Lionsgate | The Hunger Games
Client: Lionsgate
Created at: Watson Design Group
Medium: Narrative, Promotional Film, In-World
Application: Social Marketing
Contributors:
Sway Benns : Creative Director
William Kesling : Creative Director / Editor / Compositor
Eder Anaya : Art Director | 3D Designer
Angelica Maleski : Account Director
Lucas Martinez : VFX Greenscreen Key
Christopher Higginson : ACD
Overview
World building is something that the Hunger Games franchise has become synonymous with and the next title, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, offered us a unique opportunity to showcase how the story's mass propaganda machine came to be. Working closely with Lionsgate, we created a series of in-world content that was shot on location in Berlin with the cast - Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Tom Blyth, and Josh Andrés - in character. This AV content was produced to build a cohesive campaign that focused on immersing fans in the experience of being invited to join The Academy.
Process
In pre-production we laid out several concepts and looks that could be captured, eventually pairing creative down to achievable directions with our limited time and space. In scriptwriting, we honed in on an in-world tone to match each character and to create a deeper sense of authenticity for the viewers.
Onset in Berlin, we were able to take control and guide all aspects of production from acting direction to lighting, and prop placements to cinematography. A green screen and dynamic lighting structure made our set as versatile and compact as possible, setting the stage for three days of efficient talent capture for our concept-driven material, and all B-roll-specific shots as well.
To add more real-world depth to the captures, we prepared a series of 3D background visuals for the green screen that were inspired by Berlin's architecture and buildings that feature in the film. Each background was tailored to each character and scaled according to their posture and appearance, acting as a subtly engaging backdrop that allowed the actors to maintain center stage and deliver their message from the Academy to the audience.
