LogInMembers of the Floating Rock Studio team told us about the production process behind the trailer for their Kyoryu project, discussing art direction, animation, and the tech side of things.
Introduction to Floating Rock
Floating Rock Studio was founded by Lukas Niklaus, Garrick Rawlingson, Stephanie Parker, and Laurent Herveic, each Director with over 10 years of experience in the film industry, aspired to establish a space to empower their team, fuel their passions, and embrace creativity. Floating Rock started as a vendor studio, offering quality animation and asset work for clients.
The studio is developing rapidly but steadily at nearly 4 years old, VC backed by lead investor Hillfarrance, an investment of 4 million dollars, as featured in Variety and NBR. Harnessing the 4 million, Floating Rock has super-charged its ambitious dream studio of building a world-class team while expanding its IP division.
The Beginnings of Kyōryū
Amidst the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Japan, genetically re-engineered dinosaurs have survived humans and become the dominant species. Ancient primal instincts ignite modern tribal wars, and the ultimate survivors must navigate a world where the balance of power has shifted in ways no one could have foreseen.
Projects like Kyōryū are bolstered by Floating Rock’s Pitchfest, a platform for storytellers to develop strong pitches with industry experts. The Creator of Kyōryū, Benjamin Mulot, is an esteemed Floating Rock animator specializing in creature animation. Mulot has over a decade of experience in the film industry, his animations have featured in major films such as Jumanji, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Avatar 2.
Upon hearing about Pitchfest, Benjamin Mulot pitched Kyōryū to the Directors who were captivated by his concept. Both parties saw an opportunity to create a spectacular series together. “I am grateful for the opportunity of laying the potential pathway for future creators that may come from Pitchfest. Floating Rock and Hillfarrance believed in my project from the beginning, supporting me throughout the process of creating an epic pitch deck and fulfilling my vision of a breathtaking trailer. Floating Rock and their team removed hurdles that I could not on my own, which allowed me to focus on the creative vision of Kyōryū,” says Benjamin.
Benjamin aspired to share a heartfelt narrative centered around cherished memories with his late father, intertwining his passions for animation and dinosaurs. Throughout his formative years, Benjamin's dad wholeheartedly encouraged and actively participated in his deep-rooted enthusiasm for dinosaurs. Together, they embarked on a lifelong journey, exploring various destinations teeming with dinosaur-related experiences, paleontological sites, museums, and exhibitions.
Tools & Software
Floating Rock used Autodesk Maya for animation and imported it into Unreal Engine 4. The vast potential in Unreal called for exploration. To achieve a painterly look, we utilized EbSynth and compositing. Steffen Schubert, with a strong art background, created the look using custom stable diffusion models to handcraft stylized keyframes by painting on top of the renders. He then blended the EbSynth passes and compositing to integrate them into the shots. This took a lot of work to create a smooth result on top of removing all artifacts and glitches that would sometimes appear. Creating a unique look proved to be a significant challenge in itself and we are so stoked with the results.
Main Challenges
The main challenge was to create a narrative and story without dialogue while persisting in the face of doubts about its viability. We aimed to craft a concise narrative for the trailer that wouldn't reveal too much of the story but would allow the audience to understand and relate to the characters in a short span of time.
One aspect we valued from the beginning was the juxtaposition between the tenderness of the father-son relationship and the harsh, violent world that coexisted. This was our opportunity to engage the audience within the world and leave them eager for more.
The Kyōryū Team Break Down Aspects of the Journey So Far
Shape Language/Art Direction Consulting
Kate Venables: For Kyōryū, the very concept of 'Dinosaurs in modern Tokyo' is exhilarating because it blends two elements that don't logically fit together, yet you can't help but anticipate the cool outcome when they coexist. The art direction primarily revolves around the notion of contrasting opposing elements, as well as embracing the depth and visual splendor of Japanese culture, history, and art. This is evident in our choice to stage gory raptor fights amidst the gentle descent of cherry blossoms and the striking geometric shapes of a Torii path. These elements encapsulate the sense of contrast and balance we aim to achieve in our visual language of shape and color. We distinguish our various dinosaur clans through thematic colors, juxtaposing the neon vibrancy of modern Tokyo with the subtler, earthy qualities of our triceratops' temple hall.
Our goal was to make the art and design both striking and subtly nuanced, especially in character design. We aimed to convey the enhanced intelligence of our dinosaurs through culturally informed cues. We are committed to staying true to the biology of dinosaurs while also offering a unique and intriguing twist that serves as a vehicle for storytelling.
Our dimetrodons draw inspiration from the yakuza, featuring tattoos, koi and snakeskin patterns, slicked-back hair, and missing limbs. Our T-Rexes are undeniably Samurai-inspired, providing a strong hint of their character and nobility. Our Triceratops exhibit a sense of ceremony and culture, inspired by the ethos of kintsugi, the organic nature of cracked glazing pottery techniques, and the traditions of geisha.
