Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | |
---|---|
Genre | Action Military Sci-fi |
Written by |
|
Directed by | Stewart Hendler |
Creative director | Jackson Thorpe |
Presented by | Elliott Smith |
Starring |
|
Composers | Arc Productions |
Original release | |
Network | YouTube |
Release | October 5 November 2, 2012 | –
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a
The series was produced as a marketing effort for the video game
Forward Unto Dawn received a
Development
After the success of previous live-action promotional shorts, Landfall and The Life, 343 Industries, the studio in charge of development for the Halo franchise, wanted to use a live action series to appeal to an audience of people unfamiliar with the Halo games.[1] The director of franchise business management at 343 Industries, Matt McClosky, explained the intended audience by saying that, "You see something that looks like a video game, you're going to get the same crowd you always get."[2] The live-action format was also chosen for its ability to better develop characters; the series is used to introduce the character Thomas Lasky to the Halo universe before his role in the video game Halo 4.[3] The developers wanted a protagonist with more emotion than Master Chief (whose face is never seen), to not only convey an understanding of the universe, but to better engage unfamiliar viewers.[4]
Microsoft considers the series "the next step" between advertising material and a full-length film after the failure of a
Potential writers were interviewed by 343 Industries, and some were selected to write a draft of a script. Aaron and Todd Helbing wrote a pitch set on Harvest, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant (see Halo: Contact Harvest). Although 343 Industries decided not to use it, the Helbing brothers' script was the most complete and demonstrated the best understanding of the Halo universe so they were chosen to write Forward Unto Dawn.[6] The final plot was developed by 343 Industries, Frank O'Connor, and the Helbings with the intention of introducing a new character to tie into Halo 4, which their Harvest script did not, and to explore "the least-well-known part of the Halo universe".[6][7][8] In addition to providing input on the script, 343 Industries had a representative on set at all times to ensure that the series did not break canon.[3][9]
Shooting and special effects
The series was shot over twenty-five days in May 2012 in the forests around Vancouver, at Simon Fraser University and at additional stages in Burnaby.[7][10][11] The Herzog and Company production team was in Vancouver for three months with set design by Legacy Effects, the same company that worked on the previous shorts.[11][12]
The Warthog (a 4WD
The visual effects supervisor, John Sullivan, hired
One scene involves a Covenant
The opening sequences of each episode show Cortana, an artificial intelligence, aboard the spaceship Forward Unto Dawn as she malfunctions. The five sequences were entirely computer generated by Polynoid, the animation team of Blacklist, a production company.[15]
Setting
Forward Unto Dawn takes place on a fictional planet, Circinius-IV, one of many that humans have colonized outside of the solar system. The protagonist, Thomas Lasky, is aboard a spaceship named the UNSC Infinity in 2557. Forward Unto Dawn portrays his memory of the events on Circinius-IV in 2526, when he is a cadet at the Corbulo Academy, a training facility for the children of high-ranking
A Covenant army attacks the academy causing confusion and panic. Although not made clear in Forward Unto Dawn, the Covenant are a theocratic collection of alien species that are religiously offended by Humanity and seek to eradicate it. The events portrayed in Forward Unto Dawn are some of the earliest encounters with the Covenant, and the characters other than Master Chief were unaware of their existence.[17]
Casting and characters
The production team was responsible for casting, but Microsoft maintained a final say. The decision to use Alex Puccinelli instead of
Daniel Cudmore was cast to play the role of Master Chief largely due to his height and physique.[7] The director, Stewart Hendler, wanted to contrast the size of Master Chief to that of the teenage cadets; Cudmore is 203 centimetres (6'8") tall whereas the actors playing the cadets were deliberately chosen to be "short, scrawny freshmen".[7] In order to accurately portray Master Chief, Cudmore watched the Landfall shorts by Neill Blomkamp and read the Halo novels for the history of the character, having already played the games.[22][23] Cudmore expressed interest in the history of Master Chief, the character's view on war and his role as a soldier, as he was only required to portray a utilitarian character in the series.[22] Cudmore thinks the character is torn between aiding the cadets and completing his mission, but Master Chief's confidence and actions inspire the cadets.[24]
Legacy Effects took a body scan of Cudmore, then overlaid a 3D model provided by Microsoft and edited it to get proportions correct.[25] A prototype was 3D printed and then used to make moulds for the final suit.[25] The majority of the suit is rubber over a foam bodysuit, similar to a wetsuit, with a fibreglass helmet.[25] Cudmore compared wearing it to walking through water, although he had to perform stunts in the suit as it was made only for his body.[11][22][26][27] Cudmore repeatedly watched the video of his movements immediately after they were shot to ensure that they were deliberate but without appearing robotic, "trying to make his movements a little larger than life, but still with a sense of humanity to them."[24] Both Hendler and Frank O'Connor praised Cudmore, not just for his physique but for moving in a fluid manner in the cumbersome suit.[7][8]
Anna Popplewell plays Chyler Silva, a cadet who, contrary to Lasky's beliefs, is a full supporter of the war against the insurrectionists.[28][29] Popplewell portrays Silva as a competent cadet who has been hardened by her childhood surrounded by insurrectionist violence.[19][29] She had a romantic connection with Lasky that was interrupted by the Covenant attack. Popplewell was new to the Halo series when cast for the role but thinks that the characters and aesthetic of the series have the potential to draw in a new audience.[19]
