About · Ismaël Auray
A director shaped by film, working in games.
Cinematics Director based in Montréal. Trained in cinema, working in games since 2011.
From short films to real-time cinematics.
My path started in cinema. I studied at New York Film Academy and Concordia University, where I directed over twelve short films. One of them, Cabaret de la dernière chance, travelled further than I expected — a special selection at Cannes and a jury prize in Canada.
The pivot to games came in 2011. At Ubisoft Quebec, I joined Assassin's Creed Syndicate as Assistant Cinematics Director, organizing the performance capture pre-production for over 90 minutes of cinematics, and directing more than 35 minutes myself. It was the project where I learned the language of real-time cinematics from the inside.
In 2018, I moved to Amsterdam to join Guerrilla Games as Cinematics Director on Horizon Forbidden West — defining the cinematic vision across 22 hours of interactive and non-interactive content. I directed the Burning Shores DLC in 2023, then returned to Montréal.
Two moments that shaped the work.
dernière chance
Selected in a special section at the Cannes Film Festival, and awarded a jury prize in Canada. An early experience that helped me grow quickly as a filmmaker — and brought me lasting connections that have followed me throughout my path.
Invited to the Game Developers Conference to share how the cinematics of Horizon Forbidden West were directed. I gave this talk for someone like me at the start of their career in games — the kind of insight I wish I'd had when I was finding my footing in the industry.
Montréal, present day.
I'm now Cinematics Director at Gearbox Studio Quebec, working on a project that hasn't been announced yet. Beyond that — still drawn to the same things that pulled me toward storytelling in the first place: performance, presence, and the craft of building scenes that hold up.