The number of esports viewers is predicted to exceed 380 million this year. Statista estimates that 6.6 billion hours of esports were watched in 2018. And the International Olympic Committee and The Global Association of Federal Sports Associations have begun holding an annual esports forum.
Among the video games inspiring this explosion in spectator esports is Tom Clancy’s Rainbow SixⓇ Siege, developed and published by UbisoftⓇ.
When Ubisoft sought to tell a heartfelt story about their elite Pro League Rainbow Six players, they turned to filmmaker David Grabias and Artifact Nonfiction, whose films for PBS and HBO have garnered numerous awards, and whose recent documentary for Tim Hortons THE AWAY GAME, about Kenya’s only Ice Hockey team traveling to Canada, went viral this past summer.
For TO WIN IT ALL, Grabias and his documentary team decided to follow three players from Canada, Denmark and Brazil over the course of a six-month season leading up to the Invitational — an annual Rainbow Six Siege tournament featuring 16 teams from around the world battling for a prize pool of over one million dollars.
They pre-interviewed dozens of players before focusing on the stories of Canadian, Pengu, and Zig, and then went on to film with each player throughout the season, on three different continents, in their homes, team houses and at tournaments.
Along the way, David and his crew discovered the roots of each player’s passion and dedication. From growing up poor with a single mom, to searching for a new identity after suffering a series of disabling concussions, each pro player has his own reasons for playing and for wanting to compete and win.
The resulting feature-length documentary, interweaves the three players’ unforgettable stories. Said David Grabias, “I was really struck by the persistence and courage of these guys and their families. In many ways their real-life stories embody all the themes we can’t help but love about sports movies… the sacrifices, defeats, triumphs, and of course, the build-up to the big game.”
TO WIN IT ALL premieres across the U.S. in theaters on January 24th 2019. It will also screen live in front of almost 10,000 people at the 2019 Six Invitational tournament, before being released online across multiple platforms and outlets.
Rainbow Six Siege | Documentary Announce | To Win It All | Trailer | Ubisoft®
Client/Company: Ubisoft®
Producers: Jon Bailey And Katherine Bamford; Executive Producers: Gary Keith And Ryan Peterson
Production Company: Artifact Nonfiction
Director: David Grabias, Executive Producer: Anne Edgar, Producer: Bryce Brentlinger, Segment Producer: Courtney Dickson, DOP: John Minh Tran, Camera Operator: Chris Goll, Camera Assistant: Jake Sherman; Researcher: Greg Mckenna
Post-Production: Artifact Nonfiction
Creative Director: Brian Kessler; Post-Production Producer: Emily Gleicher; Editor: Brad Allen Wilde; Co-Editor: Norman Jonathan Jones; Post Production Services: Post Production, Inc.
About Ubisoft®
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017–18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.
© 2019 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.
About Artifact Studios
Artifact Studios was founded in 2001 to make documentaries that celebrate the human spirit. Its award-winning films and series appear on PBS, HBO, Discovery, and have garnered support from the Sundance Institute, the California Council for the Humanities, CAAM, and ITVS. In addition to creating content for video game publishers for over a decade, Artifact’s Critical Path digital documentary project has tracked the evolution of video games since 2010, and its Girls Level Up initiative has inspired girls around the world to make their own video games since 2017. To learn more about our family of companies including Artifact Nonfiction and Uncle Victor, please visit www.artifactla.com
