Building on its solid foundation in animation production for film projects, Sparx* has successfully adapted to AAA game projects, earning the studio significant credits in game cinematics production.
As one of the leading studios in Vietnam specializing in CG art and animation, Sparx* has continuously adapted to changes and driven innovation over the past 30 years. Starting out in animated film production, Sparx* gained recognition with outstanding projects such as Rolie Polie Olie, which won a Daytime Emmy Award and a Gemini Award in the early 2000s. Sparx* was also the first Vietnamese studio to participate in a Hollywood animated movie, contributing to Igor (2008).
Before being acquired by Virtuos, Sparx* made its mark in animated film production.
Since becoming a member studio of Virtuos in 2011, Sparx* has embarked on a new chapter by expanding its expertise to AAA game art production. Leveraging the strength of Virtuos network of studios and labs, Sparx* continuously upgraded its services and diversified its team’s skillset, in order to deliver high-quality production in art, animation, and special effects for top entertainment brands. Joining Sparx* since 2012, Le Thi Thuy Tien, Senior Line Producer at Sparx*, has been a key witness to the studio’s transformation. Over the past 13 years, Thuy Tien has contributed to many notable projects such as Star Wars Rebels, Vic the Viking: Magic Sword, and game cinematic projects like LEGO Star Wars: Castaways and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. At the recent gamescom asia in Singapore, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest game events, Thuy Tien represented Sparx* Animation Department and shared her insights from this proud journey. Join us in examining the recent transformation of the animation production pipeline at Sparx* through her insights.
Thuy Tien (second from the right) at the panel discussion about animation in games & films at gamescom asia 2024 – Photo: gamescom asia
Hi Tien, please share a bit about yourself and your role at Sparx*.
Currently, I’m a producer managing projects that we provide end-to-end services. My work involves coordinating with different departments at Sparx* and other Virtuos studios. My primary responsibilities include budget, time, and team management. I prefer to call it ‘project support’ as my main goal is to facilitate smooth collaboration between teams and clients, ensuring each project is successfully completed.
I have been working closely with most of the teams at Sparx* and have observed their significant improvements in learning and working with engines. They have progressed from barely knowing the engines to confidently using them in all projects after years of testing and hands-on experience. I greatly appreciate their proactiveness in building their knowledge and skillset in new technology and engines.
On my side, I also continuously update my knowledge to better understand my team and encourage them to explore and work with game engines.
Thuy Tien with Sparx* team participating in Marvel’s Midnight Suns
When the studio transitioned from film animation production to game animation production, what was the biggest challenge in your opinion, and how did the team overcome it?
The main challenge, and also the biggest one, was equipping our team with the knowledge of game engines and encouraging them to work with these engines more frequently.
To address this, we established a Technical Support team, including Technical Artists, who trained and updated our artists on working with game engines.
Sparx* spent nearly two years testing on internal projects, and proposing to clients to build and upgrade production pipelines using game engines. This process required a significant amount of time and effort, but it laid a strong foundation for Sparx*’s future achievements and the team’s growth.
To be more specific, how did Sparx* transform from pre-render (traditional production) to real-time render? What advantages did this change bring to the studio?
After joining Virtuos in 2011, Sparx* began participating in game projects alongside animated film projects. However, at that time, Sparx* was only involved in specific parts of the pipeline rather than end-to-end cinematic projects.
One of our first game cinematic projects was Disney Infinity 1.0, where Sparx* contributed to all the animation work. This project was particularly special to our Animation team, as many of them were fans of Disney’s animated movies. By animating familiar characters, the team felt inspired and developed a keen interest in game projects in addition to film projects.
Game cinematics from Disney Infinity 1.0 that Sparx* contributed to
2018 marked an important milestone for the studio as it transitioned from animated films to game cinematics. During that year, our traditional pre-render pipeline was refined, and our team gained significant experience through various projects such as Star Wars Rebels and LEGO Star Wars All-Stars. Recognizing the similarities between creating animated films and game cinematics, we began exploring opportunities in game cinematics using our existing pre-render pipeline. Sparx* participated in several game titles using the traditional pre-render pipeline, including Demon’s Souls Remake and LEGO Star Wars: Castaways.
In 2018, there were significant upgrades in technology and game engines. The studio’s management team recognized the potential of using game engines to reduce working time, and the back-and-forth process inherent in the traditional pre-render pipeline. Additionally, Sparx* aimed to align itself with Virtuos’ vision of “We make games better together.” By combining our expertise in animated film production and our production pipeline with game engines, we began working on real-time game cinematics.
Using game engines allowed the team to review work in real-time, from animation and lighting to camera movement and special effects, without waiting for each part to be completed before proceeding. Adopting real-time pipeline helped all stages connect smoothly and continuously, optimizing production time and effectively solving emerging problems.
Since 2020, Sparx* has successfully participated in many real-time end-to-end cinematics, including SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
Game cinematics in Marvel’s Midnight Suns that Sparx* contributed
Changing the pipeline and updating the knowledge for an entire team is not easy. How did the studio address the concerns of team members?
The transition from film production to game production initially faced many concerns from the team, especially from animators who had joined Sparx* to purchase their animation dream. The management had to hold discussions with the team to help them understand the similarities between animated films and game cinematics, as well as to explain the overall strategy of the Group and Sparx*. Everyone could better understand and see the positive aspects, finding motivation in their work.
At Sparx*, we believe that the fundamentals of animation remain constant, whether applied to games or animated films. The essence of animation and art remains unchanged, as do the techniques. This enduring foundation allows artists and animators to continually develop their professional skills and excel in any type of project.
Could you share more about Sparx*’s direction in game cinematics in the upcoming time?
In the future, Sparx* will continue to handle end-to-end real-time cinematic projects for games of various styles, using its expertise and creativity to ensure high quality. Additionally, Sparx* will actively collaborate with game development studios within the Virtuos network to involve deeper in game production, especially game cinematics production. This includes games co-developed with partners or Virtuos’ own titles under the Virtuos Originals brand.