Behind the Seams
Crafting Character Outfits for Call of Duty: Vanguard
Suiting up for Call of Duty
Few gaming franchises have the same level of recognition and excitement attached to them as Call of Duty. I was approached by Attila from Digic Pictures to discuss digitailoring for the Call of Duty: Vanguard trailer. Contracted by Sledgehammer Games and Activision, I knew this was a project with high expectations. I was entrusted with the intricate task of building several key characters' outfits for the highly-anticipated 18th installment of this iconic series.
Set in the immersive theatres of World War II, Call of Duty: Vanguard explores the origins of the special forces amidst a war's culmination. This backdrop demands impeccable attention to detail and authenticity in every character's attire, making my role crucial to the trailer's overall impact.
The Role: Digitailoring Mastery
As the project's digitailor, I was tasked with crafting some of the complex outfits, including knotted scarves and layered garments. With 3D scans and game models as references, I built each garment, supervising its stability during simulation. The garments were then handed off to the in-house team for batch simulations in every shot.
Characters such as Riggs, Kingsley, and Hamms required particular attention due to their intricate attire. Riggs' scarf, with its strong folds and natural drape, demanded a careful balance of hard and soft materials. Kingsley's bulky coat, with its distinct upturned collar, needed meticulous digitailoring to align closely with the references while still maintaining physical plausibility. Hamms' tucked-in neck scarf presented a unique challenge in stability, requiring careful stitching into his shirt to ensure its place during character movements.
The Challenges and Solutions
Creating outfits for Call of Duty: Vanguard was not without its trials. The process required constant testing for garment stability during walk cycles, with frequent stitch edits to maintain correct garment behavior. The strain map feature proved invaluable in identifying areas of excessive stretching, crucial for garment stability.
Unstable areas were also identified by observing the garments' minor jitters when stationary. However, every challenge was a stepping stone towards refining the techniques, ensuring each outfit matched the provided references and looked natural while withstanding the dynamics of character movements.
This project was a perfect blend of gaming culture, 3D design, and digitailoring expertise. It was a pleasure to bring the characters of Call of Duty: Vanguard to life, demonstrating once again how digitailoring can enhance the visual storytelling and immersion in the world of gaming.