Crash Frontier is a standout in digital media, seamlessly blending film directing, digital technologies, and a successful YouTube channel. His latest film, depicting a military confrontation through a fictional Pulsar Core Weapon, has already been viewed 1.5 million times. The story, set in an alternative reality of the United States, concludes with a surprising twist that leaves viewers both astonished and reflective.
In this exclusive interview, Leo, the mysterious man behind Crash Frontier, shares insights on his film’s creation, his artistic vision, and his gratitude for living and working in a country free from artistic oppression.
What inspired you to make your latest film ‘Final Attack’ and what message do you want to convey? War is a very sensitive topic after all.
Yes, and I thought long and hard about how to address it on my channel. With a significant global following, tackling such subjects definitely involves risks. However, I felt ready to explore themes of geopolitical tension, war, and peace. I wanted the film to be more than action and thrill; I aimed to convey a message that war should be avoided and diplomacy must come first. This has been a deeply important theme for me, and I believe I have succeeded.
You create these films completely on your own. How do you make such complex animated films? What programs do you use, and what production hurdles do you face going ‘all-digital’?
I mainly use an automotive physics simulation program, essentially a game engine specialised in vehicle physics, unconventionally combining it with other programs in a way it never was designed for. Over the years, I’ve found bridging solutions to achieve my visions. For the raw material, I use the physics-software to capture everything in the virtual world. In post-production, for example, the massive explosion in my latest film was created using a brand new frontrunner in VFX technology called EmberGen. I then overlaid the footage of both softwares shot by shot in After Effects, the industry-standard compositing software. This process required meticulous adjustments, like adding shadows and light effects, often frame by frame. Making the explosion appear integrated into the film surely was the biggest challenge, as it never actually happened in the physics simulator, but that’s what makes my job fun: Finding unconventional solutions.
Lastly, a significant part of my process involves analysing large amounts of data from millions of viewers each month using YouTube Analytics. I pay close attention to viewer attention spans in each scene and gather this data to inform the creation of future films. This allows me to understand what keeps viewers engaged and make data-driven decisions to optimise my content.
Why did you choose an alternative reality of the United States as the setting, and what inspired you in creating the characters and their stories?
The setting in the film is the fictional United Western Republics (UWR), deliberately not the United States. The adversary state in conflict with the UWR is the Eastern Sovereign Federation. This fictional setting avoids using real-world locations. I always wanted to create a film with a large passenger aircraft in an emergency situation that ends happily. The A380 was perfect for this concept. On the ground, I focused on a couple traveling in their SUV, symbolising ordinary people caught in geopolitical tensions trying to find safety.
How do you feel about the positive reactions and the global awareness for this film? What does this success mean to you personally and professionally?
This success is incredibly gratifying, especially because war and peace are sensitive topics. I made a conscious effort to approach these themes with the utmost sensitivity. It’s a significant personal achievement, representing a major step forward. Professionally, it shows that deep and impactful stories resonate with today’s audiences, who are absolutely willing to engage with such themes. It’s encouraging to see people enthusiastic and ready to explore sensitive topics.
We noticed the end credit message of your film, ‘Peace From Australia’. That’s a very clear message. What does it mean to you to live and work in Australia? How do Australia’s values reflect in your work?
I chose Australia as my home some time ago. I could do this work from anywhere, but I feel most connected to Australian values. Australia is a peace-loving country advocating for global peace, evident in society and foreign policy. Including ‘Peace From Australia’ in the end credits was important because I felt deep gratitude for living here during production. With many conflict zones worldwide, I’m thankful that Australia is safe and welcoming, allowing me to work without press or artistic restrictions. That message of peace and diplomacy being paramount is deeply resonant with me.
You can watch Crash Frontier’s latest film ‘Final Attack’ on YouTube. But beware, it might have a deeper impact than you’d think.
