The Ancient

"A classic Sci-fi once taught us that ‘in space no one can hear you scream’ and it’s a lesson that served filmmaker’s well ever since. Transporting us to latest sci fi story, returning filmmaker King Alexander Grey once again showcases a flair for visuals in Thoth, a science-fiction short created with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.

Grey's first short animated film introduces us to Commander Nina, an astronaut who is one of the last anunnakis traveling through time and space. While her fellow crew member’s hibernate, Nina is walking to figure out the outcome of the planet Nam.

With previous short The Landing employing a “great deal of VFX work” to create its mid-outerspace setting. The director has made a name for himself through a series of hugely impressive shorts boasting an aesthetic of feature quality. Though created through Unreal Engine’s Short Film Initiative, which funded films that utilised its games engine in production, don’t expect a video game feel to Planet Skyline, as it’s use of physical sets and rear-projection give it a classic sci-fi feel.

Aiming to “notch up the ambition” from the previous films, Grey created this entire film on his own. Though the filmmaker admits he didn’t have the resources of The Mandalorian available, through a workflow which involved piping Unreal Engine through rear projection they were able to create a production which employed “zero green screen during the shoot”.

With the games engine then employed to create the “100% CG shots”, Grey credits the initiative, supported by Epic Games and Screen Queensland, and the monumental support from post-production facility Cutting Edge, who handled the virtual production technology and entire picture post-production process, for getting his project off the ground.

I concluded my write-up of Grey's work by mentioning it was ‘surely only a matter of time before Tanner’s flair for genre storytelling sees him helm his debut feature’ and Thoth surely backs-up this statement. With “a bunch of different genre projects in development”, it’s surely. only. a. matter. of. time." - S/W Curator Rob Munday

No Voice Overs

Creator & Director of Photography KING ALEXANDER GREY ACS