Commissioned by Vietnam-based game publisher Whydah to create a cinematic CG trailer that would introduce their new website and help define a stronger, more cohesive brand identity. One of the key challenges was bringing together a portfolio of games, each with its own distinct visual style and audience, under a single creative vision. Working closely with the team at Revenant, my goal was to develop a sophisticated visual language that unified the IRON SAIL collective while remaining authentic to the individual worlds it represented. The resulting film helped establish a stronger brand presence, creating a foundation for future marketing campaigns and a more connected experience for their player community.

Careful consideration was given to every stage of the production, from developing the original concept and script through to final delivery. The goal was to create a cohesive cinematic universe that could unify the IRON SAIL brand while establishing a distinct identity for its future. This involved designing the world, characters, creatures, vehicles, costumes and interface systems, ensuring every creative decision contributed to a consistent visual language. Beyond the visuals, casting of voice talent, music selection and sound design were specifically sourced and created, helping shape the tone and personality of the film from beginning to end.

To achieve the highest possible level of visual fidelity, we adopted a traditional pre-rendered CG pipeline rather than a real-time approach. Environments and effects were developed in Houdini, characters and assets were sculpted in ZBrush, animation was produced in Maya, and clothing was designed and simulated using Marvelous Designer. The final imagery was assembled in Nuke before being colour graded in DaVinci Resolve. This workflow gave the team complete creative control over every frame, allowing us to craft a richly detailed cinematic experience that felt both ambitious in scale and premium in execution.

The film proved to be a major success for both the client and the studio, helping to establish a stronger and more unified identity for the IRON SAIL brand. Its cinematic quality, worldbuilding and attention to detail resonated strongly with audiences, demonstrating how a single piece of content could bring together multiple products under one cohesive vision. The project went on to receive recognition across a number of international award platforms, earning multiple industry accolades and further validating the creative ambition and craftsmanship behind the work. Most importantly, it provided the client with a distinctive visual foundation upon which future campaigns and brand communications could continue to build. The work also caught the attention of Riot Games, ultimately leading to being commissioned to create the Oni Skins trailer for VALORANT, opening the door to one of the studio’s most high-profile gaming collaborations.