Developed in 2007 in AFI's Digital Content Lab, "Leaving the Game" pushes the boundaries of cinematic storytelling, using a game engine to help create dynamic storylines. The 6-minute Machinima pilot episode can be rendered on the fly, allowing playback to be completely personalized to the viewer, in real time. Machinima leverages computer-generated imagery (CGI) rendered using real-time, interactive 3D engines, such as the Xbox, instead of professional 3D animation software. Drawing from a series of assets and sets, every viewing of Leaving the Game can be modified and re-rendered in real time, offering different languages, imagery, character designs, and environments, tailored to the desire of the viewer. In the series, Amber is an assassin turned civilian who is being chased down by former employers. A unique viewer experience is created with product placements on the sets, the language the characters use, and adjustable maturity rating. Even integrated brand messages such as product placements can be swapped dynamically. The sets and character models used in Leaving the Game were built in the Half-Life game environment where they can exist for use and re-use depending on the nature of each episode. The team collaborating on this machinima project included representatives from IBM, Cartoon Network, Method, and Microsoft. Kuma Games did all of the model development and animation. "The AFI Digital Content Lab has great hopes for the future of the ''Leaving the Game" machinima prototype," said Suzanne Stefanac, director, AFI Digital Content Lab. "All of the collaborators on this project brought remarkable talent and vision to the table." Leaving the Game was recently recognized by the Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences (AMAS) for Best Technical Achievement at the 2008 Machinima Film Festival. leaving the game machinima video computer-generated imagery (CGI) rendered using real-time, interactive 3D engines