After years behind bars in Noxus, Briar is starving for some action. The latest League of Legends’ champion, Briar is a new and exciting addition to Riot’s growing universe. Her character is defined by her duality, which was reflected by our choice to employ two distinct art directions. The primary objective was to underline her inner struggle, as Briar is constantly struggling to decide if the people she encounters are friends ...or food. Her frenzied state acts as the story's pinnacle, splitting the directing style from horror-inspired visuals to a delightfully quirky massacre scene.
Her ferocious identity is revealed through a punk-inspired, photocopied paper cutout aesthetic, strongly influenced by Jamie Reid’s work for the Sex Pistols or even Dadaism. This unhinged spectacle of sensational carnage both explores her inner mind, while offering an exhilarating visual experience. Sharp angular features, gritty and hatched textures, cel shaded characteristics are all elements of the Frenzy Vision style. A sharp contrast between light and dark, heightened by saturation, makes her magenta color code stand out. Drawing inspiration from games like Limbo or Inside, as well as Bruce Timm’s gothic art deco style for the Batman animated series, the set designs feature strong shapes and large silhouettes. Stylized 3D animation, bold 2D FX and sharp motion design cutaways are blended together to create Briar’s universe. Motion design and camera mapping create smooth movements and a sense of depth and volume, while Briar remains rendered in 3D. The ultimate result is a uniquely vibrant shade of violent mania.
Distinctive motion graphic shots splash across the frame to intercut Briar’s spree at key moments, adding dynamism to the edit as well as representing the graphic violence of Briar’s kills in an abstract, ESRB-friendly way. This is important for Riot as a global game publisher, and a substantial amount of thought and intent went into portraying the violence with universally understood iconography and visuals that transcend language so audiences all over the world can ride the same emotional roller coaster together. We also used images and concepts from the game itself (such as the Noxian script used as abstract texture in the environments, and softening the ‘decapitation shot’ by substituting disembodied helmets for Raptor heads) to make sure that we keep the action appropriate for all regions and give our eagle-eyed players fun rewards for seeking out easter eggs.
As a standalone marketing asset, this video was an unmitigated success, however…it served another purpose in the context of the marketing campaign, which began with a mysterious interactive experience in the League of Legends game lobby, where players could interact with Briar behind a locked prison door. With over 100 unique lines of dialog and dozens of dynamic animations, Briar felt all too real and reactive as she endeavored to lure the player ever closer to her cell window. If players fall for her tricks and ultimately get too close to Briar (literally and emotionally), she takes the opportunity to chomp through the player’s screen, effectively eating the viewer which gives her the necessary energy boost to break free from her cell. At that exact moment, the interactive experience triggers the music video for a seamless pay-off to the campaign.
