“Deep Silver were really keen to create something different, something that would really stand out and when they put forward the initial idea for the ‘reverse’ sequence I saw the seed of something great there.”





“We set out to create a rather unique trailer concept that would focus on delivering emotion and atmosphere while transporting the key elements and features of Dead Island. With the help of Axis and the great collaboration between our cinematic Director, Anton Borkel and his team and Axis’ own Stuart Aitken, we ended up creating something that was a breathtaking combination of pictures, story and music which formed an atmosphere of intensity that - for us - was beyond words.”





By now just about every gamer and their mother has seen thecinematic trailer that has gone viral. It’s a reverse depiction of a little girl dying as a zombie and then showing the events leading up to her zombie death with an epic and emotional battle with her parents after she dies the first time to the hotel staff. It’s a griping piece of short-cinema that sparked a lot of interest in the project, including a battle over the game’s movie rights . Deep Silver sent out a press release explaining a little bit of the procedural creativity behind the project and how the company Axis brought the zombie island to life.Axis director Stuart Aitken commented in the press release, saying…Deep Silver’s aim wasn’t just to have a cool cinematic piece but to also explain a little bit about what kind of scenarios players would be encountering while playing, as well as the emotional bonds that would be made throughout the game. The short piece had to contain a heck of a lot of elements to not only stand apart as an engaging cinematic trailer but also as a lead-in for some of the gameplay elements as well, as seen in the trailer with the father and mother wielding household entities to fend off the attacking zombie horde.Global Business Development Director and acting producer on the project Malte Wagener of Deep Silver shared similar sentiments, stating that…Let’s just hope the game is on par with the cinematic trailer when it comes to actual in-game play, otherwise a lot of reviewers won’t be beyond words and I’m sure Techland and Deep Silver won’t be very pleased with the words, either. Regardless, the trailer set a very high bar for the developers and now they have to deliver. Good luck Techland.For those of you who actually haven’t seen the trailer yet you can check it out below or visit the Axis Animation Website for more info. Can you say instant coolest game trailer of 2011 nominee?