Raint Leo
EARTH: REVIVAL STORYBOARD
This body of work focuses on narrative-driven in-game cinematics, with an emphasis on character development, emotional beats, and player-facing storytelling.
Across these sequences, I explore core narrative functions such as turning points, sacrifice, tension escalation, and world-building—using pacing, staging, and visual rhythm to guide player perception and emotional engagement.
The work spans both main narrative content and supporting sequences, including transitional moments and gameplay-related cinematics. Each piece is designed with clarity, cohesion, and real-time implementation constraints in mind.
My workflow integrates Storyboard Pro with Blender and real-time engines to block staging and character movement, allowing for spatially accurate planning within production limitations.
I prioritize narrative clarity first, then refine sequences based on in-game timing constraints—trimming and restructuring shots to preserve key emotional beats while ensuring efficiency and production readiness.
Mass Convergence — Player Introduction Sequence
This sequence serves as a launch-day cinematic, introducing the player’s entry into the game world and establishing a sense of large-scale convergence. The pacing is designed to gradually expand in scale, moving from isolated individuals responding to a global signal toward a unified gathering. The visual progression emphasizes connection and synchronization, framing the moment as both a narrative entry point and a shared player experience.
Tragic Revelation — The Brother Beneath the Enemy
This Chapter 4 cinematic serves as a major emotional turning point, centering on the confrontation with “Little Finger,” whose identity is revealed as Nia’s lost brother. The sequence shifts from direct conflict into emotional tension, using pacing and framing to contrast physical confrontation with attempts at reconnection. Nia’s intervention introduces a conflicting emotional layer, while the escalation toward self-destruction reinforces the character’s instability. The sequence resolves with a sense of irreversible loss, reinforcing the tragic outcome and deepening the narrative stakes.
World-Building — Stylized Narrative Delivery
This Chapter 9 cinematic functions as a world-building exposition sequence, delivering key narrative context through a scientist character. The presentation adopts a motion-driven, slide-based structure, where controlled transitions and camera movement guide the viewer through dense information. The pacing is carefully managed to maintain clarity while sustaining engagement, allowing complex narrative content to be conveyed efficiently within a limited runtime.
Character Arc — Redemption & Acceptance
This sequence explores a key side narrative centered on Guwei, a disgraced veteran seeking redemption through a time-travel mission. The pacing shifts from high-pressure action to introspective stillness, transitioning from survival-driven movement into a character-focused emotional arc. As Guwei encounters his younger self, the narrative reframes his past—transforming perceived cowardice into sacrifice. The sequence resolves through acceptance rather than change, with Guwei choosing to preserve the original outcome. This moment emphasizes character resolution and thematic closure, completing his arc from regret to self-reconciliation.
Sacrifice — Data Transmission Sequence
This Chapter 6 cinematic serves as a sacrifice-driven narrative beat, focusing on Reginald’s final decision during a critical mission. The sequence builds tension through sustained pressure and pursuit, gradually escalating into a high-risk scenario. The pacing narrows toward a decisive moment, where Reginald’s action shifts the sequence from survival to sacrifice. His intervention redefines the outcome, transforming the sequence into a character-driven resolution that reinforces emotional weight and narrative progression.
Tension Escalation — Surveillance Breakdown
This Chapter 7 cinematic centers on a disrupted surveillance operation, functioning as a tension-building sequence within the narrative. The pacing transitions from controlled observation to sudden chaos, using spatial uncertainty and interruption to destabilize the scene. The ambush introduces a sharp tonal shift, breaking the rhythm and forcing an immediate retreat. The sequence emphasizes loss of control, reinforcing the growing threat and setting up future escalation.
Turning Point — Betrayal & Collapse
This Chapter 5 cinematic serves as a key narrative turning point, revealing both the doctor’s conspiracy and Ryan’s betrayal. The sequence builds tension through investigation and discovery before escalating into confrontation. The pacing compresses as conflict intensifies, shifting from controlled exploration to chaotic engagement. Ryan’s intervention acts as both a narrative reversal and an emotional beat, reframing his role and propelling the story forward.
Transition & Reward — Scale Shift and Mech Unlock
(left)This sequence is a transitional cinematic that follows the player’s journey toward a space station, marking a shift in scale and setting within the game. The storyboard emphasizes spatial progression and visual escalation, moving from grounded environments into a vast orbital structure. Camera movement is used to guide the player’s perspective, gradually revealing the scale and complexity of the station. The pacing is designed to build anticipation, framing the destination as both a narrative milestone and a new gameplay phase. (Right)This sequence is a cinematic designed for unlocking a key mech unit, serving as both a gameplay reward and a moment of visual emphasis. The presentation focuses on controlled reveals and silhouette-driven composition, highlighting the mech’s scale, structure, and mechanical identity. The pacing is intentionally restrained, allowing each shot to reinforce weight and presence, creating a sense of impact and importance around the unlock moment.
STORYBOARD FOR NETEASE GAMES
These storyboards were created during my time at NetEase, where I began my professional career in the video production team. This role allowed me to collaborate across multiple projects and gain exposure to a wide range of game genres and cinematic needs.
During this period, I contributed to projects including Diablo Immortal, Tianxia 3, and Infinite Borders, working on both narrative-driven sequences and commercial-oriented cinematics.
These sequences were created for Diablo Immortal, covering both a skin showcase (left) and a system unlock cinematic (right). The skin showcase focuses on presenting the character’s visual identity through controlled framing, lighting, and staged reveals, emphasizing silhouette clarity, material definition, and key design features. In contrast, the system unlock sequence is designed to deliver information quickly and effectively, using simplified staging and concise timing to highlight the reward while maintaining gameplay flow. Together, these sequences demonstrate a balance between visual presentation and player experience, adapting cinematic design to both marketing-oriented content and in-game functional moments.
This sequence was created as a short in-game cinematic for Infinite Borders (Sanguosha-style strategy title), inspired by historical events from the late Eastern Han dynasty. It centers on Huangfu Song, a general dispatched under the command of Emperor Ling to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The storyboard emphasizes military authority and narrative context through controlled composition and pacing, framing the character’s introduction as both a historical figure and a strategic presence within the game world. The sequence is designed to quickly establish background, motivation, and tone within a limited runtime.
This sequence was created as a character skin showcase cinematic for Tianxia 3, with a focus on expressing softness and elegance in the character’s presence. The storyboard emphasizes fluid motion, gentle transitions, and restrained pacing, using composition and camera movement to convey a sense of lightness and grace. Rather than relying on sharp or dynamic cuts, the sequence is designed around continuity and subtle variation, allowing the character’s demeanor and visual identity to unfold in a calm and refined manner.
PERSONAL STORYBOARD WORK
This 2D storyboard explores a narrative set within a traditional Chinese wuxia/xianxia-inspired world. It follows a young disciple who is sent by their master on their first journey beyond the sect, experiencing the liveliness and complexity of the outside world for the first time. The sequence focuses on contrast—between the quiet discipline of the sect and the vibrant, chaotic energy of the city. Through framing and composition, the storyboard emphasizes the character’s perspective, capturing moments of curiosity, unfamiliarity, and subtle emotional growth. The pacing and progression of events are intentionally designed to guide the viewer through this transition, balancing moments of observation, discovery, and narrative flow to reinforce the character’s first encounter with the outside world.