The Last Whale Singer - the 2022 animated film

Content creator Transmedia Telescope Animation today announces the release of the first proof-of-concept trailer for its upcoming animated film, The Last Whale Singer (The last singing whale), which gives audiences a glimpse into the future of multi-platform animated content development. Created entirely in Unreal Engine, today's trailer marks the first look at a huge shared universe with an intertwined story that includes an upcoming video game, episodic series, AR / VR projects and more, each created using the same assets designed to the film .

The film The Last Whale Singer (The last singing whale) tells the story of Vincent, a rebellious teenage humpback whale, who must face his fate and save the oceans from the destruction of an ancient evil. Along with the film, the story will expand through a prequel game and several related projects that leverage XR technology, all created and shared within Unreal Engine 5, using a custom pipeline.

“Our plans for The Last Whale Singer they required us to look at how we create content in a different way, which meant we had to develop a new pipeline from scratch, ”said Reza Memari, co-founder and co-CEO of Telescope as the film's screenwriter and director. "The clip is proof that our plan is working, and it's the first of many revelations that we think fans and other studios will love."

Founded in 2018 by Memari and veteran producer and co-CEO Maite Woköck, Telescope Animation was conceived from the outset as a transmedia studio, harnessing the full potential of Unreal Engine. Memari and Woköck determined that a custom designed pipeline within the game engine would allow artists to develop projects simultaneously across multiple platforms, all using the same tools and resources.

Rising tides of financing

In addition to giving audiences a first glimpse of an intertwined story that exists across multiple mediums, today's trailer's The Last Whale Singer (The last singing whale) acts as a proof-of-concept, confirming the full potential of Telescope Animation's ambitions. To speed up the video development process and speed up its release, Telescope received the first of two Epic MegaGrants. Along with financial assistance, Epic also provided extensive technical expertise, but the support didn't stop there.

Following confirmation of the first grant allocated for the trailer, Telescope Animation also received a second MegaGrant to help finalize work on its bespoke pipeline for Unreal Engine 5.

"It's no longer a secret, something special is happening right now in real-time animation and we're thrilled to support talented creators using the Unreal Engine to share stories in whole new ways," shared Chris Kavcsak, head of Epic. MegaGrants. "With The Last Whale Singer , Telescope Animation dives into an ocean of opportunity, building a transmedia universe that can live and grow through a variety of art forms, from the big screen suitable for popcorn to heartwarming XR experiences. ”

Created in-house from the ground up, the Telescope Animation pipeline simplifies the process for artists, game developers, animators and storytellers who want to develop multiple versions simultaneously within Unreal Engine 5. Assets can be created in real time, virtually speeding up the process eliminating rendering times, and therefore shared with other projects. Artists can also create 2D and 3D storyboards directly within the Unreal Engine, while virtual reality cameras further expand the possibilities by giving artists the ability to lay out footage directly within virtual sets. Position and character creation can be procedurally generated, saving time and resources. Telescope is also developing an advanced water simulation, which will be present throughout the Whale Singer universe.

The Last Whale Singer (The last singing whale)

Telescope Animation has also received a one-of-a-kind grant from Creative Europe MEDIA ( culture.ec.europa.eu ), the European Union program in support of the cultural and creative sectors, highlighting the firm's “Innovative business models and tools”. The funding helped Telescope establish its first facilities and promote the development of its proprietary pipeline. Since its founding, Telescope Animation has gone from an ambitious idea to a multi-venue organization, with a gaming / AR / VR-focused studio in the Berlin-Brandenburg region and an animation-focused studio in Hamburg. The staff also saw a significant increase, with a growing stable of full-time and contract artists and production teams helping to bring Telescope visions to life.

“When we founded Telescope Animation, we knew we were creating something new, not just in terms of the content, but in the way we went through the whole process,” said Woköck. "Now that we have all the pieces in place, we will have a lot more to show you in the near future!"

The Last Whale Singer (The last singing whale)

The production of the film The Last Whale Singer will begin later this year, with a theatrical release scheduled for 2025. The prequel game, titled The Last Whale Singer: Rise of the Leviathan , is also currently in development for PC, Nintendo Switch, as well as the PlayStation and Xbox family of consoles. The game's launch will coincide with the release of the film, scheduled for 2025. Additional projects related to the Whale Singer shared universe, as well as two more original IPs in development, will be announced in the future.

The Last Whale Singer will make its official public debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13th. The concept trailer will be on display at the Epic Games booth.

telescopeanimation. com | unrealengine.com