NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 4 HND - Board Game Advert (Final) (UPDATED)

In the creation of my final board game advert, I used a large range of effects and skills. These effects and skills have mostly been shown in previous blog posts with explanations to how I did them and examples of what the final product of each project was.

 

Some examples of my editing work through research and development blog posts can be seen below:

• Green screen man walking: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/11/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-corridor.html

• Poster Tracking: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/11/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-poster.html

• Scar Roto: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/11/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-tracking-scar.html

• VHS screen effect: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/11/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-vhs-vfx.html

• Keyframing: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/10/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-keyframing.html

• Graffiti Rotoscoping: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/10/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-nuke.html

• Audio and Context: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/10/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-premiere-pro.html

• Airplanes: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/06/next-gen-nescot-year-3-hnd-new-roto.html

• Secret Agent video: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/09/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-secret-agent.html
  

For my board game advert, I filmed a series of scenes centering around the board game Risk. I made sure to use different angles and shots to better convey a more 'cheezy' and older style of advert, similar to ones seen in the 1980s. For the editing of my project, I used After Effects throughout, as I had used it previously and it allowed me to create many different effects efficiently and easily.

Firstly, I complied a series of different shots and scenes I had filmed with my family and began adding them into the composition sequence, to see how the different shots fitted into the advert, how the advert could flow and which scenes interlinked with each other effectively; removing any of the scenes that either didn't fit well or had a better alternate shot or retake of the scene.

I also increased the saturation of the video slightly before then using the colour channel effect to seperate the different layers into colours, red, green and blue, whilst making sure to change their "mode" to 'screen' instead of 'normal' (other than the green layer) so that they could be seen through. Then I used these seperate layers by moving the red and blue layers slightly in opposite directions. This was done to give the appearance of old, slightly damaged VHS footage and give a slight blurred colour effect to the final image.

Once this was done, I added a grain effect to the video to better covey the older VHS style and added an overlay of damage and dirt to make the footage look significantly more damaged than previously.

After I had completed the basic flow and appearance of the video, I then began adding the sound, including the announcer voice and music. At the same time, I added some background effects and small keyframed cartoon-like explosive effects, to increase the amount of VFX effects shown on screen.

For the background and explosive effects, I started by downloading footage of cavalry charges and picking out the best fitting footage for the shots I had created. Then I lowered their opacity and added them subtly into the background during the parts of the video where the players overtake another player's space. Next, I animated a series of small, 2D explosion images. 

 

First I added a small blast image and enlarged it using keyframes, before then lowering its opacity (making the image transparent) until it could not be seen and I faded it into the image behind it, giving the illusion of movement. I added another layer behind the second and one final layer after the third image, that slowly faded into a puff of cloud.

Finally I duplicated it in a pre-composition layer of the final explosion and moved multiple copies of it to different points on the board.

These visual effects were used to further visualize to the audience what is happening within the advert, for example the small animated explosions were used to further emphasize that the player's tile pieces are fighting each other, this worked well because it allowed the viewers to better realize how the board game works as well as allowing them to better see the progression of different actions the players take.

Similarly, the cavalry charges shown in the background of the battle scenes also reinforces the idea that the player's tile pieces are fighting each other while presenting to the viewer the setting of the boardgame, which is the Napoleonic era, allowing the viewer to better understand the more jovial and glorious tone of the advert.

Meanwhile, for the sound, I first recorded myself imitating a fast paced 1980's announcer voice reading lines from my project's final chosen script. Once my voice was recorded, I began importing the best versions of each line into my advert, making sure to put the lines in easy to hear parts of the video that had context for the line being spoken.

For the music I searched the internet for a royalty free song or a song that is within the public domain. I gathered a large collection of songs, however, I eventually decided upon "The Cavalry Charge – William Tell Overture (Finale)". I chose this music because it fitted well with the flow of the video and gave a valiant active feel to the advert, fitting the aesthetic of the Risk board game.

I also added the “Bugle Call” sound effect during scenes when a player takes another player's position because it complimented the Napoleonic theme of the game and gave a sense of victory.

