Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros) or abbreviated as WB, or WBEI) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation, television, and video games, and is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
Design Challenge
This design challenge is to “bring the WB logo into the world of the movie” it is introducing. Create a 3D version of the logo specifically for one of the following movies that are set to hit theaters 2024 and 2025. This animation will be used for trailers in the theater, online, and on TV.
Research
The movie selected “Mortal Kombat 2” is anticipated to be released October 24th 2025, and so far has very little data available on the internet. I started my research by watching the first Mortal Kombat movie from 2021. Watching this movie gave me some context on the series, as well as watching all of the cinematics for the new MK1 video game that came out a few years ago as well.
The client suggested this project to be done utilizing Unreal engine 5, which is a trending software. However, I had limited experience with it until this point. Fortunately I was given an opportunity to have a meeting with Joseph Jobst, a lead VFX artist at Illfonic Games, former employee at Rockstar games, and teacher at Ringling College of Art and Design. I was able to learn some tips for Unreal engine and the best way to start my journey with the this project.
Mortal Kombat 2 was shot primarily in “Queensland Australia”. From what I researched, I was able to find out that the movie is about the next tournament that takes place between the Earth-realm and outlands. It also explores more of Outworld. The little bit of research I was able to gather helped form my three concepts for this project.
Concept 1- Raiden
Scene opens in a dark, stormy atmosphere, with a rumbling sound of thunder echoing in the distance. The camera slowly zooms in from a low angle, focusing on an empty, cracked stone floor, shrouded in mist.
Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder erupts, and a bolt of blue lightning (Raiden’s signature color) violently strikes the center of the ground. The energy from the lightning causes the floor to shatter and fracture outward in a radial pattern, shaking the ground beneath it.
As the energy dissipates, the iconic WB logo is revealed glowing with a faint, electric blue aura. Sparks and electricity continue to dance along the edges of the logo as it takes form as the shield has absorbed the lightning.
Arena Conquest: The WB logo is displayed on a massive banner in an arena or battlefield, fluttering and rippling in the wind. As combatants fight below, the camera zooms in on the banner, when the sandstorm subsides it reveals the logo surrounded above a circle of banners dominating the field.
Reference
Concepts
Reference
Concept 2- Arena Conquest
Design 1 - Photorealistic 3D
Staying traditional to the style of Warner Bros intros
Characteristics: Realistic 3D texturing to create a very high quality logo animation for warner bros
Why it Works: Stays traditional to warner bros format
Design Elements
Color
Color Varied depending on which environment was selected. Dark colors were selected to create this mood of each shot to portray the theme of war in the MK2 Movie
Styleframes
Selected Design
2nd Pass
At this point in time another Idea for animation was requested. So i split this one concept into two potential options
Option 1
Photorealistic 3D
Characteristics: Realistic 3D texturing to create a very high quality logo animation for warner bros
Why it Works: Stays traditional to warner bros format
Explorations
1st Pass
Option 2
Motion tests
3rd Pass
Option 2 was selected here is the third pass in both requested formats.
Revisions
1920x1080
This revision was done without a 2:40x1 format as it was a test to finalize the motion.
2:40x1
Technical Execution
This project was completed primarily in Unreal engine 5, here is the detailed process on how each part of this animation was created. To summarize the process, I created the warner bros logo in Cinema4D, then built a landscape in Unreal Engine 5 to fit the mood of Mortal Kombat as per client’s request to utilize unreal engine for this project. The next step was to create VFX in Houdini, I have created cloud sims and several FX in the fight scene in the introduction of the animation, as well as used several Maximo assets to showcase the idea of fighting in an efficient way. With some final adjustments and post processing in AE I was able to create a very visually appealing way to showcase Mortal Kombat through warner brothers
Final Animation
Learning and outcomes
When producing this project, I originally had a plan to all of this in cinema4D, when I was asked to produce this project in unreal engine, I was caught off guard. However it provided the opportunity to learn a brand new software and to develop a new piece and showcase the ability to adapt. This project taught me how efficient and useful unreal engine can be when 3D projects are needed to be completed efficiently without the need of excessive render time. I learned how I can efficiently utilize unreal engine to create new scenarios and styles of 3D I was originally unaware of, and it allows for new scenarios to efficiently plan for projects because this project introduced it to me.
1920x1080
2:40x1