The last ten years have ushered in a whole new era of game development. In addition to the constant influx of new technology and content, the convergence of the film and game industries has pushed game developers to achieve a whole new level of standards in epic gaming. This trend has been illustrated by the increasing number of games that are being optioned into feature films—and more and more films are being translated into video games. Also, with animated features, it is now a common occurrence to see a simultaneous release of a film and game (Bee Movie and Beowulf are just two recent examples).
In retrospect, the mashup of these two mediums seems to be a natural one. The gaming industry and the film industry already have many things in common, including similar roles and positions while working in production, comparable production cycles, and many mirrored production concerns. Also, more and more filmmakers are actively becoming involved with the game industry. As this book is being produced, it has been announced that director/producer Jerry Bruckheimer is partnering with MTV to create a game production lab, Steven Spielberg is getting involved with game development, and director John Woo was recently involved with the production of the game Stranglehold for Midway Games. The bottom line is that there are many talents that good filmmakers possess that are becoming highly desirable in the game industry today—such as experience with production and a familiarity with story and cinematic techniques.
Making a game more “cinematic” is a hot topic in today’s gaming world. For example, writers are now becoming “gaming writers” as the need for more developed scripts becomes more prevalent in production. Also, many film directors and producers are now getting involved with game development because of the need to raise production value in certain titles. Even major game luminaries known for “old-school” methods of game development are turning their attention to cinematic production techniques. The game industry has also responded to this trend by including many of the aforementioned cinematic topics in the major gaming conventions and organizations. For example, the International Game Developer’s Association has now added a top-notch special interest group concerning the subject of game writing, and the 2007 Austin Game Developers Conference had an entire track dedicated to writing for games. The same can be said for current trends regarding game cinematography and direction.
In the past, “cinematic” simply meant an in-game animation that usually told part of the story to the gamer (also known as “cut-scenes”); these scenes usually consisted of one to five minutes of noninteractive viewing meant to draw the player into the world of the game, but usually did just the opposite, as the gamer would be on the sidelines watching the action. Now, “cinematic” is a general term used to describe many of the techniques used in the film industry for video game production. The immediate perks of using these techniques are obvious: Why pull the player from the game to watch a cut-scene when you can incorporate good filmmaking techniques throughout the game play and keep the player immersed in the game to experience a deeper emotional impact?
Typically, when a producer is working with a cinematic mindset, there are several specific things that he/she has in mind: higher-production-value moments within the game vs. cut-scenes, better story and characters, and professional cinematography. Each of these represents a major challenge for the game producer, but can make significant improvements within a game title. Other examples of cinematic production that we will discuss in this book involve the use of epic music and sound design, the use of celebrity talent (and directing them), and creating better levels through the use of framing, blocking, and camera movement.
As this book is being written, there are twenty to thirty video games that have been optioned and are currently being developed for films by various production companies all across the United States. Because the game industry is now very aware of the possibility for crossing over into film, many new games are being conceived and developed from the very beginning with a cinematic mind-set. The marketing potential of these game titles is obviously doubled when you consider the possibility of a title hitting the big screen in addition to the home console.
This book is for game producers, creative directors, and students who wish to pursue a career in creating cinematic games; whether you are fresh out of school, or you simply wish to inject your current thinking with some new ideas, I hope the techniques used within this book will assist you. Most of the methods and ideas listed in these pages are tried and true, having been used throughout the film industry for decades. The application of these techniques will help you create a deeper gaming experience and a higher production value in your game.
For students/younger producers, I have also included a quick primer on the current production models in game development and a section on creating an independent game and company. Though a game can be an expensive endeavor, the availability of free/inexpensive software and raw talent has made indie game development much more accessible.