The Quebec animation studio Squeeze recently teamed up with game developer Supercell to create a series of animated films designed with the Unreal Engine 5 game engine. A bold bet that allowed Squeeze to increase substantially the efficiency of its teams while implementing an even more advanced service offer for its studio.
Produced in partnership with Finnish studio Supercell, the three animated films were part of an online advertising campaign to promote the mobile game Clash of Clans. After the campaign ended, the films were featured on the Squeeze, Supercell and Unreal Engine web platforms, achieving an exceptional number of views among fans around the world.
Number of views, in 45 days, of the three animations produced by Squeeze with Unreal Engine 5 for Supercell’s Clash of Clans game
Using Unreal Engine 5 made it possible to have multiple teams working on the same video in parallel, rather than working one after the other, as the traditional “serial” editing approach requires. The arrangement of the elements and the lighting, for example, could thus be carried out at the same time, which greatly reduced the production time. Using a real-time tool in the context of film creation also allows the camera to be moved freely within the digital environment, in order to evaluate several components from different points of view.
According to Thomas Busque Stefanka, CG Unreal Supervisor at Squeeze, this innovative approach allows for better collaboration between the various units involved and ultimately enhances the quality of the delivered project. “Using Unreal Engine 5 gives our teams the chance to work together, which allows them to reduce the time invested in project coordination and focus on the quality of the final product. However, we need to change our methodology slightly, but this is more of an adaptation than a disadvantage. »
The ambition to use defector technology to perfect the way of creating animated films was born from the side of Supercell. It was the Finnish developer who challenged Squeeze to redefine the limits of current ways of doing things. For its part, the owner of the Unreal 5 game engine, the American studio Epic Games, also wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of its product in a cinematic context. The Montreal team therefore set up the roadmap, piloted the project and played the role of facilitator between the three partners throughout the development.
According to Teddy Wong, director of technology at Squeeze, the success of this project is a way for the Quebec company to position itself at the forefront of new ways of doing things.
In addition to collaborating with video game studios like Supercell, Squeeze also shares its expertise with renowned movie industry partners like Marvel, Universal, and Warner Bros. The studio is currently in production of a first 3D animated feature film, the details of which have not yet been revealed. He is also the creator of the youth series Cracké – La famille s’explode, offered on the Télé-Québec website.