Preymaker Creates Original Short in Cloud and Unreal: DENMARK
This article originally appeared in Post Perspective, September 22, 2025.
Preymaker created Denmark entirely in the cloud and rendered it using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. The real-time animated short pays homage to the 30th anniversary of Michael Mann’s Heat (1995) which many tastemakers have called “the greatest heist movie ever made.” Who can forget the high-octane performances of that film’s stars - Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and the late Val Kilmer? Much like Blue, Preymaker’s first award-winning real-time short, Denmark pushes the boundaries of lighting and rendering in the game engine and what is possible beyond traditional linear content… all the old-fashioned way, without any help from AI
Robert Petrie directed Denmark, and the film’s executive producer was Angus Kneale, Preymaker’s chief creative. Here, Petrie and Kneale share insights and anecdotes about the project.
Where did the idea for Denmark come from? Was it a creative way to show off your skills?
The idea originated from an animation test that we created for a pitch on a project that ultimately didn’t move forward. We were struck by this single test, which immediately sparked connections to heist films we love and was inspired by classic ‘90s filmmaking and Lego fan films. It felt like there was an opportunity to explore something fresh and fun. From there, we developed a loose framework for what the concept could become, and together we continued to shape and expand it until it evolved into Denmark.
How did you decide on the Legolike characters?
While we admired what Lego achieved with its first film, our vision for Denmark took things in a different direction, one rooted in the cinematic world we’ve always been drawn to, particularly the work of Michael Mann and Heat. The goal was to capture that mid-1990s atmosphere and infuse the story with the tension, style and authenticity of that era.