This week we're obsessed with something on the screen.
If you've been putting off watching the show because you don't play League of Legends, now is the time. You're missing out on something really amazing.
The first TV series from Riot Games and French animation studio Fortiche, created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee, landed on the internet in November. Fans and players of League will find references, Easter eggs, and character signatures throughout the show, but any viewer can jump into it and fully appreciate the series' compelling story, nuanced characters, and unique, stunning animation style.
I don't play League of Legends, but I loved it.
The city of Zaun is in Arcane. The credit is given to:
The lore of League tells of the tensions between Piltover and Zaun. The wealthy elite and the shadowy underworld are competing for control of technology.
In Piltover, where a council rules all, scientists Jayce and Viktor create what's known as hextech, which gives anyone the ability to use magic. In Zaun, where Piltover police do regular raids, a bright purple drug called shimmer is turning people into monstrous creatures with super strength, which could prove beneficial in a simmering rebellion. The sisters and protagonists are separated for years after tragic events.
The animation in the series is both hand-painted and computer animated, and is framed within a series of meticulously shot cinematography.
The director of animation for Arcane explained to Mashable that in a typical 3D production, every element from the characters to the background is modelled in three dimensions.
The background and texture on the characters are hand-painted and created to match the environment. 2D animation is used to reinforce the painted look. It is more complicated in the details but it is more or less how you end up with something that looks like an illustration.
Jinx confronted her demons out of the game. The credit is given to:
Millions of people know the lore and characters of League of Legend, so creating an animated series that is based on them comes with a lot of baggage. The facial movements of each character are very complex, and bring a lot of emotion to the table, as well as believability to the characters, who are usually known from a top-down perspective.
Fortiche and Riot worked together to bring these characters to life.
A significant, emotional moment for both of them. The credit is given to:
We worked closely with Riot to make sure the lore was respected. It's important to remember that animation is a different medium than video games, so we had to adapt the characters' animation and create our own style.
We wanted to find a balance between realism and cartoon style. Our characters have semi- realistic proportions, so they have to move and behave in a realistic way. To keep the appeal and avoid any valley effect, we had to use traditional animation techniques. We didn't do motion capture because we wanted to control our acting performance and aesthetic.
It revolves! The credit is given to:
The show's costumes are tailored and elegant for existing and new characters, with show-stopping elements like geometric belt buckles and steampunk glasses. In the fancy city, Piltover officials wear golden adornments on their attire, and police officers wear golden metal facemasks.
In Zaun, characters wear whoever's jacket they can steal, fine- tuning their own steampunk looks from scraps in The Lanes. It's a grimy den of bars, clubs, brothels, and street food vendors, illuminated by smoky green hues and the promise of distraction behind each closed door.
The gang. The credit is given to:
"Designing characters that belong to the well-known intellectual property can be difficult," said Maunoury. We had a blast doing that work with the support of Riot's artists and the trust of Christian Linke and Alex Yee, creators of Arcane.
Fortiche usually begins with a brief from the directors of Arcane, who bring moodboards for the team to reference. After the character designers get their sketches reviewed by Riot and the directors, they also need to be technically approved to make sure the design can be done within budget.
League players will notice the weapons in the show almost immediately, and Fortiche didn't muck around with those, for example, Jinx's punk DIY mechanical chompers and machine gun appear in the game and the show. "Weaponry is a key element for the champion and we wanted to make sure they would be seen by their fans in the show," said Manoury. To make sure the function of the elements was right when our heroes are manipulating them, we adapted them.
It's a lot of a gun to carry around. The credit is given to:
The characters are upstaged by the stage. The interiors and exteriors of League lore are very detailed and often steal the scene they're setting. There is a stark difference between the streets of Zaun and the Art Deco promenades of Piltover. The buildings across the river are being reassembled.
People are itching to be raced across rooftops. The credit is given to:
"These locations exist in the lore of League of Legends, so we didn't start from scratch," said Maunoury. The process is the same as designing a character. The location needs to tell a story and is important as a hero. We are gathering a lot of research to make sure we keep consistency during the design process. If I had to choose between Zaun and Piltover, I would pick Zaun!
Jinx is editing herself with rage in the movie of her life, and you can see it in the scene you are looking at.
- Barthelemy.
One of the biggest differences in animation style that Fortiche plays with in Arcane is the consistent core animation and the bright neon scribbles that accompany Powder/Jinx's inner turmoil. It's a striking, graphic novel-like technique that mixes 3D and 2D elements.
"We usually use that mix for effects like fire, gunshots, smoke," said Maunoury. The idea was to use 2D animation and film scratches to make you think. Jinx is editing herself with rage in the movie of her life, and you can see it in the scene you are looking at. The 2Dfx team did a great job with those drawings. The final look was done by the edit and the compositing team.
Jinx's inner world is not fun to be in. The credit is given to:
If you've never played League of Legends, the animation of Arcane should make you want to. Don't let the fact that you haven't fought on the Rift stop you from enjoying it.
The show is now on the streaming service.
