PRODUCTION
LIVE ACTION
We filmed some live action video reference and acted out our shots. We then used these shots as reference when we animated so that we had a good understanding of the movement and camera.
3D LAYOUT
Through many iterations and changes made based off of feedback from various people, this is the final pre-visualization of our trailer where we finalised the cinematography and character movement.
Using clips from YouTube and trailers we created a reference video showing what sort of cinematography and action we wanted in our shot. This helped establish the horror tone of the trailer and allowed us to understand how to create tension.
TRAILER REFERENCE
INITIAL RENDER TEST WITH ANIMATION,
LIGHTING AND SET DESIGN
Our animated trailer was rendered within Unreal Engine 4 , as opposed to using standard Maya render Unreal Engine in a real time render. This meant it took minutes to perform a render test instead of the render consuming a number of days if we used Maya.
Using Unreal Engine gave us more time to develop the story, animation and final edit. This allowed us as a team to be more ambitious with the animation, sets and lighting granting us the creative freedom that all artists desire.
However, that being said exporting the animation from Maya to Unreal Engine was not a simple task to solve. This was a hurdle that we successfully overcame thanks to our CG Supervisor and Animator Edoardo Sartori.
We took inspiration from pre-existing successful horror trailers such as Alien, Midsomma, Witch, 47 Meters Down and The Shallows. Our piece incorporates similar dramatic acting and the juxtaposition and contrast of tone from the start to the end- with the trailer beginning with a happy scene and then progressively getting more disturbed and unsettling towards the end.