Assassin's Creed: Lineage

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Assassin's Creed: Lineage
Assassins Creed Lineage Cover.jpg
Directed byYves Simoneau
Written byYves Simoneau
William Reymond
Produced byPierre Raymond
Serge Hascoet (executive)
Yannis Mallat (executive)
Yves Guillemot (executive)
Ian Whitehead (line)
StarringRomano Orzari
CinematographyGuy Dufaux
Edited byIsabelle Malenfant
Music byGeorge S. Clinton
Production
companies
Ubisoft (Montreal)
Hybride Technologies
Distributed byNew Video Group
Running time
36 minutes (total)
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Assassin's Creed: Lineage is a series of three Canadian short films based on the Assassin's Creed video game series, directed by Yves Simoneau.[1] The films are made by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with Hybride Technology,[2] and mark Ubisoft's first attempt to step into the film industry.[3] The three short films were released on YouTube to promote Assassin's Creed II, to which they serve as a prequel, describing the history of Ezio Auditore da Firenze and his family before the events of the game. The films primarily revolve around Ezio's father Giovanni (played by Romano Orzari) and his career as an assassin in 15th century Florence.[4][2]

The first episode was released on 26 October 2009,[5] followed by the other two on 12 November. The complete film was released on 14 November 2009.

Plot[]

Episode 1[]

In Florence in 1476, the Assassin Giovanni Auditore monologues about the corruption, betrayal and murder hidden behind the enlightenment of the Renaissance, and about his fight to preserve justice, honor, and his family's safety. From the shadows, he quietly watches his family enjoying themselves at dinner, before departing into the moonlit streets of Florence. Outside, he ambushes a party of mercenaries led by Rodrigo Borgia as they attempt to sneak out of the city. Giovanni kills two of the mercenaries and incapacitates the third, but Borgia escapes in the confusion. Giovanni brings the surviving mercenary to Lorenzo de' Medici, who has him tortured for information. The man reveals that the Duke of Milan will be assassinated during the Feast of St Stephen, when the church bell strikes for the twelfth and final time.

Giovanni races to Milan, but fails to prevent the Duke's assassination. After killing the assassins with help from the Duke's guards, Giovanni searches one of the bodies and finds several coins stamped with the coat of arms of Venice. Returning home, Giovanni waches his elder sons play chess, and gives some advice to his younger son Ezio. In private, he monologues that the Duke's death has robbed Medici of a powerful ally, but that he knows where to find the culprits.

Episode 2[]

Giovanni arrives in Venice to search for whoever ordered the Duke of Milan's death. His investigation leads him to St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, where he eavesdrops on a conversation between two men (Silvio and Marco Barbarigo). The men dispatch a courier to deliver a letter to 'their master' in Rome, whom Giovanni intercepts and overpowers. Before he can interrogate him, however, the courier commits suicide. Furious, Giovanni takes the letter and returns to Florence. He presents the letter to Lorenzo and Uberto Alberti, Florence's Gonfaloniere of Justice, but it is encrypted. Giovanni returns home while Uberto gets Father Antonio Maffei to decode the letter. After deciphering it, Uberto orders Maffei to summon Giovanni and Lorenzo, and not to tell anyone of the letter's contents.

Back at his villa, Giovanni enjoys some time with his family when he is summoned by Maffei to the palace. Ezio is confused as to why his father must leave so late in the night, and asks to go with him, but Giovanni refuses. At the palace, Uberto claims they were unable to decode the letter, and therefore the only way to see who it is intended for is to deliver it personally. Giovanni volunteers for the mission and departs for Rome. Back in Venice, Rodrigo Borgia and his allies meet to formulate their next move, and pray "May The Father of Understanding be with us!" while arranging their swords in a familiar symbol (confirming they are Templars).

Episode 3[]

Giovanni arrives in Rome and delivers the letter, which is passed through the crowd until it reaches Borgia. Borgia goes straight to the Vatican and gives the letter to Pope Sixtus IV. The pair discuss the fact that Lorenzo de' Medici is unwilling to bend to the Pope's authority; when Borgia suggests using force, the Pope agrees to support his plot to restore order in Florence. After Borgia leaves, Giovanni follows him to St Peter's Basilica. Inside, Borgia reveals that he knows Giovanni's name, and invites him to join the Templars and live to see 'a new world'. When Giovanni refuses, Borgia orders his men to attack. Giovanni manages to fight off the attackers, but his hidden blade is broken and he is struck in the chest with a throwing knife by Borgia, who uses the distraction to escape.

Giovanni returns home to Florence, where his wife tens to his wounds. He confesses to her his fear that the Duke of Milan's assassination was merely the start of a conspiracy, and that the next blow will strike Florence; he fears for the safety of de'Medici, his allies and himself. Suddenly, Antonio Maffei and several guards arrive at the house, asking for Giovanni. His eldest son Federico lies that his father has already left while Giovanni escapes through a hidden passage. Back in Rome, Borgia and his fellow Templars agree that the main threat to their plans is Giovanni; Borgia says he has a plan to deal with the Assassin, and that with him gone, nothing will stand in their way.

