Under warm stage lights, Lena holds a dancer's pose while two choices wait beside her. In After the Wane, a young performer arrives in Paris pursuing a career in dance and answers about her family. Her story unfolds through illustrated scenes, branching decisions and animated performances rooted in real movement.
Nova-box plans to release the interactive graphic novel on November 10 for PC, Mac and Linux. Its dance sequences use rotoscoping: artists draw frames from filmed performances, preserving the movement of the people who performed them.
Nova-box's official release-date trailer for After the Wane.
Project: After the Wane
Production: Nova-box
From performance to drawing
Nova-box says it filmed professional dancers from Bordeaux for the sequences. In a February development update, the team named Wyllia Lapouge and Claire Fontanier alongside a production image; the credited performances are part of a wider collaboration rather than an attribution for every scene.
Another illustrated scene shows the branching dialogue interface.
Project: After the Wane
Production: Nova-box
After the Wane © Nova-box. Separate editorial reuse permission unconfirmed.
Art director and main illustrator Nicolas Fouqué told So Many Games that scenes begin with a written brief for the dancers. Their interpretations can change his initial vision. After the performance is filmed, he selects frames to draw and adds background animation and effects.
Keeping the line alive
Fouqué explained that he initially explored images combining several moments of a movement in one frame. Once he tried animating those drawings, he chose to continue with rotoscoping. He described the resulting animation as sketchy and evocative, with a colourful palette and moving lines.
That approach gives the dance a place in a story also concerned with choices. Steam's official listing describes rival dance communities, relationships and a mysterious voice in Lena's head. A demo is available before launch.
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