Video: Deconstructing the animation of Ori and the Blind Forest

Here's a fun hypothetical challenge: Tasked with creating hundreds of character animations that would would blend seamlessly into a painted 2d world, but without any ability to illustrate, what technical and creative tricks could you employ to succeed?

For James Benson, the challenge was all too real: at GDC 2015, the Campo Santo developer and animator of Moon Studios' Ori & The Blind Forest gave a thirty-minute talk outlining his (ultimately successful!) attempt to create thousands of Ghibli-style frames of animation with limited time, people and personal skills.

Focusing almost exclusively on specific technical takeaways and the pros and cons of every decision that was made, Benson's talk is well worth your time watch. Luckily, a recording of his talk has been digitally preserved, and now you can watch it for yourself right here for free on the GDC Vault.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vaultoffers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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