Between video game and narrative work, has virtual reality as a medium found its definitive form? Probably not, if we look at the multiplicity of experiences available – and sometimes several formats for a single proposition: 360 film, interactive proposals or physical installations. French studio Atlas V is breaking new ground with its latest title, presented as a world premiere at the 81st Venice Film Festival: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM, an animated and interactive feature co-produced with Bandai Namco Filmworks (Japan).
Interview with Arnaud Colinart, veteran producer of new writing and XR for almost 15 years, co-founder of Atlas V studio and passionate about Japanese animated films. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM will be available exclusively for Meta Quest 2 & 3 on October 3rd 2024 at 10:00AM PST (11% discount for wishlists and pre-orders).
From independent productions to franchises: finding a virtuous model
The XR industry is moving forward with the certainty of offering a new format of experiences for the public, at the crossroads of many artistic disciplines. Online, the Meta and Steam stores offer a multitude of successful video games. But purely narrative content remains dependent on the goodwill of broadcasters and the intentions of online platforms, failing to reach the entire virtual reality audience despite the quality of the titles. This is the observation of Arnaud Colinart and the Atlas V team of producers in 2021, “we were coming out of a particularly intense phase of production around independent works: GLOOMY EYES, BATTLESCAR, MIRROR, SPHERES, MADRID NOIR… While we’re proud of the content we’ve produced, we’ve identified financing and audience issues – and an impact on the development of our catalog. We want to produce fiction and genre works. This often requires substantial budgets, without corresponding to an online market reality where audiences are drawn to fully interactive experiences like video games.”
The studio’s strategy then consisted in asking its partners (at the time, producers Colum Slevin and Yelena Rachitsky at Meta) to define the criteria corresponding to their research. The desire to bring in licenses and brands was born, with the obvious aim of offering world-famous universes to a public already equipped with headsets. At the time, several brands had already tried their hand at virtual reality, notably ILMxLAB with VADER IMMORTAL and STAR WARS: TALES FROM THE GALAXY’S EDGE. And later, other attempts were made at Disney, with the short film from The Snow Queen, MYTH: A FROZEN TALE. For Atlas V, discussions with international rights holders led to two initial projects: WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE GRAND GETAWAY with Aardman in the UK (see our interview 1 / 2), and MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM with Bandai Namco Filmworks. And two simultaneous production start-ups in early 2022!
What may appear to be primarily a business opportunity is in fact the result of an in-depth discussion. For the studio, as for the rights holders, it’s essential to find the right collaboration – which isn’t just an economic agreement. There’s the obvious respect for the original work, characters and universes. But above all, a synergy between producers to allocate the right resources to the right place. “In our discussions with creative studios like Aardman or Bandai, there’s always a real quest for quality. In concrete terms, this means defining the responsibilities of our creative teams and theirs. We have to meet their quality standards, both creatively and in terms of the production process,” explains Arnaud Colinart.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM, an animated film first and foremost
It was with the help of English producer Andrew Frain (Kai-tama Entertainment Ltd, executive producer on the first feature film GHOST IN THE SHELL in 1995) that Atlas V met Bandai Namco Filmworks. The aim was to produce a true segment of the Gundam franchise, in total continuity with existing films, series or video games. “We needed to break away from the traditional pre-existing formats, while remaining focused on narrative content and incorporating the Gundam mythology. That’s how we came up with the idea of producing a 90-minute anime in virtual reality,” explains Arnaud Colinart. At Meta, producer Ryan Genji Thomas (formerly of Dreamworks) confirms the platform’s interest in immersive animation experiences. If, in the end, SILVER PHANTOM includes some 20 interactive minutes, it’s also to meet the needs of the medium and appeal to all audiences.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM is an intense international co-production, with its interplay of time zones and cross-discussions – between online meetings, deferred schedules and the French team traveling to Japan for several weeks at a time. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM was produced between the two countries, with art direction and direction in the hands of Kenichi Suzuki for Bandai Namco Filmworks, and immersive production on the French side with Atlas V and Lyon-based studio Albyon. Arnaud Colinart: “There was a strong acculturation stage in both directions, to respect the franchise and its imperatives (identity, rules of the universe…), but also to bring the Japanese team to the discovery of virtual reality and fulfill the promise of an immersive anime”. The aim is clear: to complement the existing offering on platforms, without turning it into a video game.
The difference not only between two countries, but also the difference between the production methods of Japanese animation and French VR production was one of the things we had to cautiously integrate. Creating new formats for storyboards, checking CG models inside the headset, all of the pipeline for this title had to be created from scratch.
