At a time when AI is increasingly being used to replace human creativity, “Just Dance” is refusing to change its hands-on approach. The Ubisoft dance game, which just launched “Just Dance: Decades of Hits” on Tuesday, brings on-screen characters to life through a process rooted in human labor. Real dancers wear handmade costumes, wigs and makeup before being filmed against a green screen and integrated into the game.
It’s what we love,” Benjamin Jouffret, the game’s costume designer and character lead, tells Variety. Having studied fashion and previously working as a stylist, Jouffret has spent the past eight years overseeing the costumes and characters that appear on-screen. The process begins with a brainstorming session, during which the creative team listens to a song and watches its music video to determine the direction of a character.
Sometimes the team draws inspiration directly from the artist, other times opting to take the concept in a completely different direction. These decisions also inform the game’s maps, which combine the characters with their backgrounds and surrounding environments. For that, we are really inspired by the artists.” From there, the team determines whether the dance will feature a solo performer or a duo or trio, as well as the type of character that fits best.
Sometimes, up to 10 characters will be featured in one dance. Once a concept is approved, the team consults its roster of dancers to find someone who can embody the character and complement the choreographer’s vision. Overall, the timeline is relatively short.
After a one-day brainstorming session, the team typically spends two to three weeks designing a character, followed by roughly four weeks of production. That period includes fittings, hair and makeup tests and rehearsals to ensure the costumes work with the choreography. Filming takes place over a single day.
Across the game’s Paris-based lead studio and its partner studio in Shanghai, the team creates roughly 100 costumes per installment, balancing visual appeal with practicality. Today, that technique is reserved for accessories requiring smaller, intricate details. For Jouffret, the trial and error of the process is part of what makes the game so special.
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