“Unapologetic honesty”: The craft behind the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailers

There are plenty of ways to get players to pay attention to a game – in-person events, social media marketing, or even something more complex, like a promotional ARG. One of the most important tools to get players to check out a game is a solid trailer, though.

I sat down with two of the minds behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s exceptional trailers, Katarzyna Bobel and Ola Rosset-Żak, who worked as editors on the cinematic trailer and BTS trailer, respectively, to learn more about the intricate workings of mocap, editing, and wrangling a horse on-set. 

The Escapist recaps

• Promoting a game is no easy feat, especially in today’s breakneck speed industry. One of the most vital parts of getting eyes on a game is a trailer.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a medieval, action-packed RPG with a stellar story, and it gained traction quickly once announced, with both the cinematic trailer and behind-the-scenes trailer getting love from viewers online. 
• Katarzyna Bobel and Aleksandra Rosset-Żak spoke with me on behalf of Platige Image to chat about all things mocap and trailers, with Katarzyna working as an editor on the main cinematic trailer and Aleksandra working on the BTS trailer.
• Both creatives shared how intricate the process of editing can be, talking fondly about their time on the project and the game as a whole. 

Crafting with care

As a game journalist, I spend most of my time, unsurprisingly, looking at video games. Delving into the media surrounding game launches is a rare treat, so learning more about the work that went into the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailers was fascinating.

I got the chance to speak with Katarzyna Bobel and Aleksandra Rosset-Żak about the work that went into KCD2’s cinematic and BTS trailers, with Katarzyna working on the former and Aleksandra working on the latter. 

Bobel shared that the project was “pure excitement” from the get-go, saying that she’d absolutely lost herself in the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

“The moment I heard [the trailer] was directed by Jakub Jabłoński, who I’ve edited all kinds of crazy projects with at Platige Image over the years,” Bobel mused, “I knew this wouldn’t be just another trailer. Stillomatic had already set the tone, making it clear this would be a truly exciting adventure.”

On her journey with the behind-the-scenes trailer, Rosset-Żak shared that she was thrilled to get to work on the project, saying she’d been a part of the cinematic trailer at the stillomatic stage and worked closely with the director, Jabłoński.

“Seeing the incredible work my colleagues put into transforming stillomatic drawings into fully realized animation was truly inspiring,” Rosset-Żak added, “so getting the chance to present their skills through the BTS for such a great project felt like a real privilege.

The cinematic trailer is ridiculously beautiful in its portrayal of KCD2’s world, and I was curious whether there had been any technically demanding scenes.

Bobel shared that the real technical challenges came from the seemingly continuous shooting, with each scene blending smoothly into the next. 

“…Somehow, it all looks effortless, casual; almost easy. Which, of course, means the exact opposite,” She explained, detailing the scores of intense stunt rehearsals, gruelling test shoots, and live performances, and praising the live action work as the “backbone” of the piece. 

When asked about her favorite scene, Bobel noted that the trailer’s opening, featuring Henry dancing with a village girl in a tavern, was impactful for her.

“It’s light, carefree, almost romantic,” She described, “And then, out of nowhere, he gets punched in the face and ends up face-first in the mud… In just a few seconds, we get the very essence of Kingdom Come. Its spirit, its tone, its unapologetic honesty.”

On the challenges of editing the behind-the-scenes trailer, Rosset-Żak noted that the shorter runtime meant she had to be incredibly deliberate in her work, which was no easy feat given the sheer volume of exciting footage.

“Finding the right music was also surprisingly challenging,” She added, “It took me an entire day to choose the final track … Seeing comments from viewers asking whether the song would be available in the game was a great confirmation that the music matched the world.” 

Rosset-Żak shared that one of her favorite moments to showcase in the BTS trailer was the unused motion capture footage of Tom McKay. 

“Having access to the full range of his performance was incredible,” She explained, “I knew I wanted to share some of that richness in the BTS piece.” 

Peeking behind the curtain

I was curious about the storytelling aspect of working on a cinematic trailer and how editors strive for balance in tone and narrative. 

“That emotional rollercoaster is what keeps it alive,” Bobel explained, “It’s an old storytelling rule: hit hard, then release. An intimate moment between two lovers slammed straight into a brutal sword fight, only to be followed by a humorous release.”

She dubbed the final result here “an emotional cocktail with real punch,” before adding that sound design acts as the glue to hold everything together when it comes to editing a truly immersive trailer. 

When speaking with Rosset-Żak about her work and what advice she’d give to editors trying to break into an admittedly turbulent industry, she noted that she’s been with Platige Image for just over two years, describing herself as “relatively new” to the gaming world.

“My advice would be: never stop learning,” she mused, “Stay curious, keep developing your skills, and actively look for new opportunities to grow. In an unpredictable industry, knowledge and adaptability are your greatest strengths.”

Something I couldn’t resist asking about was the horse that appeared in the BTS trailer – both creatives indulged me on this, sharing that it was a surreal but fun moment.

“I’ve been working on motion capture sets at Platige Image for years, and honestly, nothing surprises me anymore,” Bobel joked, continuing, “… Every shoot is a wild ride…Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a horse walks onto the set.”

Rosset-Żak shared that she wasn’t on set that day, but that based on the footage she saw, it was clearly a “really fun and memorable experience” for the motion capture crew, adding that it wasn’t every day you got to work with an actual horse in the studio.

The work that goes into video game trailers is astounding as an observer – being able to capture the essence of a 90-hour-odd game in a bite-sized, cinematic-quality trailer is no easy feat, particularly if there’s a real horse on set. If you’re a Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 fan and haven’t seen the cinematic or BTS trailer yet, both are incredible watches. 

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References

1. How long is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II? (HowLongToBeat)