Kenichi Suzuki, the director of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM
The central element confirming the choices made by the producers is the delivery of a prototype (vertical slice). “The inherent quality of this first part of the production immediately reassured our partners, particularly in terms of the visual quality Bandai was asking for. And while most of the French team had grown up with Japanese anime, and therefore had many references in this field, we had to go further in our knowledge of the license’s aesthetics, artistic background, etc.” explains Arnaud Colinart. Access to the Gundam universe, in addition to the films and episodes, therefore took the form of real documentation on the very design of the armors, characters and environments.
Gundam is a Sci-Fi title at its core, so it was quite obvious that it will be a great title for XR experience. Using CG not only for mechs but also for characters allows viewers to explore and experience the Gundam world as real as it gets. The concept was “Going inside of the Gundam universe and piloting life-sized mobile suits”, a shared dream among Gundam fans. Having this concept in mind, we integrated looking at Gundam in the docks, spacewalk experience, and other never seen experiences into the story.
Kenichi Suzuki, the director of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM
The film also incorporates drawing sequences (sakuga) around certain flashbacks. A proposal that reinforces these sequences, less interactive of course, but very strong narratively, which really give the impression of watching an immersive film. “It was Bandai’s and the director’s wish to use traditional animation techniques in the project. And that’s at the heart of what we want to defend with the idea of immersive animation. There’s a logic of 6DOF animation, with 2D and 3D mixes and video, to create a real narrative experience,” explains Arnaud Colinart.
However, the methodology used to produce VR video games is taken as a reference when designing this original animated film. The Atlas V team (and distributor Astrea) is making sure that it stays close to existing uses. And as with WALLACE & GROMIT at the end of 2023, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM will be offered with an add-on in mixed reality. A bonus for the public, but also a marketing argument to keep up with the latest XR innovations.
Beyond the format, an entire universe to adapt: Gundam
This was an absolute condition: to add a new chapter to a mythology spanning almost 40 years, and several thousand hours of content with its codes, characters and stories. Over and above the technical discussions, Bandai brought its knowledge of the franchise and the design of feature-length animated films to the table. In addition to the presence of scriptwriters who know the Gundam universe by heart, Japanese director Kenichi Suzuki is in charge of the project, and of discussions with Gaël Chaize, the technical director, and the French teams.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM begins with an introductory reminder of what Gundam is (the Federation/Zeon war, armor…). An obvious necessity from a Western point of view, but obviously not necessary for a Japanese audience. But as VR platforms are by nature international, it was necessary to have a preliminary statement before jumping into the adventure. The film is set in Universal Century 0096 (for the benefit of fans – here’s a chronological guide to previous episodes), and incorporates many of the franchise’s events. Enthusiasts of this universe will therefore have a head start on understanding the whole, even if this VR film can be viewed without necessarily catching up on hundreds of hours of programming.
What really stands out on first viewing is the presence of these giant mecha. The Gundam mobile suits in virtual reality are truly impressive! And while at first glance one might imagine that designing giant robots in VR isn’t necessarily complex, the devil is in the detail…. And respect for the universe’s graphic charter. Arnaud Colinart: “Our technical team spent a lot of time on textures and shaders to get the right contours for each shape. And this had to correspond to a real similarity in the look of the robots between VR and classic anime! Not to mention optimization issues, which were the subject of numerous exchanges with Bandai Namco Filmworks“. Initial feedback on this point has been very positive, with the look and rendering of the armor paying homage to the franchise. Even with the technical limitations of real-time engines, and ultimately VR headsets, it’s confirmed that the film’s quality will be optimum.
One of the most popular settings within the Gundam series coming to VR has created huge excitement among fans. There are some concerned voices among Gundam fans about Gundam jumping into this new technology. However, Gundam has always been challenging new methods of experience and expressions, we believe Gundam fans will be able to enjoy this new experience with this title.
Kenichi Suzuki, the director of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: SILVER PHANTOM
What next?
In addition to working towards these recognized brands, and even future titles of the same level, Atlas V is exploiting its own licenses. A 2D video game adaptation of GLOOMY EYES has already been announced, as has an animated feature film (MADRID NOIR is also in development in this format). Will the future of XR production lie in multi-media exploitation of these creations? “We’re obviously keen to develop original universes. But the economic reality of VR is still severely limiting us,” admits Arnaud Colinart, ”so we have to look for well-known names to support the creative effort, and win over the public. It’s still difficult to finance such big-budget works, whether interactive films or games”. The boom in certain markets, such as Japan, with its growing number of immersive enthusiasts, confirms the intentions of certain studios to bring national or international licenses to new media. And to help immersive creation break down barriers.
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