Battlefield 2042: Keyframe Concept Art That Drove DLC Success
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Battlefield 2042: Eleventh Hour.
Visual Storytelling That Increased Steam Players.
As a senior AAA concept artist, I was invited by Milford Studios to conceptualize dynamic keyframe art for Battlefield 2042: Eleventh Hour — a DLC that increased concurrent Steam players by over 30%. My work focused on crafting compelling storytelling visuals that met rapid stakeholder approvals and elevated the game’s immersive experience.
NDA Notice
Due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot share the actual work created for Battlefield 2042: Eleventh Hour.
However, the pieces below are representative of the exact style, storytelling, and visual quality that led to my collaboration with Milford and EA. The work below is personal work, which was made from passion, which ultimately led me to this contract.
These examples show the kind of narrative-driven keyframe art and cinematic environments I was hired to create — and continue to specialize in today.
Challenge
The Battlefield team needed keyframe art that conveyed complex, cinematic environments and character action — quickly and effectively. Tight deadlines and high expectations demanded an agile approach that didn’t sacrifice artistic originality.
My personal challenge with blockbuster titles like this is always the same:
How do we transform something new without alienating the audience… while still appealing to them, and ideally, expanding it?
Re-imaging the Visual Direction for Battlefield
My approach:
Collaborated closely with the outsourcing studio and core EA team to understand narrative beats.
Conducted thorough research using tools like ShotDeck to gather cinematic references.
Created rapid rough sketches and cinematic studies to get in the “zone” of cinematography, to explore composition and mood before refining polished visuals.
When turnarounds are tight, deadlines push us to work faster, which in turn, makes us more creative. I thrive under that pressure; I believe it's where true creativity shines; where you cut anxiety, inspiration, and any feeling out of the process, and remain objective.
In this process, some steps couldn’t be skipped, no matter how tight the deadline is, we still need to ensure quality… the studies in cinematography were essential, which helped me get into the zone. After sketching out at least 20 to 30 rapid cinematography studies from different films, I’d be ready to tackle images for DICE’s Battlefield, and I’d begin to meta-roleplay as a cinematographer or movie director and not to just view the work by the lens of a concept artist. By sketching and painting scenes from films, I started to think, feel, and make decisions the way a director would.
And then I found ShotDeck—a fantastic brainstorming tool. It helped me tap into the hive mind of the audience who would eventually experience the final product.
I’d listen to the creative brief and reduce it to one powerful word. Then, type that word over ShotDeck, to research how that word resonates across different people, contexts, perspectives, and cultures.
For example, for this example, I explored the word “Strike.” in the image above. A single word. But ShotDeck gives me 40 different ways it can live.
ShotDeck gave me dozens of frames from films exploring that concept—and helped me visualize the emotion, tension, and visual language behind it. In here, we see: Violence. Labor. Precision. Lightning. Anticipation. Tension. Intimacy. Watching that flood of imagery reframes how I approach the work — helps me find the angle no one else is looking at.
Results
Successfully delivered keyframe art that met all stakeholder expectations under strict timelines.
Contributed to DLC launch, which saw a +30.1% increase in concurrent Steam players in March 2023.
Strengthened EA’s visual storytelling impact through focused and inspired concept work.
Achieved a 90% average on approval rate of first go of sketches submitted.
Ensured all visuals aligned with the game’s intense, realistic style without losing creativity
Software used: Photoshop, Shotdeck.
Time spent: While most of the black and white sketches would take about 30 minutes, the color and more detailed images would take from 3 hours up, depending on scene and theme complexity.
Do you need any help?
If you’re looking for a concept artist who brings AAA experience, fast iteration, and deep narrative insight to your game, I’m here to help you elevate your project — whether it’s AAA, indie, or anywhere in between.