CASE STUDY | VALORANT | CINEMATIC TRAILERS
SPECIALIST CREATURE & CHARACTER PRODUCTION
FOR VALORANT
Working with Moog Studios, DARK SANDWICH supplied specialist modelling, rigging and animation
for the creatures and characters in Valorant’s cinematic skinline trailers.
Moog Studios, on behalf
of Riot Games
Valorant cinematic
skinline trailers
Creature & Character modeling, rigging and animation
Approx. 1 month
per trailer
THE CHALLENGE
Each trailer had a production window of roughly one month. The work had to meet the quality and style established by Valorant’s cinematics, while fitting into Moog Studios’ delivery schedule.
Moog Studios needed a partner with the capacity to handle different mixes of modelling, rigging and animation, depending on what each trailer required.
The animation was hand-keyed, which meant close attention to movement, performance and the established visual style. Creature work added more demands, with rigs and animation built around the anatomy and movement of each creature. The challenge was to deliver that specialist work consistently, within the turnaround each content update required.
OUR APPROACH
DARK SANDWICH’s contribution changed from trailer to trailer.
ONE PARTNER, CONNECTED DISCIPLINES
Modeling, rigging and animation through one partner, with the team adjusted to each trailer.
A TEAM SIZED TO THE TRAILER
Typically 2 to 3 animators, 1 rigger and 1 modeler, adjusted to what each trailer needed.
BUILT AROUND THE CREATURE
Rigs and animation were built around the anatomy and movement of each creature, rather than adapted from a generic setup.
HAND-KEYED PERFORMANCE
Recent work included a giant dragon and a giant snake, produced in a realistic style with hand-keyed animation.
THE RESULTS
An initial trailer engagement became a recurring partnership, with 7 Valorant cinematic skinline trailers at the time of writing.
CINEMATIC TRAILERS
PRODUCTION WINDOW
ANIMATORS PER BATCH
ANIMATION
Consistent quality and reliable turnaround led Moog Studios to return to DARK SANDWICH across successive trailers, and established us as a trusted specialist partner within Moog Studios’ production pipeline for Valorant cinematic content.
SUPPORTING RECURRING CINEMATIC PRODUCTION
Recurring content needs a partner that can hit an
established quality bar across changing briefs.
Our work with Moog Studios shows how modeling, rigging and animation can work together to support an ongoing cinematic content pipeline, from character animation to complete creature builds, inside short cinematic schedules.