parthadvani94: Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Episode 1

Microsoft and 343 Industries announce the series premiere of the Halo 4 live-action series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, online at Machinima Prime and Halo Waypoint, which you can watch below. The digital series will lead up to the launch of the Halo 4 video game.

Storyline: ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the ?Halo? universe, ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? takes fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war, and leading into the events of ?Halo 4.? Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? follows a group of cadets who are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC?s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about the war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. ?Halo? fans who experience Lasky?s thrilling origin story in ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? will be rewarded with special insights into the story of ?Halo 4? and the ?Halo Infinity Multiplayer? experience, in both of which a matured Lasky will return.

Episode 1 Synopsis: Thomas Lasky came to Corbulo Academy of Military Science with his mother and brother?s impressive military careers hanging over his head. Haunted by ghosts from his past, he has serious doubts about the war he?s expected to fight. As fellow cadet Chyler Silva tries to help him find his place at the academy, tensions with other squad members approach the breaking point.

Watch Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Episode 1 here:

The Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn story will unfold weekly through a series of five episodes, setting the stage for the worldwide launch of Halo 4 on November 6th, 2012 exclusively on Xbox 360.

The Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Schedule:

? Episode 1: Available to watch now at Machinima Prime, and Halo Waypoint
? Episode 2: Friday October 12 at 11 a.m. BST
? Episode 3: Friday October 19 at 11 a.m. BST
? Episode 4: Friday October 26 at 11 a.m. BST
? Season Finale: Friday November 2 at 10 a.m. BST

The Cast:

Tom Green as Thomas Lasky
Anna Popplewell as Chyler Silva
Enisha Brewster as April Orenski
Osric Chau as JJ Chen
Kat De Lieva as Dimah
Daniel Cudmore as the Master Chief
Mike Dopud as General Black
Masam Holden as Michael ?Sully? Sullivan
Ayelet Zurer as Mehaffey
Iain Belcher as Vickers

Directed by Stewart Hendler (?H+,? ?Sorority Row?), written by Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing (?Smallville,? ?Spartacus?) and backed by a top-tier production team, including Executive Producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman, former Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively, ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? features a diverse cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, including Daniel Cudmore (?X2,? ?X-Men: The Last Stand,? ?The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 & 2?) as the Master Chief, Anna Popplewell (?The Chronicles of Narnia?) as Chyler Silva, Tom Green (?Dance Academy?) as Thomas Lasky, and Ayelet Zurer (?Angels & Demons,? ?Munich?) as Mehaffey.

?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? is produced in association with Emmy?-winning production company Herzog & Company/HCO (Gettysburg and the forthcoming Killing Lincoln). Continuing its involvement with the ?Halo? franchise, Legacy Effects (The Hunger Games, The Avengers, Avatar) is creating specialized costumes and armor, and visual effects are being created by Toronto-based Arc Productions bringing the Halo universe to life with fidelity never before seen. Emmy-winner John Sullivan (?The Pacific?) is serving as the Visual Effects Supervisor for the production.

?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? Special Edition. Available as part of the ?Halo 4? Limited Edition game bundle for ?69.99 ERP, the ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn? Special Edition is an extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series that will bring the ?Halo? universe to life as you?ve never seen it. In addition to exclusive packaging and a wealth of in-game content, including Specializations, armour and weapon skins, and access to nine upcoming multiplayer maps available post-launch, the ?Halo 4? Limited Edition also includes the following bonus content for ?Forward Unto Dawn?:

o In-fiction content expanding the characters and stories of ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn?
o Special Featurette: ?Bringing Gaming into Reality?
o Making of ?Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn?

Halo 4 is now available for pre-order in three distinct editions: the standard edition, the Limited Collector?s Edition, and the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 4 console bundle.

For me the first episode was a little too soap-y, but I suppose that could be on account of it being an introduction to the team-in-training before Master Chief arrives to fight the Covenant with them. I?m really digging the CGI and overall look of the environments, tho!