Avid Technology > Case Studies > Avid Pro Tools: Powering the Sound of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV

Avid Pro Tools: Powering the Sound of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Sensors - Acoustic Sensors

Applicable Industries

Equipment & Machinery

Use Cases

Leasing Finance Automation
Material Handling Automation

About The Customer

The customer in this case is the team behind the feature-film adaptation of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, part of the successful Final Fantasy video game franchise. The film was written by Takashi Hasegawa and directed by Takeshi Nozue, and released in August 2016. The film features a prominent cast including Aaron Paul, Sean Bean and Lena Headey, along with a bevvy of talent behind the scenes. The Final Fantasy world is a rich one where King Regis reigns supreme in the magical and visually stunning kingdom known as Lucis, where he protects his realm through a sacred crystal that bestows magic and power. The film features breathtaking backdrops and heart-stopping action.

The Challenge

The challenge was to bring as much realism as possible to the feature-film adaptation of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. The goal was to create high-quality and engaging content, rich sounds and dialogue that immerse audiences and help propel the story. The film, part of the successful Final Fantasy video game franchise, required a believable transition of characters from the video game to the big screen. The sound re-recording mixers Jeff Haboush, Tom Marks and Greg Russell were tasked with ensuring that each character portrayed in the video game correlated to the big screen in a unique and believable way. The film also presented unique challenges due to its near non-stop action, flying ships, explosions, weapons, magic, and epic battles.

The Solution

The solution was to utilize Avid Pro Tools, the industry's most trusted tools for audio production, powered by the MediaCentral platform, the industry’s most open, tightly integrated and efficient platform designed for media. The team used Avid’s comprehensive tools and workflow solutions to create, distribute and optimize media. The workflow was comprised of 16 Media Composer systems deployed across two continents to enable 24/7 collaborative editing. Pro Tools facilitated global collaboration for the entire team, allowing for seamless transition and flexibility when it was critical, with distance not making a difference. The team also used multiple Pro Tools plugins to stay consistent with the automation and to make the animation feel real. Pro Tools was instrumental in helping the team achieve different resonances for each character, ensuring they each had their own unique voice and overall sound.

Operational Impact

The use of Pro Tools allowed for a seamless workflow and global collaboration, enabling the team to work across two continents and around the clock. The team was able to create unique voices and overall sounds for each character, ensuring a believable transition from the video game to the big screen. The use of Pro Tools also allowed for flexibility and adaptability, with the ability to make changes and adjustments as needed. The team was able to achieve a balance of dialogue, music and sound effects, ensuring that the audience was not distracted by certain sounds. The use of Pro Tools was instrumental in bringing the sound this action-packed and visually dramatic film needed to the big screen.