Creating videos for the Kings and Generals YouTube channel

Creating videos for the Kings and Generals YouTube channel.

CLIENT
Kings and Generals – the premier YouTube channel for anyone interested in military history. Channel is dedicated to providing high-quality educational content that explores some of the most significant military campaigns, battles, and strategies throughout history.

TASK
Create a video for the Kings and Generals YouTube channel.
The video should be a small documentary in the timekeeping of 15-25 minutes. The customer provided the voiceover and the script of the reading. Also, according to the channel’s policy, we need to focus on storytelling through an interactive map.

SOLUTION
The Asterman LT team started working with the preparation of the script. We divided the script into scenes and began to describe in detail the visual of each.
Based on the timing and complexity of the scene, the manager evenly distributed the tasks among the artists.
Then we moved on to the preparation of assets. First of all, we chose the technology of drawing the map.

PROBLEM
“The main purpose of the video is to tell a story through maps. We are still looking for the ideal convenient option for its implementation. Now we proceed from the customer’s scenario and try to choose the fastest, most convenient and high-quality option”. – Artsiom Yakimenko, Art Lead.
“At the time of preparing the script, it was very important to have a basic understanding of geography. It is from large-scale events on the world map or a local conflict involving other countries that the choice of technology for displaying the map is made”, – he added.

We prepared icons, selected fonts and created the concept of animation type- and infographics. Then we started searching for suitable archival video footage for the video.
After receiving the approval of the assets and the map from the customer, the designers joined the project. Creating scenes, checking them, compiling all the scenes in the final render of the first version is their responsibility.
“Such a project is a great documentary work. The designers were required not only to create a video sequence, but also to understand how to show them profitably: which leaders, figures and political events are we talking about” – Artsiom Yakimenko, Art Lead.

At the end of the project, we made and approved the final edits, as well as adapted the project for use on other devices.
The video consists of three main parts:
1. Map. The main method of storytelling. The map depicts military clashes, trade routes, geopolitical solutions and the parties to the conflict and/or the countries discussed in the video.
2. Graphics. Here we have demonstrated economic indicators, structures of organizations, the main points of various international acts or published documents. We also included animation of images, both authored and generated by neural networks, in this category.
3. Footages. This includes videos showing meetings of world leaders, protests, fighting, and etc.