Other characters include cadets April Orenski, a senior cadet and squad leader, played by Enisha Brewster, Junjie Chen, played by Osric Chau, who is the only cadet without a military family and has gained entry to the academy through his own achievements, Dimah Tchakova played by Kat de Lieva, Walter Vickers played by Iain Belcher and Michael Sullivan, played by Masam Holden.[30]
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Part 1" | Stewart Hendler | Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing | October 5, 2012 | |
Thomas Lasky is a freshman Orbital Drop Shock Trooper deployed to a combat zone. | |||||
2 | "Part 2" | Stewart Hendler | Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing | October 12, 2012 | |
Hastati Squad remains under scrutiny by commanders because of its poor performance, which the other cadets blame on Lasky. Lasky and fellow squadmate Vickers fight over this in the academy mess hall. After reflecting on his situation, Lasky has a change of heart and decides to take initiative, volunteering to take point in the final training exercise of the term, a game of capture the flag against another squad. Lasky orchestrates a successful ambush on the other squad, but collapses as he approaches the flag. | |||||
3 | "Part 3" | Stewart Hendler | Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing | October 19, 2012 | |
Lasky discovers that he has a severe Elite appears out of the smoke as UNSC forces begin to defend the academy. | |||||
4 | "Part 4" | Stewart Hendler | Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing | October 26, 2012 | |
The Covenant attack overwhelms the UNSC defences, killing most of the cadets and humans on the planet. As the remainder of Hastati Squad attempts to flee from an Elite, they send a distress signal but are trapped in an armoury. Just as the Elite prepares to strike, it is killed by Jackals and Sullivan is wounded, but the group manages to escape the academy via a Warthog, heading for the forest and evacuation from the planet. | |||||
5 | "Part 5" | Stewart Hendler | Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing | November 2, 2012 | |
Driving through the dark forest, Chief and the remaining cadets fight off Jackals in the trees. Lasky crashes into one of the aliens on the road, causing the Warthog to Hunters. Silva hands Lasky her dogtags before dying. The Chief catches up to the cadets and they run from another Hunter. Lasky volunteers to act as a diversion, allowing Chief to kill the last Hunter. The group rendezvous with the Pelican and escape the planet. 32 years later, Lasky, now a Commander on the vessel UNSC Infinity, is seen ordering a jump after listening to a distress beacon sent by Cortana from UNSC Forward Unto Dawn . |
Release
On April 30, 2012,
The series consists of five 15-minute shorts, the first released on October 5, 2012, with subsequent episodes released weekly.
Critical reception
Reviewers were divided on what standard to expect of the series and what to compare it to; the budget was beyond that of other web series but not on par with a film.[41][42]
IGN reviewer Jesse Schedeen considered the cadets other than Lasky and Silva to be "ready-made cannon fodder," having received minimal development.[43] This detracted from the quality of the third episode, as a betrayal by cadet Tchakova had little impact due to her shallow development.[44] However, Schedeen did appreciate Green's acting in the last episode, noting that "[Silva's] death scene was handled very well, particularly as it forced Tom Green to shed his calm exterior and react much more emotionally."[43] In his later review of the Blu-ray, Schedeen complimented the audio and video quality, as well as the inclusion of many vignettes, documentary featurettes and commentaries.[45]
James Plath of Movie Metropolis also found the characters lacking in the first half, but noted that in the second half, the characters of Lasky and Silva "actually move beyond the clichés and pick up a personality along the way".[42] Plath was impressed by the soundtrack, thinking it "worthy of any big-screen action flick" and also complimented the special effects saying "the CGI work is enhanced by high definition, not exposed by it."[42] Overall however, he thought that despite the action being exciting, the "pedestrian" first half and "only adequate acting" would prevent Forward Unto Dawn appealing to an audience beyond existing gamers.[42]
Official Xbox Magazine's reviewer, Edwin Evans, appreciated the direction of the series; "Stewart Hendler's well-judged editing keeps the script from sinking under the weight of its own melodrama, and his close-ups never overstay their welcome, hiding the weaknesses of the inexperienced (but talented) cast."[46] He also echoed Plath's thoughts on the slow first half and exciting second half.[47]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award Show | Category | Winner/Nominee | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 3rd Streamy Awards | Best Writing: Drama | Todd & Aaron Helbing | Nominated | [48] |
Best Male Performance: Drama | Tom Green
|
Nominated | |||
Best Female Performance: Drama | Anna Popplewell | Nominated | |||
Best Drama Series | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Won | |||
Best Action or Sci-Fi Series | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Nominated | |||
Best Production Design | Kasra Farahani | Won | |||
Best Cinematography | Brett Pawlak | Won | |||
Best Editing | Michael Louis Hill | Won | |||
Audience Choice for Series of the Year | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Nominated | |||
MPSE Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing: Computer Episodic Entertainment | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Won | [49] | |
Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Commercial or Broadcast Program | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Nominated | [50] | |
65th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Main Title Design | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Nominated | [51] |
See also
- Halo 4 Original Soundtrack
- Halo: The Fall of Reach
References
- ^ a b c d e Graser, Marc (April 30, 2012). "'Halo' Web series to bow before next game". Variety. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the originalon March 29, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
