Stunning Video Game Technology Brings Churchill’s Story to Life

‘Churchill at Blenheim’ was filmed with a range of cutting-edge technologies used on some of the most popular high-end TV shows and ground breaking video games.

The story takes the viewer on a journey through and around the house and grounds of the stunning Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“We wanted to create something really special that would encompass Churchill’s enduring connection to Blenheim in a highly visual and engaging way,” said Blenheim’s Head of Innovation, David Green.

“Part of the brief was also to have an introduction to the exhibition that would be appreciated by a younger audience and by those people who were unfamiliar with Churchill. The video game-style technology allows us to tell quite a complex and complicated story quickly and memorably. It also means we can reach audiences who are unable to visit in person,” he added.

The film acts as an introduction to the new exhibition, which celebrates Churchill’s lifelong association with Blenheim.

As well as being his birthplace, it’s where he decided to propose to his beloved wife Clementine. Blenheim Palace was also one of his favourite places to relax, and its rich military history provided huge inspiration for Churchill’s own career.

 “The initial idea and story was put together by Oxford-based writer Mark Pritchard and the BAFTA-nominated animation director Robin Celebi,” said Brian Mitchell, Head of Rebellion Film Studios.

“An inspiring voiceover of some of Churchill’s most famous quotes is accompanied by complex sound design, which features the thunder of a cavalry charge and the iconic sound of Spitfires passing overhead.

“The soaring background music was composed specifically for the piece, and the images of the palace have been rendered with a hand-painted look in a stylistic nod to Churchill’s own love of painting.

“A small team from Oxfordshire-based SIAD and Oxotec carried out the digital scanning of the Palace and created the high definition 3D environments used throughout the video.

“We then merged these within a video game engine to achieve the distinct look and feel. Finally, the sound effects and music were added courtesy of Ed Walker from Sounding Sweet and the composer, Ian Livingston,” he added.

Rebellion is one of Europe’s biggest independent cross media studios, producing content across video games, film, and TV production as well comic book and fiction publishing. 

It has a proven track record working on major franchises across all kinds of media, from global franchises like Star Wars to TV projects such as Doctor Who and Netflix’s Love Death & Other Robots, to video games like Sniper Elite, Evil Genius 2 and Sony’s Destruction AllStars.

For more information on Churchill at Blenheim Palace go to churchill.blenheimpalace.com.

Issued on behalf of Blenheim Palace. For more information please contact Samantha Vaughan on 07469 129743 or SVaughan@blenheimpalace.com .