How the ‘Arcane’ Team Championed Human Collaboration, Spontaneity and Imperfection in Its Final Season

by

As Arcane’s co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee were initially brainstorming their League of Legends adaption more than ten years back, the partnership between the multiplayer online battle arena’s publisher, Riot Games, and Fortiche Production was still in its early stages.

Despite some highly successful collaborations between the two entities, such as Riot’s debut music video for a new character release in 2013 (“Get Jinxed”) and another visual collaboration with Imagine Dragons in 2014 (the band responsible for the title theme of “Arcane”), the French animation studio was not necessarily the automatic choice for the game developer when it came to adapting its popular game for film.

According to Linke, who is Riot’s Head of Animation, other studios may have had better quality or more refined cinematic presentations, but what set Fortiche apart was its unique style, characterized by human imperfections. He explains that the initial view wasn’t flawless, with slight camera imperfections, scratches on the lens, and dust particles causing slight blur, yet it felt authentic because of these intentional flaws. (The Hollywood Reporter)

From its inception to its conclusion, the animated series Arcane showcases not only the polished techniques and unique styles of its artistic team, but also the raw, unrefined aspects that can be found within their work. This blend creates a visual spectrum that could potentially spark imitations through artificial intelligence. However, the team behind Arcane attributes their impressive success to the human element of the Netflix series, which at its peak in season two, consisted of nearly 500 individuals, as stated by Bart Maunoury, Fortiche’s creative director and co-director of Arcane.

Amanda Overton, co-EP and writer, points out that it’s the human touch – individuals expressing their essence in the project through art – which cannot be replicated by AI. AI can merely imitate what humans have previously created.

In the final analysis, AI is merely a tool according to Linke. As these tools become more accessible, impressing and connecting with a vast human audience remains challenging. Regardless of the resources at their disposal, there are numerous individuals who simply cannot achieve this connection.

In their two seasons, Riot and Fortiche have successfully delivered their story by maintaining a unified style in writing and animation, driven by emotional intuition and contrast. Linke explains their approach to storytelling, stating that often during the creation process, the focus can be on what is logical, but people rarely act logically. He suggests that it’s easy to become ensnared in structure and forget that captivating characters tend to do things that are unexpected. As for the character Jinx, she consistently defies expectations by doing something opposite of what one might anticipate or even consider. This unpredictability is crucial for keeping the story engaging because people often behave in unconventional ways, and it’s essential to reflect this authenticity to make everything feel genuine.

According to Overtone, if you can make your medium, character, or world distinctly unique, you’ll have a better chance at connecting those disparate elements by discovering shared characteristics,” explains Overtone.

The way the show combines 2D and 3D animation styles contributes to its unique visual style, allowing it to create standout sequences as described by Maunoury. In each episode of Arcane, there are special moments where the narrative and animation come together around a specific event, storyline, or character, surprising viewers and defying their assumptions about the show’s visual world.

Among the most memorable scenes from season two were:

– A charcoal sketch depicting a funeral (one of the few real, non-digital drawings in the show, courtesy of director Julien Georgel), which unfolded like a scene from a comic book. It reminded us of the style used in Sin City.
– Boxing matches involving Vi (played by Hailee Steinfeld) that played out like dynamic comic book panels.
– The history of Vi and Jinx’s (Ella Purnell’s character) family, portrayed through watercolor paintings.

All these sequences were crafted through a combination of careful planning and spontaneous decisions, aiming to intensify the range of human feelings and experiences depicted in the series.

I found the watercolor style particularly captivating as it mirrored the fleeting nature of memories,” I remark. “Just like when we reminisce, sometimes it’s not the exact details that stand out, but rather a vague impression or emotion. It’s elusive, and that’s what resonated with me while watching it.

Maunoury stated that the watercolor sequence wasn’t intentionally designed to be visually striking, but it ended up having a watercolor feel in the storyboard. They decided to utilize this technique to enhance the storytelling, so they brought in an artist from outside of Fortiche to handle the task. They always make these decisions for the sake of the narrative, not as something that should be done without compensation or purely for enjoyment.

During the production of the final episode, a scenario featuring Viktor (Harry Lloyd) and Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) unfolded within Viktor’s mind, a unique setting that was part organic and part digital following Viktor’s body being controlled by sinister, enchanted technology. “In truth,” Maunoury reminisces, “the two-dimensional aesthetic we opted for came about at the very last minute. However, we were so captivated by the creativity of our storyboard artist in that sequence, we simply decided to color in the gaps and bring it to life without resorting to 3D.

The pivotal moment in question was partly made feasible due to the team’s exploration of creative limits during season one. As Linke puts it, “By the final episode of season one, we had the breathtaking scene with the red sky and the rocket launch. That instant was akin to saying, ‘Wow, we’re truly defying physics here, if you will, and diving headlong into artistry, going beyond what I thought was possible before.’ It felt exhilarating, so there was an impulse that suggested we should continue to explore this creative freedom.

Link shares that they intend to carry forward the diversity, spontaneity, and authenticity that sparked the creation of Netflix’s series, as the team ponders various possibilities within the same universe. As he puts it, “We have a multitude of unique characters who thrive in diverse settings and genres. The challenge lies in deciding which ones to choose, and that’s the excitement of League as a brand. Its versatility is incredible. Whether we opt for Tryndamere, Ashe, Teemo, or Malzahar, each choice will lead to something distinctly different,” he notes. “What makes Arcane particularly advantageous is its eclecticism. The lessons learned from the extremes will guide us in shaping the narratives of future tales.

Currently, the journey of “Arcane” is coming to a close following only two seasons, an experience that Maunoury asserts he would not swap for any other, including the supposed efficiency of artificial intelligence. “The reason why [Arcane] stands out so much,” he explains, “is because there are countless aspects I would have tweaked to enhance it. However, in retrospect, we remain incredibly proud.” He adds, “Collaborating with that team was the most rewarding part of this journey. Almost having the chance to work with each individually — the camaraderie and the sheer enthusiasm poured into every frame left an indelible impact on me. I would not trade it for any AI-driven process.

This tale was initially published in a special, independent issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine for June. To get the magazine, you can subscribe by clicking here.

Read More

2025-06-13 20:54