- ^ a b c Takahashi, Dean (October 26, 2012). "Scared s***less: Making live-action web films for Halo 4 fans". Venture Beat. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ Campbell, Colin (October 24, 2012). "Finding Master Chief's Emotional Core". IGN. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c Hilliard, Kyle (October 5, 2012). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn's Director Chats Up The Live-Action Series". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ a b Hilliard, Kyle (October 19, 2012). "Halo 4's Frank O'Connor Talks Forward Unto Dawn". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ Machinima Prime. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b "IGN First Look: Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Behind-the-Scenes". IGN. June 11, 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Webb, Charles (October 26, 2012). "Interview: Executive Producer Josh Feldman Takes The Halo Universe 'Forward Unto Dawn'". MTV. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ Richards, Giles (September 30, 2012). "Halo 4: the film of the game". guardian.co.uk. The Observer. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
- ^ Machinima.com. July 18, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ Dyce, Andrew (October 2012). "How The 'Halo' Movie Might Be Saved By 'Forward Unto Dawn'". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
- ^ Silverlight) on May 24, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Failes, Ian (February 27, 2013). "The making of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn". FX Guide. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ Sarto, Dan (December 3, 2012). "Blacklist Creates Show Open for Halo". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ Hendler, Stewart (Director) (2012). Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (DVD). 343 Industries. Event occurs at 1:01.
Michael Sullivan: We're training to fight insurrectionists.
- ^ Gaudiosi, John (November 6, 2012). "Forward Unto Dawn Director Stewart Hendler Talks Halo 4 Game And Movie". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ Machinima Prime. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Anna Popplewell Exclusive Interview" (Youtube). Cruel Legacy Productions. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
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- ^ Hendler, Stewart (2012). Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (DVD). 343 Industries. Event occurs at 2:41.
Thomas Lasky: I'm starting to think that we can sort these things out without going into battle and killing innocent people.
- ^ Machinima Prime. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Daniel Cudmore is Master Chief" (Youtube). 343 Industries. July 10, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
- ^ a b Webb, Charles (October 5, 2012). "He's the Chief – 'Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Star Daniel Cudmore on Being a Spartan". MTV. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Legacy Effects Talking About Master Chief's Armour" (Youtube). Legacy Effects. July 12, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Master Chief stunts" (Youtube). 343 Industries. July 12, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ "Director Stewart Hendler" (Youtube). 343 Industries. May 15, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Hendler, Stewart (Director) (2012). Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (DVD). 343 Industries. Event occurs at 2:34.
Chyler Silva: I need to be good at this because I believe in this war.
- ^ a b Hendler, Stewart (Director) (2012). Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (DVD). 343 Industries. Event occurs at 3:02.
Chyler Silva: I grew up around a lot of Ini violence, and not just military targets. Civilians where I grew up really had to learn how to protect themselves.
- ^ Hendler, Stewart (Director) (2012). Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (DVD). 343 Industries. Event occurs at 1:25:20.
Credits
- ^ a b "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn". press.xbox360.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- Machinima Prime. October 5, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- Machinima Prime. October 12, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
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- ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (May 17, 2012). "Halo 4 Limited Edition bags early access to Halo 4 DLC". Official Xbox Magazine UK. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- ^ Shea, Jessica (October 10, 2012). "The Halo Bulletin: 10.10.12". halo.xbox.com. 343 Industries. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ "Content Television Secures International Distribution Of Major New Live-Action Drama Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn". Content Media. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ "New Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Limited Edition Statue". McFarlane Toys. October 30, 2012. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- Mega Bloks. November 6, 2012. Archived from the originalon March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ Liu, Johnathon (November 29, 2012). "Halo Mega Bloks: Forward Unto Dawn". Wired. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (October 5, 2012). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Part 1 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Plath, James (December 12, 2012). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Blu-ray review". Movie Metropolis. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ a b Schedeen, Jesse (November 2, 2012). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Part 5 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (October 19, 2012). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Part 3 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (December 17, 2012). "Axios! Is the Forward Unto Dawn Blu-ray Worth Your Money?". IGN. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ^ Evans, Edwin. "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Episode 1 review". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ Evans, Edwin. "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn – Episode 4 review". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
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- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (January 7, 2013). "VES Announces 2013 Award Nominees". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn". emmys.com. Retrieved July 19, 2013.