This graphic project investigates the process of adapting content from one medium for another, in this case, the pixel-based video game, Hotline Miami, into a live-action film trailer: First Contact.
Major project
First Contact
Storyboard Page: Apartment Scene
Miami Hotline is a top-down, pixel-based aggressive shooter which gained a cult following for its bizarrely dressed characters and unbridled, graphic violence. The plot follows an ordinary man in 1980s Miami who dons various animal masks to commit heinous acts of violence against an unnamed gangster organisation. Generating a script and storyboard of the key storytelling elements of the game were crucial underpinning steps to establishing what should be in the live-action trailer. Both script and storyboard ensure the creative vision is easily accessible for both the camera crew and actors.
This storyboard page, drawn in Photoshop with a Waccom tablet, doubled as a practical plan of scouting locations and camera types.
Storyboard Page: Office Scene
One of the difficulties of creating the film trailer was knowing how much of the game's plot should be revealed or changed. Key storytelling elements of the game, such as the protagonist's murderous outbreaks being fuelled by subliminal messages delivered through a hotline, were only hinted at through emphases on phone usage. Since the trailer would focus on visuals, storyboarding was crucial in charting how these subtle plot points could be conveyed visually without the need of dialogue or speech. Colour was used selectively to focus on narrative, allowing character and colour design to be explored as separate processes.
Also drawn in Photoshop, this storyboard takes into consideration hardware options more critically, with the project's limited budget in mind.
Character Showcase I
Character Showcase I and II show the actors involved with the First Contact trailer in Costumes selected and sourced by Steve. Photographed in Loughborough University's Photograph Hub using a DSLR camera, the outfits reflect the game's iconic animal masks and the neon-infused 1980s Miami nightlife setting.
Character Showcase II
As a result of the low-budget, Steve was forced to be Creative filming on the Loughborough Campus using a smartphone for a majority the shots, and sourcing talented volunteers to act within the trailer. The project's outcome celebrates their creativity and commitment to the project as much as Steve's, and he is forever grateful for their efforts.
After Effects: Film Footage Editing
A combination of Adobe Premier Pro and Adobe After Effects were used to edit the trailer together and add a variety of visual effects. After Effects' value was in colour grading footage and adding VHS distortions to age the trailer appropriately.
FL Studios: Sound Production
FL Studios, an industry standard music production software, was used in conjunction to sound effects and sound samples sourced from Splice, as well as Daydreamer's 'Travelling Light' from the 'Senses' album to complete the audio-visual experience.
Steve Thomas
Major project
First Contact