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Assassin's Creed: Lineage

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Assassin's Creed: Lineage
Directed byYves Simoneau
Written byWilliam Reymond, Yves Simoneau
Produced byPierre Raymond
Serge Hascoet (executive)
Yannis Mallat (executive)
Yves Guillemot (executive)
Ian Whitehead (line)
StarringRomano Orzari
CinematographyGuy Dufaux
Edited byIsabelle Malenfant
Music byGeorge S. Clinton
Production
companies
Ubisoft (Montreal)
Hyrbide Technologies
Release date
October 26, 2009
Running time
14 minutes (Part 1)
CountriesFrance
Canada
LanguageEnglish

Assassin's Creed: Lineage is a series of three short films based on the universe of the video game Assassin's Creed. The films are made by Ubisoft, the game company itself, and the first episode was released on October 26, 2009 on YouTube[1]. The films have a promotional goal for the game as well as an attempt for Ubisoft to make its first step in the film industry.

The films are directed by Canadian film director Yves Simoneau.[2]

Plot

The story is a prequel to the upcoming video game Assassin's Creed II. It centers around the father of the game's main character, Giovanni Auditiore de Firenze.

Giovanni is an assassin living during the Renaissance in 15th century Italy. At this dawn of a new era, a conspiracy is being plotted by one corrupt family to overthrow the powerful Medici family and destroy a unified Italy. As an assassin, Giovanni must face this threat and bring justice. The story introduces the situation before Assassin's Creed II, and the enemies of both characters.

Episodes

Episode 1

In the city of Florence in 1476, the assassin, Giovanni Auditiore, monologues on how hidden behind the enlightenment of the Renaissance, corruption, betrayal and murder are rife, but that in order to preserve justice, honour and the safety of his family, he will fight. From the shadows, he quietly watches his family enjoying themselves, before departing into the streets of Florence. Outside, he ambushes a party of mercenaries led by the corrupt nobleman, Rodrigo Borgia as they attempt to sneak out of the city under cover of darkness. Giovanni is able to kill two of the mercenaries and incapacitate the third, but Borgia escapes in the confusion.

Giovanni brings the injured man to his master,Lorenzo de' Medici, and warns him he has heard rumours of an approaching event that will trigger a shift in power. Lorenzo has the captive interrogated: under torture on the rack, the prisoner confesses that in the city of Milan, on the day after Christmas, the Feast of St Stephen, when the church bell strikes for the twelfth and final time, the Duke of Milan will be assassinated. Giovanni races to Milan and finds the Duke at Mass in church, but is unable to intervene before the murder is committed, and the Duke is killed. The murderers are swiftly dispatched by the Duke's guards and Giovanni himself: however, Giovanni's efforts to try and subdue one of the killers for interrogation fail, as the guard kills the last assassin. However, Giovanni searches the body of one of the killers, finding a purse of gold coins stamped with the coat of arms of Venice.

Returning home, Giovanni watches his sons play chess, advising his younger son, Ezio on how to become a better player. In private, he monologues that the Duke of Milan's death has robbed Medici of a powerful ally, and that even now, his enemies will be plotting their next move. However, now he knows where to find them...

Episode 2

Giovanni arrives in Venice to investigate the possibility that whoever ordered the Duke of Milan's assassination is hiding in the city. His investigations lead him to St Mark's Basilica, where, after killing a guard to cover his tracks, he eavesdrops on a group of men conversing in a nearby room. He sees them dispatch a courier carrying a letter for 'their master' in Rome, insisting its delivery is of great importance. Giovanni tracks and intercepts the courier in Venice's back alleys: after a lengthy battle, Giovanni overpowers the courier and tries to interrogate him: however, the courier refuses to talk, and kills himself on Giovanni's blade. Furious, Giovanni takes the letter, which bears the seal of the Barbarigo family, and returns to Florence.

Back in Florence, Giovanni presents the letter to Lorenzo de' Medici: however, it is encrypted, written in a strange code. Lorenzo's majordomo states it will take some time to decode, and sends Giovanni home to get some rest, promising to call him when it is done. A priest in Medici's service translates the letter and presents it to the majordomo, who tells the priest to summon Giovanni and Lorenzo, but warns him not to tell anyone of it. Back at his villa, Giovanni enjoys some time with his wife and family, before being summoned to the palace. His son, Ezio, is confused as to why his father must leave so late in the night and asks to go with him, but Giovanni refuses.

At the palace, Lorenzo's majordomo claims they were unable to translate the letter, and therefore the only way to see who it is intended for is to take it to Rome and deliver it personally. In spite of the danger, Giovanni volunteers to take it: Lorenzo instructs him to find his enemies...and show no mercy. Back in Venice, the Barbarigos, with Rodrigo Borgia at their head, pray "May The Father of Understanding be with us!", (confirming they are Templars), and prepare themselves for battle.