Back in Florence, Giovanni prowls the streets (pausing to muse when he sees Ezio flirting with his girlfriend), monologuing that dark days are approaching Florence and time is running out. He remarks that no matter what happens, he and his sons are "the Auditore da Firenze, and we are Assassins!" The film concludes with the message "The conclusion... is in your hands", setting the stage for Assassin's Creed II.

Cast[]

The films and the game share a common cast. All of the actors (except Devon Bostick, who only has his face and voice used) have been mo-capped (for narrative sequences), their faces have been scanned and their voices have been recorded for the video game.[6]

Production[]

Behind-the-scenes image of Assassin's Creed: Lineage

Both film makers and game makers worked very closely to link the two titles. Live actors were filmed on green screen (just like Hybride Technologies, participating in the production, did with 300, Sin City and Avatar) which was then replaced by the game's environment extracted from the engine to XSI (half of those assets were re-worked on the texture and geometrical levels before being exported to be used in the film).[6]

About 50% of the costumes that appear in Lineage were authentic period re-creations leased from Italy, the rest of the costumes were designed and crafted by a 3rd party design studio on behalf of Ubisoft and assembled by a group of Montreal, Quebec costume specialists.[6]

Corey May, the writer of Assassin's Creed II, worked closely with the Assassin's Creed: Lineage scriptwriter, William Reymond, in order to make sure both stories were linked to the original story.[6]

Soundtrack[]

The score of the films is composed by George S. Clinton, unlike Assassin's Creed II's soundtrack, which was scored by Jesper Kyd.[9]

Promotion and release[]

Ubisoft acquired on 8 July 2008 the post-production VFX studio Hybride Technologies based in Piedmont as part of the game company's strategy to extend its brands to other media and to converge gaming and filming entertainment.[10]

A year later, during a press conference held at the E3 2009, Ubisoft revealed the making of short films based on the universe of Assassin's Creed II using the game's engine with the participation of Hybride and Ubisoft Digital Arts.[11] Ubisoft then released more details about the project during the 2009's Comic-Con, revealing some behind the scenes shots at the same period.[12]

Ubisoft held a special press screening of the first episode at a theater in the Champs-Élysées on 19 October 2009[13] and a public teaser trailer was released on the same day.[14]

The first episode was released on YouTube on 26 October 2009, though it was announced for the 27th, and it was showcased on YouTube homepage in eight different countries. It was also released on EuroGamerTV on 2 November 2009.[5] The second and the third parts of the Lineage were released on YouTube on 12 November 2009. The complete film was released two days later.[15]

Assassin's Creed: Lineage was first released on DVD in March 2010 as a bonus content in a special Lineage Edition of Assassin's Creed II (also known as Special Film Edition). The DVD was included in the special editions of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood: Auditore Edition (exclusive to Australia, Europe[16] and New Zealand)[17] and Limited Codex Edition.[18]

Lineage is included in The Ezio Collection, which was released on 15 November 2016.[19]

Critical reaction[]

IGN's Christopher Monfette said in a 2009 review that "Lineage feels more like something that would make an excellent inclusion in a high-priced special edition than anything that one would pay to see".[20] In a 2011 review R.L. Shaffer said that "The short is very good, but not quite engaging enough to earn the series any new fans".[21]

References[]

  1. ^ "Assassin's Creed Lineage: Révélations". 29 July 2009. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Manco 2012, p. 101.
  3. ^ McElroy, Griffin (27 October 2009). "First Assassin's Creed: Lineage episode is surprisingly great". Engadget. Oath Tech Network AOL Tech. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. ^ Giovagnoli, Max (2011). "Plan Transmedia". Transmedia Storytelling: Imagery, Shapes and Techniques. Lulu.com. p. 43. ISBN 9781105062582.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "The first episode of the Assassin's Creed Lineage short movies will be aired on 8 YouTube homepages worldwide on Oct. 27th". 19 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Lights, camera, assassin". 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  7. ^ Coudé-Lord, Michelle (13 November 2009). "Manuel Tadros dans la peau d'un pape". Journal de Montreal (in French). Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  8. ^ Terrace, Vincent (11 November 2014). Internet Drama and Mystery Television Series, 1996-2014. McFarland Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 9780786495818.
  9. ^ "Assassin's Creed: Lineage scored in Sibelius". 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Ubisoft acquires Hybride Technologies". 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  11. ^ "E3 2009: Ubisoft Live Blog". IGN. Ziff Davis. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Assassin's Creed 2 Comic-con Panel". 27 July 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  13. ^ "Nos impressions sur Assassin's Creed Lineage !". 19 October 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  14. ^ "ASSASSIN'S CREED – SHORT MOVIES TEASER". 21 October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  15. ^ Assassin's Creed Lineage – Complete Movie on YouTube
  16. ^ [EXCLU]Assassin's creed brotherhood : Auditore edition ! chez Smartoys
  17. ^ Buy Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Auditore Collector's Edition for PS3 at Mighty Ape NZ
  18. ^ http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation3/4-/15571175/Assassin-Creed-Brotherhood-Limited-Codex-Edition/Product.html
  19. ^ Sliva, Marty (22 November 2016). "Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection Review". IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  20. ^ Monfette, Christopher (11 November 2009). "Assassin's Creed: Lineage Impressions". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  21. ^ Shaffer, R.L. (18 November 2011). "Assassin's Creed: Lineage Blu-ray Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 23 February 2014.

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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