A week before the showcase, the team was scrambling. The visual team still had rendering passes test going, final composition being revised, things being tweaked right up until the last minute.
Originally the plan was simple, share a few work-in-progress images, some character concepts, and a short test animation clip that was already in the pipeline.
Because that’s exactly what Nirnama is at this stage. A proof of concept for us to communicate to partners, audiences, fans. It shows the quality we’re aiming for, how it’s going to look and feel, and most importantly, to see how the audience will actually react to it.
Instead of bits and pieces, we put everything into one short video. Something that carries at least a little of what the team has been pouring themselves into.
Fast forward to the night itself.
We were invited early to meet Hilal before the showcase kicked off, and that alone was already something. Got to meet Nenek Hani, MistaShaque, and the Studio Aminimint. Seeing the faces behind the incredible work and rap verses that shape Nirnama to what it is now. We loved every bit of it.
(We didn’t get the chance to meet Myle yet! From what we understand the current Nirnama visual looks is perfected by Myle)
By 8pm sharp, we were ready at the booth. Video plugged in. Hilal and Chief Usamah Zaid took the stage, greeted the crowd, and walked them through the big ideas behind how all of this comes together. We were nervous. Not going to sugarcoat it. That kind of nervous where you don’t quite know what to do with your hands other than hide behind my phone’s camera.
Then the video played.
Alhamdulillah, the reactions said everything. There was a lot of warmth in that room. The booth turned into this organic gathering point where fans of Hilal, fans of Nirnama, fans of WAU and Ejen Ali all came together to share their excitement and hopes for what’s coming. Conversations were flowing, people were asking questions, sharing what got them hyped.
Thank you to everyone who came!
Thank you especially to the fans who came from far to see this. We deeply appreciate it and we’ll do our best delivering Nirnama with respect to the essence. Insyallah.
– Fuad
