“One of the first movies I ever saw was a horror movie. It was The Exorcist. My dad didn’t know what we were getting into and what we were about to see… Or did he? It was in Korea. I was 8 years old. It was terrifying and yet exhilarating. Marco shares my admiration for this genre, along with first-person shooter games. I guess we are both adrenaline junkies at heart. So when Joonas from Next Games came to us with this opportunity, we jumped at the chance to direct AMC’s The Walking Dead: “Our World,” the augmented reality game trailer.”
-Marie Hyon, Director
“We played a lot of first-person shooter games in our lives and seeing the world like that always gets my adrenaline pumping right away. We used a head mounted camera to get the first-person perspective to blend reality with gaming. I think every gamer will be pretty excited to see this perspective in the real world. In AR games, the real world is combined with CG rendered in real-time. We wanted the walkers in our film to look well integrated, but at the same time look like game assets, keeping them low polygon characters. AR is so fascinating, there will be a lot more coming in the near future…”
-Marco Spier, Director
“Daydreaming about our world as a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic nightmare is a favorite pre-occupation of the modern world. And we got to help make it a reality! This was an amazing opportunity for us to imagine and create scenarios where the complex and horrifying world of The Walking Dead could break the fourth wall and enter our own. Integrating AMC and Next Games zombies and characters into a real world narrative was a lot of fun, and a rich ground for creative problem solving.This led to creepy lighting scenarios, classic scares and a sense of claustrophobia, panic, and the relief of escaping. It was the perfect mix of storytelling and technology.”
– Oliver Castle, Production Designer
“This game is similar to Pokemon GO, a location based zombie game, where The Walking Dead infestation happens in your world with real world maps. You can fight walkers, rescue and build settlements, collect loot and weapons, unlock characters from the TV show to join your group, and work against other players to regain control of your world. I know I’d be hooked on playing this game once it comes out. Who doesn’t want Daryl to join their group?
We brainstormed on the story thinking about the situations and individuals. What type of change in their character or environment would have occurred when playing the game? We like that the mom is a badass thrill seeker able to wield a samurai sword, and the male nurse in the old folks home intentionally finds a room full of zombies to kill. He’s so stoked to blast them away. The girl in the mini-mart is a bit more timid, but she gets it done too.
We wanted to introduce our heroes in the most mundane, normal, every-day life as possible. To do this, we shot with static cameras to enhance the routine or boredom and have the tension build to a scream. From there we cut to all the first-person POV action shots that feel super dynamic and action-packed. Without the trust and open mindedness of Joonas, Next Games and AMC, this project could not have happened, so we have them to thank.”
-Marie Hyon, Director
