{"id":932214,"date":"2026-10-14T03:08:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T03:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/932214\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T03:08:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T03:08:20","slug":"just-dance-costume-designer-breaks-down-commitment-to-not-using-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/932214\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Just Dance’ Costume Designer Breaks Down Commitment to Not Using AI"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAt a time when AI is increasingly being used to replace human creativity, \u201cJust Dance<\/a>\u201d is refusing to change its hands-on approach.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Ubisoft dance game, which just launched \u201cJust Dance: Decades of Hits\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe are really loving what we do. It\u2019s our art. It\u2019s what we love,\u201d Benjamin Jouffret, the game\u2019s costume designer and character lead, tells Variety. \u201cWe are proud of working, sketching ourselves, creating what is in our minds and making real costumes with real costume makers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJouffret says his team is committed to creating its characters without AI. 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.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 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.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe concept art and finished product for Zara Larsson\u2019s \u201cMidnight Sun\u201d for \u201cJust Dance: Decades of Hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThese decisions also inform the game\u2019s maps, which combine the characters with their backgrounds and surrounding environments. \u201cIf you want to create a map for the community or the hardcore players, we know that they will really want to have a connection with the singers,\u201d Jouffret explains. \u201cIf you have a Lady Gaga song, you want Easter eggs. For that, we are really inspired by the artists.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFrom 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.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe also decide if you want a casual costume, or an alien or a mascot or a nonbinary character,\u201d Joufrett says. \u201cWe do a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHis team then assembles mood boards using references from films, music videos and other media before developing sketches and finalizing designs. Once a concept is approved, the team consults its roster of dancers to find someone who can embody the character and complement the choreographer\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

\n\tOverall, 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.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tThe sketch and final product of the costume for Bad Bunny\u2019s \u201cNuevayol\u201d in \u201cJust Dance: Decades of Hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAcross the game\u2019s Paris-based lead studio and its partner studio in Shanghai, the team creates roughly 100 costumes per installment, balancing visual appeal with practicality.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe can\u2019t make beautiful costumes if they can\u2019t be used by the dancers,\u201d Jouffret explains. \u201cWe can do what we want, but we have to do it smartly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe team previously experimented with 3D printing, but the materials proved too heavy for dancers to move comfortably in. Today, that technique is reserved for accessories requiring smaller, intricate details.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Jouffret, the trial and error of the process is part of what makes the game so special. \u201cWe really love to create and make things by ourselves,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe sketch for the costume for Billy Joel\u2019s \u201cUptown Girl\u201d in \u201cJust Dance: Decades of Hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHis team collaborates with costume makers and other specialists, each bringing expertise in areas such as mascots, corsets and casual wear. The team\u2019s commitment to representation is also reflected in the game itself, which features dancers with different backgrounds and abilities. In one installment, the team worked with dancer Jana Bruno, who has one arm, earning recognition for its diversity efforts.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJust Dance\u201d releases a new installment every year, sometimes revisiting characters and storylines from previous games. For \u201cDecades of Hits,\u201d one new character, Lyra, is the daughter of a character introduced in a previous game. Players will follow her storyline of searching for her father through dance.<\/p>\n

\n\tMeanwhile, hundreds of costumes from the franchise\u2019s 17-year history remain in storage in Paris, forming a physical archive of the work behind the game\u2019s characters. Jouffret says the team hopes to showcase the creations through a potential exhibition or runway presentation, although some pieces would need repairs after the wear and tear of filming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At a time when AI is increasingly being used to replace human creativity, \u201cJust Dance\u201d is refusing to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":932215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,319966,61],"class_list":["post-932214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-just-dance","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=932214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/932215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=932214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=932214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=932214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}