At every turn, we strive to pay homage to what we adore about Japanese culture while crafting distinctive and captivating dinosaur characters that introduce a fresh and exciting dimension to the genre.
Animation/Acting/Story for the Trailer
Benjamin Mulot: The animation aspect of Kyōryū has been and will continue to be quite challenging. My aim is to tell a story filled with complex emotions and communication without relying on any dialogue. We needed to convey everything through head movements, dinosaur bird noises, and body language, reminiscent of the silent movie era.
In terms of acting, the characters had to draw inspiration from birds, using all the tools that dinosaurs offer, including their tail, feathers, snout, and eyes. We allowed for some creative freedom with the eyebrows, adding subtle movements to enhance crucial close-up scenes.
For me, the most critical element of Kyōryū is the story, which serves as a metaphor for the relationship between my dad and me, projected onto the characters Tori and Yama. Just as I've always been captivated by dinosaurs (and still am), Tori is passionate about humans, and my dad has been unwavering in his support for my passion throughout my life. Yama, the dad in the story, will play a pivotal role in assisting and protecting his son Tori as they navigate the world of Kyōryū, uncovering their past and origins.
The Tech Side
Laurent Herveic: Dimetrodon was created by myself, Laurent, and Raul, using Maya, ZBrush, and Substance 3D Painter for asset creation. Prism served as the asset production tool, facilitating seamless integration between various software applications, including Unreal. We opted for the alembic format due to its flexibility, as the final output is intended for geocaching. However, several constraints need to be adhered to in order to ensure smooth functionality within Unreal.
For the polygons, specific and unique shader assignments were necessary. These shaders were developed within Unreal and were automatically assigned during the import of the alembic bake. Not utilizing a version control system presented a challenge we are not eager to repeat. Initially, we believed that working with sub-levels would foster a collaborative environment, but we later discovered that even sub-level collaboration necessitates the implementation of a version control system. We have since learned from this experience.
How the Project Was Created With FV POV
Lukas Niklaus: After securing our initial round of investment, we required a proof of concept project to not only assess our pipeline but also to demonstrate the potential for participants in Pitchfest. With a clear vision in mind, Benji dedicated two months to brainstorming, sketching, and writing independently before presenting his project to us. It was a perfect fit, as we had a compelling concept, a talented creator, and a unique opportunity to bring it to life. Consequently, we decided to fund this as our proof of concept project.
After finalizing the necessary legal arrangements (as part of the Pitchfest process, Floating Rock acquires a stake in the intellectual property with terms highly favorable to the artists), we began generating concept art with renowned artists. Chase Stone commenced character development for the T-Rex characters, and shortly after, Gaelle Seguillon joined to create key illustrations. Additionally, we were fortunate to secure the services of Julien Gauthier, who produced several exceptional keyframe illustrations.
Subsequently, we entered the pre-production phase. Benji, with support from well-known figures like Sidney Kombo-Kitombo, through Third Pole, had already developed a fully previsualized sequence. We refined it until we had a compelling sequence that conveyed the emotional journey we wanted the audience to experience. Considering our focus on the cineplay aspect of production and its future potential, we selected Unreal as our renderer, which had a significant impact on our pipeline. We aimed for a painterly look, and accordingly, we developed assets to support this style as we moved forward. In hindsight, this decision was one of our most significant oversights. For our next trailer, we plan to develop the final look much earlier and in greater detail, recognizing budget constraints as a key factor. Now that we have a more established pipeline, we are better prepared for our next trailer.
Our work encompassed a range of software, including Maya, ZBrush, Houdini, Mari, and more. Thanks to the invaluable contributions of artists like Marie Tricart, we had a meticulously crafted color script that significantly influenced our lighting. Our exceptional lighting artist, Fabio Stabel, brought our vision to life within Unreal.
The team that collaborated on this project was exceptional, and the experience allowed us to learn not only about the production process but also the tools and new pipeline requirements.
Conclusion
The trailer was crafted with meticulous attention and care, straight from the hearts of Floating Rock’s core team. When we released the trailer, it was a rollercoaster of emotions – excitement, stress, and vulnerability. Soon, we were overwhelmed by the amount of traction and positive reactions from Kyōryū, our first intellectual property! It’s been amazing to see the appreciation of our tremendous passion and love invested in the craft and the story.
The studio is incredibly proud to share a sneak peek into the world of Kyōryū, which is currently envisioned as a limited series. We wanted to release the teaser as a type of beacon, to see what other creative, strategic, and financial partners we could attract to join us along our journey of developing this property. And, with such a massive world to explore, we’ve decided to simultaneously craft multiple storylines, one of which is planned for a video game format, ‘Cineplay’. While people will only be able to experience the story to its full depth by both playing the game and watching the series, each medium will also be able to stand as its own individual and rich tales. Our goal is for the two media to interlace together in a seamless way that builds a world we’ve never seen before.
Floating Rock is thrilled to support and produce upcoming original projects and is looking forward to the emerging future of telling stories.