Episode 3

Giovanni arrives in Rome and delivers the letter as ordered, which is passed through the crowd until it reaches Borgia. He goes straight to the Vatican, where he delivers the letter to Pope Innocent VIII. The pair discuss the fact that Lorenzo de' Medici is unwilling to bend to the Pope's authority; when Borgia explains he could use force, the Pope agrees to lend his spiritual support and military aid to an endeavour to restore order in Florence.

However, when Borgia leaves, he is followed by Giovanni. But Borgia manages to give Giovanni the slip, and disappears into St Peter's Basilica. As he investigates inside, he is confronted by Borgia, who remarks that what follows next is of his making. He appreciates that Giovanni's skills would be of much use to the Templar cause, and that if he joins them, he will live to see 'a new world'. When Giovanni refuses, and remarks the only way this will end is with an Assassin's blade in Borgia's throat, he sneers "We shall see!", and orders his men to attack. Giovanni fights bravely and defeats his attackers, but is struck in the chest with a throwing knife by Borgia. Though he survives, Borgia uses the distraction to escape.

Badly wounded, Giovanni returns home to Florence, where his wife tends to his wounds. He confesses to his wife the fear the Duke of Milan's assassination was merely the start of a conspiracy, and that the next blow will strike Florence, and that he fears for the safety of de' Medici, his allies and himself. Suddenly, armed men of the city guard arrive at the house, asking for Giovanni. He has his elder son tell the guards he has already left, then escapes through a hidden passage.

Back in Rome, Borgia and his fellow Templars agree the main threat to their plans is Giovanni: however, Borgia says he has a plan to deal with the Assassin, and that with him gone, nothing will stand in their way. Back in Florence, Giovanni prowls the streets (pausing to muse when he sees Ezio flirting with a young woman of the nobility in the street), monologuing that dark days are approaching Florence and time is running out: the final battle is about to begin. He remarks that no matter what happens, he and his sons are "the Auditore de Firenze, and we are Assassins!"

The film concludes with the message "The conclusion...is in your hands", setting the scene for Assassin's Creed II.

Cast

The films and the game share a common cast. The actors have been mo-capped (for narrative sequences), their faces have been scanned and their voices have been recorded for the video game.[3]

Production

Behind the scene image of Assassin's Creed: Lineage

Both film makers and game makers worked very closely to link the two titles. Live actors were filmed on green screen (just like Hybride Technologies, participating in the production, did with 300, Sin City and Avatar) which was then replaced by the game's environment extracted from the engine to XSI (half of those assets were re-worked on the texture and geometrical levels before being exported to be used in the film).[3]

For the costumes, historians researched and concept artists from the game made illustrations of each costume which was then, made real by a costume maker from the film team. Those costumes eventually influenced the 3D models in the game.[3]

Corey May the writer of Assassin's Creed II worked closely with the Assassin's Creed: Lineage scriptwriter, William Reymond, in order to make sure both stories were linked to the original story.[3]

Soundtrack

The score of the films is composed by George S. Clinton, unlike Assassin's Creed II's soundtrack scored by Jesper Kyd.[4]

Promotion and release

Ubisoft acquired on July 7, 2008 the post-production VFX studio Hybride Technologies based in Montreal as part of the game company's strategy to extend its brands to other medias, and to converge gaming and filming entertainment.[5]

A year later, during a press conference held at the E3 2009, Ubisoft revealed the making of short films based on the universe of Assassin's Creed II using the game's engine with the participation of Hybride and Ubisoft Digital Arts.[6]

Ubisoft then released more details about the project during the 2009's Comic-Con, revealing some behind the scenes shots at the same period.[7]

The first episode was shown to the press during a premiere at a theater in the Champs-Élysées on October 19, 2009[8] and a public teaser trailer was released on the same day[9].

The first episode was released on YouTube on October 26, 2009, though it was announced for the 27th, and also on EuroGamerTV on November 2, 2009.[1]

The second and the third parts of the Lineage were released on YouTube on November 12, 2009.

References

  1. ^ a b "The first episode of the Assassin's Creed Lineage short movies will be aired on 8 YouTube homepages worldwide on Oct. 27th". 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  2. ^ "Assassin's Creed Lineage: Révélations". 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  3. ^ a b c d "Lights, camera, assassin". 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  4. ^ "Assassin's Creed: Lineage scored in Sibelius". 2009-09-29. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  5. ^ "Ubisoft acquires Hybride Technologies". 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  6. ^ "CONVERGENCE". 2009-02 to 04-07. Retrieved 2009-10-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Assassin's Creed 2 Comic-con Panel". 2009-27-07. Retrieved 2009-10-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Nos impressions sur Assassin's Creed Lineage !". 2009-19-10. Retrieved 2009-10-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "ASSASSIN'S CREED - SHORT MOVIES TEASER". 2009-10-21. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
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