Behind the madness: making The Mound reveal trailer

Before a single torch flickered, before the jungle whispered its first warning, there was only an empty stage, a few actors in mocap suits, and a very clear vision:

Show players what it feels like to descend into the unknown.

Motion Capture with a mission

To create the physicality and emotional realism we needed for the trailer, we turned to motion capture. Our goal was to capture not just movement, but intention. These aren’t modern protagonists, they’re 16th-century explorers, warriors, and believers, reacting to things their world can’t explain.

Benjamin Corbel, Lead Cinematic Artist at Nacon, directed the shoot - and even took on the role of virtual camera operator, helping craft every shot from inside the scene. His eye for framing tension and unease was key to translating horror into physical space.

We were lucky to work with an incredible group of performers:

• Cédric Lalanne as The Priest, bringing gravity and spiritual tension to every gesture.

• Tommy-Lee Baïk as The Veteran, whose posture and hesitation conveyed experience.

• Lazare Minoungou as The Soldier, driven, determined, and slowly unraveling.

From the smallest head turn to a last-minute recoil from something unseen, these actors brought our vision to life, one beat at a time.

**The Mocap team behind the curtain **

No mocap shoot happens without a solid team behind the sensors, and we had one of the best. Huge thanks to:

• Charley Boidin

• Mathilde Cellier

• David Chour

• Manon Delafont

• Nolan Vercasson

Their attention to detail ensured the sessions ran smoothly and the resulting data stayed clean, sharp, and expressive. From syncing weapon grips to adjusting calibration mid-scene, they kept the technical side invisible—so the performances could shine.

You can discover the video right here:

[dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ANOUYucxk"][/dynamiclink]

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