 

These sounds were chosen because they impact the viewer by giving a more exciting and action filled atmosphere to the advert, fitting well with the board game's tone and gameplay.

Ultimately, I believe these sound choices were good because they further shaped the tone, feel and direction of the advert through the selection and tone of the music and sound effects, making sure to have a Napoleonic feel to each of them. This was done to further the valiant and active feel of advert and the views on war at the time period, with it being seen as a valiant, glorious and honorable thing. I also used the music as a basis for some edits, making the flow of the video fit with the ups and down on the background sounds and song.

The audience reaction to this was good, as they believed the feel, pace and tone of the sound design worked well with the rest of the advert, with the subsequent sound effects and visual effects further enhancing the final sequence.

Leading on from this, During the creation of the project I made sure I received audience feedback so that I could improve my project as it was made.

The audience feedback I received included things such as:

• Some parts of the announcer audio being hard to hear clearly
• And the video's time being too long
  

As a result of this feedback I first re-recorded the parts of my voice over that were harder to hear or understand and imported the newer versions so my announcer voice would be clearer and easier to hear. Then, I decided to reformat the video's speed, making the video play faster so that instead of being 1 minute 30 seconds long so it would instead become 45 seconds long.

Final boardgame advert video

https://youtu.be/fLcnLB_R0iE

Overall, I believe I did well on my Board Game Advert editing project. However, if I could improve on my advert, I would add a company logo into the outro and intro of the advert, most likely in the form of an animation and I would also add small explosion sound effects into the video for the animated explosions I created.

Previous blog posts for this project include:

Sound: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/11/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-board-game.html

StoryBoarding: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/10/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-board-game_21.html

Scripts and Narative: https://tobymroberts.blogspot.com/2020/10/next-gen-nescot-year-4-hnd-board-game_21.html

NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 4 HND - Roles And responcibilities of the VFX and Motion Graphics Industries

For an upcoming Game Development project, we were tasked with researching the roles and responsibilities of the VFX and Motion Graphics industries for the development of a trailer relating to the game we have been tasked with developing.

The Roles and their Responsibilities in the VFX and Motion Grapics industry include:

·       Modellers / 3D Artists – they create 3D models for different parts of a VFX project or game, these can include environments, animals and characters. The modeller/3D Artist role most commonly works alongside Texture artists, animators and compositors.

·       VFX Artist – this role is responsible for creating CGI/digital effects such as water particles, explosions and the destruction of objects, walls and glass or other computer generated destruction.

·      Texture Artists – they create textures for models before they are added to the project scene, often, in the industry, these must be photo realistic, hwoever, depending on the project these textures may have a more stylised appearance. Texture Artists also must be able to UV map models and characters for the textures to work and often work alongside Modellers/3D Artists.

·       Animators – once a rigged character/model has been created, the Animator role uses it to create various animations for the character/model relating to the context of the scene and project's style. For this they often work with previs artists, so they can more effectively create the full animation using correct camera angles relating to created concept art.

·       Compositors – this role takes on multiple recponsibilities. They add digital composites of objects, people and backgrounds into scenes and they often put multiple layers of composited scenes on top of each other, including digitally animated items. Therefore, compositors are typically tasked with creating the final image of a frame, sequence or shot; this is often done through taking digital elements and adding them to a scene such as animations or backgrounds, while adding special effects (SFX) to better create a believable image/video.

·       Motion Graphics Artists – they use visual designs and video to communicate a concept or some form of story. This role normally has people who have higher digital skills and are proficient with interactive media software including 3D animation and graphical design. Most often, this role is also used in creating 2D animation and drawings to be added into videos, often trailers. This makes sense scince Motion grapics artists are also normally involved in creating posters, trailers/commercials and title sequences, alongside other roles like the animators and concept artists, for marketing purposes.

·       Matte Painters – these often create a plane or panel that is either digital or physical (most often digital since technology has largly improved since the Matte Painting technique was created) used to show landscape or set piece that is most commonly placed in the background, this can be a 2D render of a 3D model/area or a simple image or drawing. As for the technique itself, Matte Painting was one of the first VFX techniques used regularly in movie making, originally being used in photography. However, it has evolved overtime from painted glass panels shown over a camera lens into being 2D plains/panels of entire 3D digital environments.

