Polish-based production company drops live-action look at the making of Relic Entertainment’s hugely popular strategy game set during World War II.
Platige Image first produced a full CGI trailer for Relic Entertainment’s real-time strategy game Company of Heroes, released by SEGA, in 2021. Then, in 2022, the Poland-based production studio was once again tasked with producing a trailer; this time, for Company of Heroes 3 – North Africa, it was also responsible for most aspects of the production, from casting and filming to digital VFX work and fully CG scenes. With the release of the next installment of Company of Heroes, Platige Image has prepared a behind-the-scenes video depicting what it was like to develop the game.
Set in WWII, the real-time strategy game, Company of Heroes 3 – North Africa, was introduced to players via a four-minute cinematic trailer produced by Platige Image, directed by Tomek Suwalski, winner of the Young Director Award at Cannes. The trailer blends live-action footage with VFX to offer an interpretation of real-life events in the 1940s during the North African campaign. In case you missed it, you can check it out below.
The behind-the-scenes video produced by Platige Image includes footage presenting the director’s work with the actors featuring the protagonists of the iconic game. It also offers a sneak peek into the production and post-production specialists’ tasks. Relic Entertainment’s VFX specialists also had their part in the trailer for the third part of the game, and they share how 3D renderings of legendary tanks and aircraft, popular at the time of World War II, were created.
Watch Company of Heroes 3 - Live-action trailer: behind-the-scenes:
According to director Tomek Suwalski, the trailer production was not only another professional challenge, but “…as you can tell from the atmosphere on the set, a true combination of passion and pleasure. While creating materials for the previous parts, we learned most of the brand nuances but also expanded our historical and military knowledge of World War II, which made it a bit easier.”
Suwalski explained that the real test of the studio’s skill was rendering the story of two comrades who fought in Africa with the First Armored Division and then made their way to the Italian front. It is their story that the game’s trailer follows.
“The key to success was the right choice of actors, who could really make you feel the spirit of camaraderie,” he added. “Fortunately, we were able to match people who had a long history behind them dating back to their film academy days.”
“Apart from soldiers, the trailer features some historical weapons,” commented Bartek Kmita, VFX Supervisor responsible for graphic elements. “We can see 100% computer-generated 3D models of Panzer IV and Churchill tanks, an Opel Blitz truck, a P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft, and the famous 8.8 cm Flak 18 anti-aircraft gun. Since this is a historical production, we naturally drew inspiration from the past. Based on the photo and video archives, we detailed each piece of armaments and vehicles and recreated them to match the originals.”
Producer Hanna Drewek said, “Both Relic and SEGA were truly open to our suggestions. This allowed us to co-create very cinematic, artistic trailers that get better and better with every new release, despite the production challenges we faced.”
One of Poland’s leading production studios, Platige Image, has developed cinematic video game trailers for a client roster including many big triple-A video game publishers, such as Ubisoft, Activision, Smilegate, and CD Projekt Red.
Company of Heroes 3 launched on PC on February 23 and is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S later this year.
Check out the Company of Heroes 3 Trailer:
Source: Platige Image
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
