HaZimation Unveils First Footage For “Rift” Made Entirely Via Unreal Engine

We’ve seen some early promising footage for adult animation produced with Unreal Engine, however, it looks as though some of the footage is still a bit early in its execution. Take for example this new feature-length animated film Rift which is now being shown in film festivals.

Featuring the voices of Jane Perry (Cyberpunk 2077),Cade Tropeano, and Dave Fennoy (The Walking Dead Game) and being produced by HaZimation, the script comes from Stavros Pamballis and is being produced by Hasraf ‘HaZ’ Dulull and Paula Crickard with Yariv Lerner and Jason Potter as EP’s. Colorist Vanessa Taylor joins the fray in helping illustrating via an Unreal Engine 5 that is a year old and one that Epic Games is hoping will take hold in an adult animation industry that is becoming increasingly sophisticated via advances in technology.

The 93-minute Rift features CG animation that looks a tad clunky for a finished product. Ace Ruele and Alex Kong did the mo-cap performances that are usually more indicative in gaming culture rather than in animated television, but even still, everything looks a bit plasticky, and not unlike something you would see made in parody by the likes of Bart Batchelor and Chris Nielsen. Here’s hoping whomever buys it does so with a couple more dollars because I’m not sure Epic’s MegaGrant was enough for the feature to be fully realized from an aesthetic. That said, it’s the premise that counts, and that rules all, so hopefully the entirety of the finished product comes to fruition.