Creative Directors Andy Hall and Noah Harris and the team at Elastic proudly reveal the launch campaign for Gears of War 5, the latest chapter of XBOX’s popular Gears of War franchise.

Of the unique 360-style approach, Executive Producer Luke Colson says, “Elastic worked closely with all of the partners involved in launching the game – 215 McCann, XBOX and The Coalition. It was a remarkable collaboration across the board, leading us to seamlessly produce, design and animate these stunning three pieces of launch content.”

This massive visual undertaking has earned Elastic a spot on the Clio Entertainment shortlist, as well as in-depth interviews in Communication Arts, Computer Graphics World, Animation World Network, Muse by Clio, and more.

The piece that highlights the game’s renewed focus on character-led drama is the “Kait, Broken” Trailer shown at E3, which introduced Gears 5’s new female protagonist, Kait Diaz, a conflicted hero torn between her loyalty to her squad and a mysterious pull to her sworn enemy.

Andy Hall’s ability for capturing believability in characters was called upon in this collaboration with 215 McCann. Set to Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend,” the film is a stark character study of Kait, as various identities and painful memories try to tear through her emotional psyche. Working with the actor from the game, Elastic’s footage from the motion capture shoot was then applied with a heavy dose of CG by a large team of animators.

Creative Director Noah Harris envisioned the :90 Main Title Sequence, and along with the Elastic team, worked hand-in-hand with The Coalition to create the sequence which takes the player on a visceral CG odyssey through the interior of Kait’s body, where the lava-like bubbling of her blood cells and the arterial flood create a nightmarish landscape.

The Launch Trailer, “The Chain,” follows Kait on an action-packed minute-long journey, as she battles obstacles both real and imagined. Set to a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic sung by Amy Lee of Evanescence, “The Chain” required a combination of character work with large-scale FX to create the setting – a desert during a category 4 storm, where all hell is breaking loose.