THIS IS HOW DRONES AND 4K CAMERAS HELPED CREATE THE DREAMY WORLD OF IDEA
See what happens when an IDEA gets stuck in this physics-based puzzle game by the co-creators of The Longest Road on Earth and filmmaker Olli Huttunen
IDEA, the physics-based puzzle art game about wonder, discovery and sharing is a game that explores the boundaries between filmmaking and video games. Based on an awarded short film by Olli Huttunen, the (also awarded game, twice by the way) game challenges players to take an idea as far as possible while travelling through the world. The pictures seen in the film, and in the game, were recorded by Olli Huttunen himself, who has shared more insights about the filming process and how the world of Idea was created.
"Aerial photography is fascinating and with a drone you can get to angles that we don't often see. I find the direct top to down angle interesting and here it is a central part of the whole story and the game. All the aerial footages were shot with popular DJI drones. I mostly used a small Mavic Air and few shots were filmed with Mavic pro. Both Drones are cable to record 4K video", explains Huttunen.
IDEA's landscapes change as the player progresses in game. This feature started on Huttunen's mind, as he wanted to show how the landscapes change over time: "I started collecting pictures in early spring when there was still snow on the ground. The intention was that the footage would show the arrival of the green of summer as the lamp's journey progresses, but spring was quite late that year and the change of season took longer than expected. I mainly flew in areas that are public or quite remote and do not require any special permits".
IDEA's landscapes change as the player progresses in game. This feature started on Huttunen's mind, as he wanted to show how the landscapes change over time: "I started collecting pictures in early spring when there was still snow on the ground. The intention was that the footage would show the arrival of the green of summer as the lamp's journey progresses, but spring was quite late that year and the change of season took longer than expected. I mainly flew in areas that are public or quite remote and do not require any special permits".
The key to make IDEA work, both as a short film and as a video game, was "finding good streets and intersections", Huttunen acknowledges. I looked for a suitable shooting height and found three different distances at which I shot all the pictures as a rule. In some landscapes I had to watch out for trees, but for the most part I flew over open places where it was easy to observe the views below". After wrapping up the short film, Huttunen and The Longest Road Games team shot new footage for the game. The only problem Huttunen had to face was weather: "I did record new footage for the game. I planned and researched on the map where interesting streets and areas could be found near the place where I live. Unfortunately, there was a long period of rain here and I didn't get to shoot as much as I would have liked. I had to postpone the filming plans until next year. Fortunately, I had some old pictures in my collection that also fit the game".
Inspired by the award-winning short film of the same name by Olli Huttunen, IDEA sets you on a journey of awe-inspiring beauty, exploring gorgeous landscapes from a bird's eye view recorded in 4K resolution, with no loading times between screens.Spark an idea, represented by a white lightbulb, and send it forth to find its place in the world. Watch your idea from the sky, bouncing and falling, and help it when it gets stuck before the music ends. If you find your destination, your idea will bloom into a piece of visual art, a short clip of beauty and marvel. But sometimes, it won't be able to advance, and its journey will end there – but it won't be for nothing: it can help other people's ideas in the future, or even yourself. Write a thought, a piece of a song, a verse, and share it. Now is out there, forever, for all the world to see. And when you begin a new journey, you'll see other people's ideas. Save your favorite ones, and see how many people have saved yours.
IDEA follows similar principles as The Longest Road on Earth (of which TLR Games are co-creators): a soothing, poetic experience, focused on the feelings and meanings that the intersection between art, music, and gameplay can create. You can follow the development of IDEA on Steam; its release date will be announced at a later date.
