The company behind League of Legends (which is currently the most popular game on the planet), Riot Games, is headquartered here in Santa Monica, and is literally next door to us at Elastic. In an act of neighborly cooperation, Elastic created this cinematic for the annual in-game event they call "the Harrowing." During this time of year, LoL comes out with a ton of new, macabre themed content, and they asked us to help them tell one of the many grim tales surrounding it.
For this I got the chance to do some concept illustration, specifically the design for the converted cart/puppet stage that the bulk of the story takes place inside. The world of LoL has an eclectic lore that blends many different styles and time periods, and the design of the puppeteer's ramshackle pull-cart had to reflect that. Many of the design influences are the same as the ones Tim Burton typically uses; the whole pieces references lots of Gothic, Baroque, and Expressionist architecture and art techniques.
One idea we had during production was that the puppeteer and his travelling show have existed for a long time, acting as an omen for the Black Mist, so the surfaces are all very worn and weathered, with chipped paint and improvised repair jobs everywhere. He arrives in cities across Valoran and tells the people a story masked as a children's puppet show, when really it's a warning of their impending doom.
The stage front is inspired somewhat by Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," and there are mechanized elements hidden inside the cart that activate when the puppeteer cranks a handle in the front. It had to to have a slightly magical quality to it, as though the cart itself didn't seem large enough to house the sets and moving pieces of the show. The surrounding facade includes relief sculptures of crows, glowing spirits, and wisps of black mist, all of which hint at the haunting spirits and death to come.
My favorite detail is the row of candles that has left wax trails down the front of the cart, giving a hint at how many times the puppeteer has performed this show for the unassuming crowd of onlookers.
Adobe Photoshop CC
Yarrrrrrr.
For this I got the chance to do some concept illustration, specifically the design for the converted cart/puppet stage that the bulk of the story takes place inside. The world of LoL has an eclectic lore that blends many different styles and time periods, and the design of the puppeteer's ramshackle pull-cart had to reflect that. Many of the design influences are the same as the ones Tim Burton typically uses; the whole pieces references lots of Gothic, Baroque, and Expressionist architecture and art techniques.
One idea we had during production was that the puppeteer and his travelling show have existed for a long time, acting as an omen for the Black Mist, so the surfaces are all very worn and weathered, with chipped paint and improvised repair jobs everywhere. He arrives in cities across Valoran and tells the people a story masked as a children's puppet show, when really it's a warning of their impending doom.
The stage front is inspired somewhat by Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," and there are mechanized elements hidden inside the cart that activate when the puppeteer cranks a handle in the front. It had to to have a slightly magical quality to it, as though the cart itself didn't seem large enough to house the sets and moving pieces of the show. The surrounding facade includes relief sculptures of crows, glowing spirits, and wisps of black mist, all of which hint at the haunting spirits and death to come.
My favorite detail is the row of candles that has left wax trails down the front of the cart, giving a hint at how many times the puppeteer has performed this show for the unassuming crowd of onlookers.
Adobe Photoshop CC
Yarrrrrrr.
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