·       Rigging TDs – they create skeletion Riggs for 3D modeled animals, characters and other animatable items. This is so that the skeletal structure will allow the different joints and parts of the created model(s) to be re-positioned, animated and moved using the character’s (or object's) rigged skeleton.

·       Lighting TDs – they create the lighting for the digital environments and scenes. Often, people with this role go to places and areas with similar lighting or the real life locations to better examine the lighting in the area and any added lighting that is used. This is to better merge the digital lighting with real existing lighting.

·       Roto Artists – they rotoscope objects and characters into different scenes (often these are filmed people or items in front of a greenscreen) so that they can be added into a scene without having the background of the original shot show. This is normally done with a filmed green screen background, however, it can also be done with a blue screen.

·       Pipeline TDs – create a pipeline of events and tasks for the different roles and processes they undertake. This role also ensures a smooth rendition of workflows and sometimes provides technical support to other roles in the industry.

·       VFX Supervisors – they are involved in the production of computer-generated imagery in either animation or VFX. They are practically always interlinked with the modelling, animation, rigging and texturing roles. Most VFX supervisors have specialised skills in certain areas, typically for their area of management.

·       VFX Producers – they manage all aspects of the project. This role typically involves planning and scheduling resources, monitoring work during the production processes and managing the VFX teams.

·       MatchMovers / Matchmove Artists – they integrate CGI/VFX into live action footage and normally is linked with the Roto TD and compositor roles. MatchMoving is often referred to as motion tracking and is mostly used in the film industry, using tracking suits and green screens.

·       Concept Artists – they create initial ideas and images of characters, environments, animals and camera angles for film and animation. They are also sometimes responsible for parts of story direction.

·       Layout TDs – they are responsible for determining the layout and position of the camera/virtual camera and the positions of items and charaters within the final scene. This role mostly works with the concept artists, animators and modellers.

·       Runners – they are effectively all-purpose helpers in a VFX studio, doing a variety of similar jobs to that of an intern or apprenticeship. Runners are responsible for delivering materials and messages between departments, as well as often organising meetings and schedules. A runner is typically a entry level position and is often considered to be a route into VFX artist roles, with opportunities to learn about those positions and different skills in the industry. In other studios, runners are seen as the entry point into production management. Some companies might assign runners a mentor and give them training tasks.

·       Previs Artists – this role is responsible for creating the previsualization of what the final product should look like. This is to enable the production team to realisticaly organise or visualise scenes in a more consistant manner. Most often this role works alongside Lighting TDs, Look Dev artists and animators.

·       Look Dev Artists – they are responsible for defining the appearance of computer-generated creatures or objects in order to ensure that all the digital art in the film, TV program or CGI project is consistent. For example, when a concept artist draws an alien, the Look Dev artist would work out how the alien's skin would look like in different conditions, such as when it's raining, or dark, or how it would look when the creature is angry. Look Dev artists typically work alongside lighting TDs and texture artists to better establish the different appearances and balance the process of texturing, lighting and rendering to match reference images and real footage.

·       Effects Technical Directors – they create effects for VFX artists to use in their sequences; such as billowing smoke, explosions and rushing water. They also write computer language scripts that generate the effects. FX TDs create test software tools for the VFX artists to use, making it significantly easier for VFX artists to create different effects for different areas of a project.

 

·       Prep Artists – these are responsible for cleaning up backgrounds of live action-footage so that they would be ready for the effects to later be layererd onto it by the Compositer. Also they are responsible for making sure no unwanted equipment is shown in the scene, for example: boom mics and other stage equipment. This role often mixes with Matte Painters as they have very similar functions.

 

·       Compositing Supervisors – they are in charge of the department responsible for putting together the different elements of the VFX shots. Managing compositers and checking their work's quality. They are responsible for ensuring the continuity of colour and placement between shots.

Overall, I believe this research will prove helpful because it could then be used to help me make my game trailer, by outlining the different processes and responsibilities I have and allowing me to find the easiest and quickest course of action for the creation of the trailer.