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BlizzCon 2013: Making the Burdens of Shaohao artists panel
Yesterday evening toward the end of the day at BlizzCon, this quiet panel took an in-depth look at the creation of "The Burdens of Shaohao," a six-part animation that tells the tale of Emperor Shaohao and how the mists were formed around Pandaria. The panel featured Lead Story Developer Micky Neilson, Art Director Doug Gregory, artist Laurel Austin, and cinematics editor Lucas Merino, but didn't begin until 6 o'clock, so attendance was fairly sparse. This is a shame, because the story behind the animation's creation is fascinating. If you couldn't attend the panel, you can check out this in-depth interview our own Anne Stickney conducted back in August with Micky Neilson and Doug Gregory about the animation. The panel was fairly similar, but the addition of Laurel Austin and Lucas Merino added some extra depth and perspective that's always interesting to hear.
Micky Neilson, Doug Gregory discuss The Burdens of Shaohao
The Burdens of Shaohao, a six-part series released earlier this month, was met with resounding praise across the board from players and devoted lore fans alike. The sweeping tale of the last Emperor of Pandaria was unlike anything we'd ever seen before from Blizzard -- a stunning, gorgeous piece of animated, narrative storytelling featuring artwork by Laurel Austin. While we've seen narrative tales in the form of cinematic-style storytelling, this is the first time we've seen anything of this nature. We sat down with Lead Story Developer Micky Neilson and the director of Shaohao, Doug Gregory to discuss the piece and how exactly it all came to be. While we were originally supposed to have lead editor Lucas Merino on board as well, he was unable to attend the interview as he and his wife received a special gift shortly after the release of Shaohao -- a healthy baby boy! Despite Lucas' absence, we had a delightful time discussing the film, its development, and the possibility of future projects in the unique style of Shaohao.
