VIDEO: Axis creates Halo 5 opening

Scottish animation firm Axis has come forward as the creator of Halo 5’s opening cinematic, sharing a brief insight into the process with Develop.

The scene was released online in August to help raise interest in Halo 5: Guardians. the latest entry in Microsoft’s flagship shooter series that launches next month. 

“Everyone at Axis is incredibly proud of the trailer and the reaction to it from everyone,” Axis’ managing director Richard Scott told Develop. “With over 4m views on YouTube and amazing fan comments we couldn’t be happier.”

The opening cinematic introduces some of the game’s characters before launching into a skydive from a Pelican dropship down on to the planet’s surface and straight into a massive battle sequence. 

Notably, the bulk of the action takes place within a single camera shot – something Scott said proved to be the greatest challenge of the project. 

“We were working with hundreds of characters, spaceships and visual effects across over two minutes of a single continuous camera move,” he said. “No cuts in the edit make this a sequence that isn’t for the faint-hearted.”

The Halo 5 opening is part of a long-running partnership between Axis and series developers 343 Industries – something the UK firm hopes will continue.

“At the time that was the biggest project we’d ever done,” said Scott. “Ten five-minute episodes across a 12-month schedule, and we really got the opportunity to collaborate and feel part of the team whilst working with 343 Industries. Since that experience we’re delighted to say that 343 Industries keep wanting to collaborate.”

You can check out the cinematic below: