“Sifu”

Video game by Sloclap

Main character moves inspired by Benjamin Colussi

The Sloclap team inspired itself by Benjamin to create the Main Character of "Sifu". Benjamin created 213 moves for the Main Character including bare hands techniques, staff, baseball bat, machete, take downs and focus attacks. Most of the movements were made by keyframe based on Benjamin’s Pak Mei Kunfu style, the others are directly made in motion capture. 

· All of the following techniques utilized by the “Sifu” have been created by Benjamin: 

o   Bare hand technics, guard, strikes, kicks, parry, combo & take downs.

o   Bat movement technics, guard, strike, kicks, parry, combo & take down.

o   Staff movement technics, guard, strike, kicks, parry, combo & take down.

o   Machete movement technics, guard, strike, kicks, parry, combo & take down.

o   Codified sequence of movements of the main character. 

Fight Choreography

Benjamin brought authentic fight techniques to the action design, by introducing unique fight mechanisms, struggling concepts, NPC guards, brawl conceptions, and NPC iconic moves. He worked hand in hand with Jordan Layani, Co-founder and Creative Director at Sloclap, and Kévin Roger, Animation Director at Sloclap to reach such ends. Benjamin greatly improved the speed and impact of the techniques within the video game by providing unique incites on the nature of combat and Pak Mei.  One of his ideas was to bring a new rhythm to fighting action in video games. In jazz, the rhythm of the music evolves in an unpredicted way surprising the audience. Benjamin wanted to recreate this same effect in “Sifu”, by constructing a changing fighting rhythm - surprising the player and making the playing action more real and intense. He came up with several other key elements implemented in the game like: letting the baseball bat slide along the fore arm, multiple strikes at once.

Take downs

Take downs appear at specific moments of the game after a player initiates them. The Sloclap team wanted three kinds of Take downs, normal environment, with a wall, and with a ledge. The aim was to make them deadly and effective and at the same time surprising, letting you discover the Main Character's special skills. Benjamin wanted to expend these three kinds of take downs. Even though his search was limited by gameplay technicalities, he pushed the boundaries of take downs by introducing the following features to the character: 

Ferocity: The Main Character wants to kill all his enemies, making you will feel his violence and effectiveness.

Lightning speed: Even though Benjamin was limited by technicalities, he still managed to choregraph lightning speed strikes. For example, in a take down the main character throws a series of five to seven lightning strikes. 

Struggles: Benjamin wanted to show what happens in a real fight, sometimes you are just surprised by the opponent's reaction and need to adapt to it by finding quick solutions. This is why some takedowns start where the Main Character is in a disadvantage.

Accuracy: Focus attack... well you know the famous Dim Mak, right? You will feel how deadly those vital points attacks are.

DEATH OF BOSSES

According to the specific demands of the Sloclap Team, Benjamin designed the take downs and special boss deaths. 

FENGSHUI

Benjamin was asked by the Sloclap team to bring some specifics about Kung-Fu's culture, Fengshui and a myriad of little details like the way the characters is dressed, lion heads, the entire school building architecture and many other. 

At the end, Sloclap used Benjamin’s Pak Mei lineage altar as the altar of the school in the video game.