Game of Ruh. Three-video Promo Campaign

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For an urban game of Ruh, I've made a promo campaign of 3 films and additionl media, to promote the game and engage its audience in social medias, to gain folowing and to spread the word - or, a film! - about a game. In order t do that, I used various peculiar techniques and combined them.

So, those 3 films are very different and show different sides of the game, telling a story from a beginning point (feeling uncomfortable in a dull city) to the gameplay, conquering the city and feeling at the right place and at the right time.

First film to show here will be the last from the series, an actual 'gameplay trailer' . But, what's a gameplay trailer of an urban game host inside a messenger?

The video had to be dynamic&engaging, show a lot of movement (ruh, translated from Belarusian, means 'movement') and.. a city. Two main techniques used were fisheye video shot from ground level and stop-motion animation, combined with a bit of collage. The video highlights the main features of the game - being organized in a messenger and taking place in a real city; having 6 mini-bosses, 7 days and 7 ruhs (moves). This teaser also ends with an animated crooked arrow, an emblem of ruh.

In addition to the teaser, I made a whole additional animation with all 7 ruhs in a stop motion technique, with cut-out ruh arrows of different kinds and board game elements.

Game of Ruh, being an experimental urban game, takes many visual and structural notices from board games, video games, psychogeography, parkour and other movements, yet targeted at another audience. But for now, let's move to the first and the second films of the series, which started the promotion itself, when not very much about the future game was known.

The first video had to be engaging yet discomforting. An idea was to show the alienation in the city, uncomfortable feelings and daily problems of a citizen. A cult song by Molchat Doma ame in handy, highlighting the feel with words 'hard and uncozy'. This is a point A of the game, the starting point of the journey. It had to be static. So, while the city around moves, the character stands and doesn't move - probably unable to? Video was made to become viral on Reels, with the usage of visuals, editing and music, and it gained 5000 views in several days. The video helped to engage viewers and, with a short text, to tell aout the game, its purpouses and main idea.

The second video and a second post in this campaign had to be transitional. It, being a 'sequel' of a first one, is all about movement, real one, dynamics, and also symbolic movement and arrows of ruh.

It had to be more comforting and, even though it has an engaging imagery, it had to be calming. Being a reel (tiktok) and being able to pick any music, the muic of Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time was the best choice, adventurous yet calming, a bit nostalgic and comfortable. Different fragments of city life, maps, buildings, arrows, collages and other fragments were combined into this single video collage of urban ruh imagery.

All 3 of the videos, as well as all additional videos, were so successfull and engaged an audience in such a way, that all places in a game were reserved very early on. Players vere from different countries and cites, some even from villages, trying ruh in experimental environments. Videos vere shared many times among viewers and target audience, and had absolutely completed their mission.

For me, creating of those films linked my passion for filmmaking and directing, experimental film, different techniques - and a city, urban life, transit and movement in the city. Doing of such films is very fullfilling, and I would gladly make more films of similar formats at various topics - and for various purpouses and audiences. I believe, that videos should work, they should be engaging and helping to find the right people, clients, and to form your community. And I'm happy to take part in this.