Tū : The Origins Of War (Pre-production)
Introduction
Details
Credits
The Challenge
How can a mythic Māori narrative be re-imagined as a cinematic experience that feels atmospheric, culturally resonant, and visually distinct, while being developed within the constraints of an indie studio practice?
The Approach
Development began with storyboards and sketches rooted in Māori symbolism, exploring the tension and mood at the heart of Tū. Motion tests are planned to enable experiments with pacing, lighting, and emotion. The emerging aesthetic fuses ancestral storytelling with cyberpunk influences.
The Outcome
The first outputs include framing sketches, mood explorations, and a narrative beat sheet. Next steps include building animatics, refining the visual style, and producing a short proof-of-concept clip for funding. Tū is the beginning of a journey to bring myth to life, frame by frame.
Concept visuals for Tū were created using AI-assisted tools to explore the fusion of ancestral storytelling and cyberpunk aesthetics. As production progresses, all cinematics, character models, and environments will be hand-crafted using professional animation and 3D tools.
