We were invited to create a fully animated Unreal Engine cinematic sequence for the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 — forming a central part of the main promotional film and wider social campaign.
Developed as a high‑energy visual segment, the work combined character, environment and vehicle animation into a single cohesive sequence designed to feel current, immersive and globally appealing.
The final output included a 1 minute 20 second hero cinematic, supported by a series of social edits and promotional visuals, all aligned to a shared visual world.
Working alongside Paradox, who led the overall creative direction, the brief was to develop a cinematic sequence that imagined the future of Jeddah — beginning at the Formula 1 track and expanding into a broader, culturally connected vision.
The film followed a young protagonist and aimed to blend:
The visual style was deliberately fast‑paced and stylised, taking cues from contemporary game cinematics such as Overwatch and Fortnite to resonate with a younger audience.
We were given significant creative freedom within this framework, with the only constraint being that all animation needed to be created within Unreal Engine.
The project was delivered over a 14‑week period, covering all stages from early concept development through to final edit and audio.
Working in a collaborative structure, we brought together a specialist team across design, animation and technical delivery, using a real‑time pipeline built around Unreal Engine to enable flexibility and speed throughout production.
Building the Visual World
The project required the creation of a fully realised cinematic environment, including:
Initial character concepts were explored using AI‑assisted workflows and refined manually, while environments were developed from hand‑drawn ideas into fully realised scenes.
F1 vehicle models were adapted and optimised for real‑time use, with additional design detailing to support narrative elements within the film.
Animation & Cinematics
All animation — including characters, vehicles and environmental effects — was created directly within Unreal Engine.
Using a combination of:
…we were able to develop sequences quickly and refine them in context, maintaining consistency across shots while preserving creative flexibility.
A flexible production approach
Working within Unreal allowed us to:
This flexibility enabled us to expand the original scope — extending the cinematic from an initial 45 seconds to a full 1 minute 20 seconds without compromising quality or schedule.
Deliverables
While Unreal Engine formed the core of the workflow, supporting processes such as modelling (Maya) and texturing (Substance Painter) were used to ensure asset quality before integration into the final real‑time environment.
The final film formed a central part of the event’s promotional campaign, combining narrative, motion and visual design into a single connected sequence.
By building everything from a unified real‑time environment, we were able to maintain consistency across the hero film, social outputs and promotional imagery, while allowing the content to adapt easily for different formats.
The project demonstrates how real‑time cinematic workflows can support:
More broadly, it reflects our approach to animation — creating visuals that are not only compelling in isolation, but effective across the wider campaign and its ongoing use.
If you have an upcoming 3D Animation project we would love to hear from you
Or schedule a call
If you have an upcoming project you would like to discuss, we would love to hear from you. Send us a message or book a call.
Or schedule a call