Forza Motorsports 6: Nascar Expansion

Jumbla delivered six cinematics for the NASCAR Expansion of Forza Motorsport 6. The downloadable content (DLC) for Xbox One puts players in the driver’s seat of scenarios you’re unlikely to ever experience in the real world. In this case it isn’t shooting zombies or casting spells, but answering a question pondered by many racecar enthusiasts: “What would happen if American stock cars were able to compete amongst the world’s top motorsport leagues?” Just imagine NASCARs going up against Australian V8s at Bathurst – or the World Endurance Championship Prototypes at Le Mans. This collaboration follows Jumbla’s successful contribution to Forza Motorsport 6: Apex. We again partnered with Axis Animation to deliver the suite of videos within a 12-week timeline. This included a 60-second master sequence, used as the primary cinematic of the DLC, as well as five “stage” sequences. Unlike Jumbla’s previous Forza job, which was stylistically diverse, the client this time wanted the cars and artwork to look consistent throughout the game. The brief was to accentuate the bursts of colour which many people associate with NASCAR races. To achieve this, we worked primarily on a plain white background, using transitions that echoed tyre tracks skidding across the screen. Colour then bursts through with the flair and freedom of an abstract expressionist painting, with text elements designed in 2.5D (2D assets placed in a 3D setting) to enhance impact. This provides the backdrop for what the game is all about: fast, glorious cars. We didn’t hold back when it came to Matrix-esque camera work, diving through and around the detailed 3D models to triumphantly showcase these vehicles without a hint of subtlety. The final product is strikingly clean, fiercely polished... but with just the right amount of grit. We chose to execute this project using the Element 3D plugin in After Effects. It prompted much surprise from our peers in the animation community: many of them were struck by how realistic we were able to animate within After Effects. The freedom to work without the constraints of burdensome rendering meant our animators could do more in less time. For the client, it translated to a higher-quality game without additional cost.