Hold Fast or Die Trying

Animation, 2024-2026

Unity Animation Blender Storytelling Premiere Pro

Hold Fast or Die Trying is a 40 minute film shot entirely in Unity. Inspired by the game Holdfast: Nations at War, it is rapidly becoming a capstone for many of the skills acquired over the director's academic career.
In Europe of 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte has been exiled for the first time following his failed invasion of Russia. Not all is quiet at home, however, as in his absence elites from the French Grande Armée are making a move to retake the throne for themselves. Fearing another continent-wide war, the task of stopping them falls into a band of ragtag mercennaries, with the promise of amnesty for their crimes should they succeed.
Hold Fast or Die Trying is a historical parody, as well as a love letter to the community surrounding the game it is set in.

Project Image 1
A test render for the custom head scans performed by the project's actors.
Project Image 2
A test render showcasing a night scene and functional particles.
Project Image 3
A test render of post-processing effects in the Unity scene.

The project will involve custom music, choreographed action sequences, and hours of body & facial motion capture, all of which is done by the writer/director.
It is set to debut (OPTIMISTICALLY) in December of 2025, but it is not wholly unexpected for the project to be dragged into 2026.