Stormforge
A Blizzard-scale cinematic
for a new WoW era
Watch Cinematic
Stormforge launched as the unified brand of two powerhouse communities—Tauri and Atlantiss—and needed a cinematic that would give World of Warcraft fans chills. I led the creative vision end-to-end: assembling and directing a cross-disciplinary team, shaping the narrative, and driving production from first storyboard to final composite.
The result is a lore-faithful, high-impact film that feels right at home alongside classic Wrath of the Lich King moments.
Tools & Skills
3D & Motion: Blender, Cinema 4D, Adobe After Effects
Rendering: Octane (production-grade), render-farm orchestration, AI upscaling for select cuts
Audio: FL Studio (sound design, mix)
Workflow: Previz, asset look-dev, lighting, FX, compositing, color grade
My Role
Creative Director & Animation Lead. Team assembly, art direction, storyboard, pipeline, delivery.
Cinematic vision & storyboard
We began with a tightly crafted storyboard to lock pacing, iconography, and emotional beats. Close collaboration with the client ensured every scene served the core narrative arc—building from eerie calm to the Lich King's culminating reveal—so the entire team could execute with clarity and consistency.
Worldbuilding with fan-level fidelity
Each shot showcases landmark locales from the Wrath of the Lich King era. We prioritized precision—silhouette, scale, material response—because WoW fans know the world by heart.
A recurring bird motif threads the journey between regions, echoing the language of Blizzard's classic trailers. The finale centers on Frostmourne and the Lich King's soul-binding power—an unmistakable, lore-true climax.
Production pipeline
- • Previz & layout: Blocked camera moves and beats for edit-ready timing
- • Modeling, look-dev, lighting: Blender/C4D with Octane to achieve cinematic realism and icy atmospherics
- • FX & animation: Environment dynamics and hero moments tuned for weight and readability
- • Render strategy: Scene splitting, layered AOVs, and a render farm to meet quality and deadlines
- • Compositing: After Effects for integration, depth, volumetrics, and final polish
- • Performance: Select AI upscaling to reduce render load without sacrificing detail
Finishing & delivery
Color, grain, and sound design (FL Studio) lock the tone—cold, imposing, unmistakably Northrend. Multiple motion-design variants were produced alongside the hero cinematic for campaign versatility.
Let's talk
I'm looking for connecting with honest and ambitious people, companies, and teams who are building something meaningful.
Prefer email? filip@miernik.me