A rebellious teenager slaves away in a dystopian world, harvesting crystals from a vast grey landscape. This sparkling bounty is given as an offering to a tribal deity, who resides in a shrine guarded by sentinels with green glowing masks, where he is constantly under attack from an army of drones.
Take a moment to imagine what it would be like to live in that world. The text—will take you there.
Pfadfinderei, Moderat’s long-time creative partner for visual works, came up with the innovative idea of using gaming aesthetic and its production tools and invited Sehsucht, to realize the full scope of this ambitious project. Mate Steinforth and the Sehsucht team developed the imaginative, politically charged narrative.
In the early stages of the project it became clear that due to the politically delicate subject matter, photorealistic CGI would be inappropriate. The team of designers and animators decided that the story was better expressed by creating an abstract look for the world, which would in turn allow for more graphic experimentation.
The use of Unreal Engine (software typically used in gaming), coupled with motion capture sequences—recorded at Sehsucht and seamlessly integrated into the 3D scenes—helped to achieve a feeling of “reality” even within this abstract world.
This also opened the door to incorporate a cutting-edge, interactive VR element that makes the experience truly, and uniquely, immersive.
Produced by Sehsucht in Co-operation with Pfadfinderei
Jessica Zittlau, Christian Zschunke, Konrad Weser, Juliette Viger, Christoph Strohfeld, Mate Steinforth, Florian Panzer, Christopher Lenz, Oliver Latta, Saskia Kretzschmann, Hannes Denker, Benjamin Broschinski
Written and directed by Mate Steinforth