Activision, Bungie, 72andSunny, Digital Domain, RESET and Hollywood director Joseph Kosinski partner once again to create the Blockbuster-worthy live-action trailer to launch Destiny: The Taken King, the first major expansion to the Destiny universe. The action-packed “Evil’s Most Wanted” promo makes its broadcast debut on September 10 during the NFL season opener between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Renowned digital production studio Digital Domain handled the visual effects and color grading for the spot, with Academy Award®-winning VFX supervisor Eric Barba leading the charge. Barba is a longtime collaborator of Kosinski and his go-to Director of Photography Claudio Miranda. The three developed a shorthand for aesthetics while working together on previous projects spanning features (TRON: Legacy, Oblivion) to award-winning game trailers, including “Starry Night” (Halo 3), “Mad World" (Gears of War), and the original Destiny launch spot “Become Legend.”
The new spot is hyper-realistic and incredibly detailed, pushing the boundaries of gaming possibility. The trailer depicts a Fireteam of Guardians venturing to take on the vengeful King Oryx and his army. Dark humor and dread-tinged tension explode over a jaw-dropping action sequence set to the raucous Led Zeppelin anthem “Black Dog” that culminates in the promise of even more epic adventure to come.
Kosinski’s concept for last year’s debut spot was clear: to create a live-action version of the Destiny game. In the original spot, the Fireteam is shown battling alien invaders across stunning exotic environments pulled from real life, with the shoot taking place in Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
The Taken King trailer required a slightly different approach, with the head-to-head battle between the Fireteam and Oryx’s army taking place on a spaceship on the rings of Saturn. “We ended up doing a lot more digitally this year, by nature of where the action occurs, but we wanted to ground it in the same visual language we used previously,” explains Barba.
Filming took place on a sound stage in Culver City. “The production designer created a beautiful floor for us, which allowed us to plan the shots and sequences,” Barba remarks. “Then we did motion capture to pick up the movements and actions, using the CG camera as if it were live action.”
Each visual element, from the color palette to the movement of ash particles falling through the atmosphere, was meticulously planned to create a cinematic representation to exceed the expectations of gamer fans when Destiny: The Taken King hits store shelves worldwide on September 15th for PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
About Digital Domain
Founded in 1993, Digital Domain has delivered innovative visuals for more than 100 movies including “Iron Man 3,” the “Transformers” series, and “Titanic." Its artists have earned multiple Academy Awards® in the Visual Effects and Technical Award categories.
A creative force in advertising, Digital Domain has brought its artistry to hundreds of commercial, video game and music video productions. The company has been at the forefront of innovation for over two decades and pioneered the creation of internationally famous Virtual Performers including 2Pac and Teresa Teng. Digital Domain was also a co-producer on the recent feature film "Ender's Game."
From facilities in California and Vancouver, including its own state-of-the-art performance capture studio, Digital Domain continues a tradition of creating extraordinary imagery and productions for entertainment and advertising. http://www.digitaldomain.com/
