Valve's "Deep" to be a movie/video game brainchild

For years, companies have tried to bridge the gap between motion picture and video game. Now, Valve, one of the most storied companies in the world of digital storytelling, has decided to see if it can take this challenge to the next level. The company, which is more steeped in computer video game development than moviemaking, is venturing off the beaten path into a new project called Deep, which will be a brand new experience for Valve.

"The Deep team has been working in collaboration with Valve, one of the world's most successful video game developers whose hit titles include the Half Life and Portal franchises. Valve has provided the Deep team with new tools and technologies based on the developer's Source game engine," Valve wrote in a statement. Deep's director will be Shane Acker, who directed a critically acclaimed short entitled "9."

"The tools enable flexible cinematography and editing, a simplified character animation process and economical lighting, sound and visual effects. Render time is cut to nearly nil, enabling rapid revisions to animation, which brings dramatic savings in time and money over traditional production," the company continued. Originally, Deep was to be a graphic novel, but the team decided it could be more immersing if it turned it into a movie. Check out the trailer below to see what it's all about: