Editing The Life

{{Era|RW}}

{{Infobox Movie

|producer = MJZ<ref name="Team">[http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/20846/Microsoft-Unveils-Halo-ODST-LiveAction-Ad/ '''TeamXbox:''' ''Microsoft Unveils Halo: ODST Live-Action Ad'']</ref>

|music = Human <ref name="Team"/>

|language = Hungarian

'''''The Life''''' is a live-action short made exclusively for the launch of ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.<ref name="thelife">[http://www.shootonline.com/go/index.php?name=Release&op=view&id=rs-web2-173835-1276013954-2 '''ShootOnline''': ''AICP Show Honors Best Commercials Of The Year'']</ref> The film is directed by Rupert Sanders, who also worked on ''[[Halo 3]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ''[[Believe]]'' campaign.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS252724+03-Sep-2009+PRN20090903 '''Reuters.com:''' ''Prepare To Drop! Spike TV Gears Up For 'Halo Month<nowiki>'</nowiki>'']</ref>

The film starts with a military funeral held for [[Staff Sergeant]] [[K. Stark]], with a young [[Tarkov]] watching, and then shows his recruitment and basic training to enlist as a Marine. Later, the video skips to a combat drop as Tarkov, now an ODST in an [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|insertion pod]], dropping towards a Covenant-held battlefield on an unknown planet, where he soon encounters a [[Jiralhanae|Brute]] and is nearly killed, acquiring wounds to his face. The Brute closes in for the kill as Tarkov fires his pistol, but the Brute is killed by a crashing Banshee, saving Tarkov's life. The scene skips ahead to Tarkov many years later, the wounds on his face having become scars. He and a squad of fellow ODSTs hold a small service for a fallen comrade killed during combat, and hear a distant explosion and plasma fire in the distance. Forced to abandon the service, the ODSTs put their helmets on and move out.

<div class="floatright"><youtube width="300" height="250">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IklqPx3unjs</youtube></div>

''Translated from Hungarian''

''The video starts at Stark's funeral proceedings. Tarkov is seen in the background. A rendition of [http://lightofaidan.com/ Light of Aidan's] ''Lament'' plays in the background.''

*'''UNSC officer''': Present arms!

''As the Marines raise their [[MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System|assault rifles]], Tarkov visibly flinches.''

''The video then skips to Tarkov who apparently joins the ODSTs, having his head shaven by a barber. The video then skips to a scene where a group of ODST trainees stand in a file, then snap to attention. A drill instructor yells in front of Tarkov.''

*'''UNSC instructor''': "Tarkov! You call that attention?! Thirty, now!

*'''UNSC instructor''': "Do you want to die? Do you? Faster! Go, go, go!"

''As Tarkov takes a dive in the obstacle course, the scene changes to him being dropped into an unknown planet. Several SOEIVs are seen descending to the surface. As soon as he hits the ground, his SOEIV's hatch bursts open. Tarkov, along with several other ODSTs, start running to an unknown destination, firing their [[M7S Caseless Submachine Gun|SMGs]] along the way. However, a [[Jiralhanae Minor|Brute Minor]] knocks Tarkov to the ground, knocking his helmet off and inflicting deep gashes in his face. The Brute growls at him as Tarkov fires his pistol to no avail. The Brute closes in for the kill as Tarkov fires his pistol, but the Brute is killed by a crashing [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshee]], saving Tarkov's life. Tarkov, lying in the mud, stares at the open space. The scene changes to a makeshift battlefield grave site with Tarkov - now much older, with the gashes on his face having now turned into scars - along with several other ODSTs standing beside him. The service having ended, Tarkov folds up the ODST flag that had been placed on the makeshift grave and puts it into a storage compartment in his armor. The view switches to a younger ODST who jerks his head up at the sound of distant plasma fire. Tarkov looks toward the source and puts on his helmet, which polarizes. The younger ODST does the same and the squad moves out. As the screen fades, the song becomes louder. The words ''"We Are ODST"'' appear, then change to 'Halo 3: ODST'.''

===Behind the Scenes===

*[[Bungie]] collaborated with the costume designer from the film [[Wikipedia:Saving Private Ryan|''Saving Private Ryan'']] and the show [[Wikipedia:Band of Brothers (TV miniseries)|''Band of Brothers'']] to design the Marine [[UNSC Marine Corps Dress Uniform|dress uniform]] depicted in the trailer, complete with insignia and rank displays.<ref name="making"/>

*The funeral scene was filmed inside the cooling tower of a coal power plant,<ref>[http://www.fxguide.com/qt/2021/the-halo-life '''FXGuide:''' ''The Halo Life'']</ref> while the intense training scene was filmed just outside the tower. The battle scene was shot in the bottom of a strip-mining coal operation, and the final scene where the ODSTs hold a service for their fallen squadmate was filmed in an abandoned Soviet aluminum refinery.<ref name="making">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qghs2-4fwT4 '''Youtube:''' ''Halo ODST TV Ad - Behind the Scenes'']</ref> The drill instructors in the short are actual Hungarian Special Forces soldiers.<ref name="making"/>

*The special effects studio, [[Legacy Effects]], accurately replicated the armor, weapons, and enemies based off the models provided by Bungie, including a life-sized Brute Minor complete with remote-controlled facial expressions.<ref name="making"/>

*The short was originally supposed to include a scene of Tarkov's squad storming the interior of a building, killing a Brute on their way in. The scene was filmed, but it was not included in the final version.<ref name="making"/>

*The trailer won the Best Trailer category in the Machinima.com 2009 video game awards. Additionally, it was honored for Production, Cinematography, Editorial and Visual Effects by the [http://www.aicpshow.com/ Art & Technique of the American Commercial].<ref name="thelife"/> In 2011 it was named number 32 on Gametrailers list of the [http://www.gametrailers.com/top-100-trailers/ Top 100 Trailers of All Time].<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/top-100-trailers/countdown/trailers-40-top-100/718574 Gametrailers Top 100 Trailers of All Time: 40-21]</ref>

*The video is referred to as ''We Are ODST'' on Xbox Live Marketplace.

<references/>

===External===

{{Film}}

[[Category:Promotional Material]]

[[Category:Halo 3: ODST]]