Platige Image has prepared a short trailer for Raji: An Ancient Epic, produced by Nodding Heads Games. So far, the game has only been available on Nintendo Switch, but the presented animation was for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One editions.
The trailer, which was directed by Tomasz Karelus, shows the transformation of the main female protagonist – Raji – from a young and sensitive girl into the gods’ chosen, who is ready to face her demonic adversaries and recover her lost brother. The atmosphere of an ancient epic demanded unique visuals – the entire project was set in a highly stylised manner, and the assets required strong and original imagination as their look was unprecedented in real architecture. The team at Platige also wanted to uphold the concept developed by the authors of the game.
“The mosaics, numerous sculptures, the rocks, antique wall, the temple, the enormous bridge, and the defensive walls of the palace. This is the architecture we had to create. The animation was formed simultaneously, and at the most important moment it heavily draws from the ancient Hindu martial arts. Because of this, the final scene looks very impressive. The animation and its direction are undoubtedly the strong points of this project” – says Maciej Szewczenko, the VFX Supervisor at Platige Image.
The task of Platige Image was also to create a model of the protagonist on the basis of her simplified model from the Nintendo Switch edition. The most important thing was to convey Raji’s story through textures – from a young princess to a warrior. The ornaments appearing on her jewellery and clothes, that showed her origins, were also important.
”Raji herself, her weapons, and even her opponent who we do not see entirely in the camera – they all had to be created. The character’s dress and jewellery required special attention. It was not only an interesting project for us, but also an artistic journey” – concludes Machej Szewczenko.
FULL CREDITS:
CLIENT: Super Dot Com Ltd, Nodding Heads Games
DIRECTOR: Tomasz Karelus
CG SUPERVISOR: Maciej Szewczenko
ART DIRECOTR: Marcin Kowalski
PRODUCER: Sylwia Slusarczky
HEAD OF CG: Cezary Abinski
PRODUCTION COORIDATOR: Ewelina Mazur & Zuzanna Fidor
SENIOR ENVIROMENT ARTIST: Artur Borkowski
RIGGING: Pawel Szczensy
CHARACTER ARTISTS: Mikolaj Mlonek, Jan Rudnicki & Mieszko Lacinski
CONCEPT ARTIST: Damian Bajowski