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Click play and immerse yourself in the 4-minute epic battle.
Territory joins The Battle of Ice in the exhibition ‘Alexander Nevsky - The Fate of Russia'
Read MoreTo celebrate the 800th anniversary of the hero Alexander Nevsky, we were tasked to bring to life an immersive 4-minute film of the epic battle of ‘The Battle on the Ice’ otherwise known as ‘The Battle on Lake Peipsi’, in a new exhibition running in Russia, scheduled for release in 2020, but due to covid restrictions was postponed until Summer 2021. Taking place in the year 1245, this iconic battle follows Prince Nevsky defeating the Crusaders, thereby foiling the impending invasion of Russia. We worked on 25 sequences, covering 4 separate screens creating a three-dimensional effect from ahead and below so visitors feel immersed within the battle. The exhibition also uses artificial fog, special surround sound, mirrored surfaces and life-size figures of Russian soldiers to make the most of the experience.
Click play and immerse yourself in the 4-minute epic battle.
The client provided us with a storyboard and material surrounding the narrative of the film. The material referenced Nevsky’s appearance, with cultural direction in regards to clothes, flags, etc. We conducted research on the location, the battle, the people and the order of events on the fateful day.
Our current style of exploration features the feared charge of the Teutonic Knights at Nevsky’s Russian army. In this scene, we tried to establish the overall mood, detail of painting and size relation to the physical room. The three images depict the 270º projection – left, centre, right – and work in unison. We decided to have a strong light, a low wintery sun, hitting the scene from the far right. Slightly from behind to allow stark contrast on all screens. The environment has been kept moody and fitting to the grim reality of 5 April 1242.
The moments we depict on-screen are frozen moments in time, brought to life using camera techniques, subtle puppeteering of the knights and environmental elements, such as fog, arrows, debris, clouds, etc. The room was to feature two vast ice sheets covering the walls in between the screens. Using ambient lighting from within, or beneath, the sculptures can bring needed lighting to the room; but also accentuate the solider statues. Especially during the cracking of the ice and the reveal of the outside space. For the soldiers, the frosted ice treatment should feature detailed clothing and striking poses. However, we would keep them ‘faceless’, with little but the necessary detail, to portrait the pain and suffering at this particular moment but also to make it easier to identify oneself with the scenario depicted here
Produced by Balich Wonder Studio and Illogic, responsible for the creative concept, content and production of the experience and its implementation.