game technology and traditional filmmaking.

Blindflug Studios and Dschoint Ventschr are proud to announce that they are collaborating for the latest #film project by Swiss filmmaker #samir titled THE MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORKING CLASS INTO FOREIGNERS.

For his new documentary movie, #samir uses animated sequences that represent his memories of growing up in the working-class milieu in Switzerland. But instead of going the traditional animation route, these sequences are being produced inside Unreal Engine.

With this technology, the scenes do not get animated frame by frame as it would be the case in typical animation. Instead, the filmmaker can use the camera freely in a “virtual set”. The scenes get prepared in the game engine with all the needed 3D models, backgrounds and effects, and the animation for the human characters gets realized thanks to motion capturing.

When all the assets and animated characters are prepared for the virtual set in the game engine, the filmmaker can choose the light source, camera position and framing in real time however they like. This whole process is quicker, more flexible and cheaper than traditional 2D or 3D animation. The goal is to create a modern audiovisual experience and to use the new design possibilities of game technology, which allow a mixture of photorealistic and fantastical representations.

Filmmaker #samir explains what drew him to this kind of collaboration:

“With the successful docu-animation #film CHRIS THE SWISS, I gained extensive experience as a producer in the possibilities of incorporating animation into documentary #film work. I have always liked the fact that animated sequences in documentary films also allow for a ‘liberation’ of the classic documentary narration. Based on these experiences, I would like to delve into these new possibilities of documentary animation in my documentary essay project THE MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORKING CLASS INTO FOREIGNERS. In particular, I have been drawn to the new technological possibilities created in the game industry for quite some time. It was a stroke of luck that the professional game specialists at #blindflugstudios in Zurich were willing to cooperate. I'm happy that we're both moving into new territory and creating a bridge with this work in the two previously separate fields of ‘audio vision’.”

Blindflug Studios president #moritzzumbuhl adds to this: “I have always been very interested in producing #cinema and games from a single mold and merging the two media. With this project, we're one step closer to this great goal.”

Further information in the press release to download

- Video (1)