Procedure

UNIT 1

PRE-PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR THE CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRIES

PROCEDURE
 

·         Identify finance available

My research shows that I wouldn’t necessarily need a budget but I have the resources available free at the college. The only thing I may need to consider is buying some software for my computer at home so I can complete my game quicker and also become more familiar with the software.
 

·         Identify resources and book where necessary

Most of my resources will be available to me at the college so my hours will be limited and I need to consider booking a room out in the college.
 

·         Identify personnel needed and weather they are available

I have one personnel to assist me on Photoshop to help me create my sprites and help me get a better understanding of how to use Photoshop so In the future I can create my sprites without assistance.
 

·         Identify and health and safety concerns

I will consider all the health and safety concerns such as keeping drinks away from all electrical devices, regular breaks from the screen and posture.
 

·         Prepare schedule

I will need to organize my time wisely and prepare a schedule to cover all the steps required. Beginning with the game concept, design and sketches, leading onto creating my sprites. The last part will be testing out my game to double check for any missing links.
 

·         Identify any other risks to your project

I will consider my time limit as I will have a deadline and will need to have completed it. I will also need to consider the risk of losing data.
 

·         Identify legal aspects

I will need to ensure the material I use is not copyrighted such as music, sound effects and images. I will need also need to make sure my game is suitable for the age rating.

Digital graphics for computer games

Unit 78         

Digital graphics for computer games.

Artistic style

·        Photo realism

Photo realism is where developers try to create graphics that looks so life like that it looks like a photo. This has become a more recent trend with games as graphics have improved so much in recent years. Some good examples of these types of games would be: Far Cry2 and GTA.

·        Cel shading

Cel shading is when the texture of an object is made to look like a comic book or a hand drawn image using flat colours. Some examples of Cel shading games include: Borderlands and the walking dead.

·        Abstract

Abstract often employs a lot of lines and geometric shapes that don’t resemble any real life object. For example, Geometry wars, a game which uses nothing but lines and geometric shapes. Another good example of an abstract style game is Tetris.

·        Exaggeration

Exaggeration art style is used in many anime or manga games and is designed to be over the top. The images are expressed more highly then normal games. Some good examples are: Final Fantasy and Pokémon.  

Pixel

Pixel: “A pixel is a point sample. It exists only at a point. For a colour picture, a pixel might actually contain three samples, one for each primary colour contributing to the picture at the sampling point.” – Alvy Ray Smith

http://alvyray.com/Memos/CG/Microsoft/6_pixel.pdf

Image resolution: Resolution is the quality of the image. As the resolution goes up the image becomes clearer. It becomes sharper, more defined, and more detailed. Your computer laptop and smartphone both have image resolutions. The more pixels you can fit into the width and height of the screen, the higher the resolution. The less pixels, the lower the resolution. You will have to consider image resolution as when importing to another software e.g. in game maker it may not be the size you want, therefore you have to know what resolutions you are going to use.

Computer game graphics

3D isometric sprites: 3D isometric sprites are 2D sprites that give the impression of depth, posed in 3D. They are still used in games today normally on foliage (as you play games the grass and leaves on trees turn to face you to give the impression of depth)

2D Sprites: With mobile devices and casual gaming becoming more and more popular the classic 2D games return .As well as the programs that can create said indie games, there are several mainstream games as well. These famous game series like Fire Emblem, Pokémon, and other handheld system games tend to use these more for the same reasons that mobile devices such as tablets and cell phones do. It saves on memory so it allows for more content, effects, music, and story to be added into the chip or cartridge.

Concept art: A concept artist usually uses traditional materials (e.g. pen and paper) rather than computer software. Concept artist sketches idea’s for the game worlds, characters, objects, vehicles, etc.  A game concept starts with an idea, a simple sketch of the main character and maybe a baddie.

Texture art: A texture artist is an individual who develops textures for digital media, usually for video games, movies and television shows. These textures can be in the form of 2D or 3D art. The textures artist main job is to create photorealistic textures. Texture artists use a variety of software and platforms to create textures for environments, characters, objects, and props for video games.

Compression

The object of image and file compression is to reduce irrelevance of the data in order to be able to store or transmit data in an efficient form.

Optimising

For imagery, optimisation involves choosing a suitable graphic compression format. Compression reduces the image file size and consequently the time it takes to download and display in a browser. Common compression types include GIF, TIFF and JPEG. Many compression formats reduce file size by removing information from the image.

Rasta Images

TIFF images create very large file sizes. TIFF images are uncompressed therefor contain a lot of detailed image data. 

JPEG files are images that have been compressed to store a lot of information in a small size file. Most digital cameras store photos in JPEG format, because then you can take more photos on one camera card then you can with other formats. A JPEG is compressed in a way that loses some of the image detail during the compression in order to make the file smaller.

GIF format compresses images but, as different from JPEG, there is no detail lost in the compression, but the file can’t be made as small as a JPEG. GIF also has an extremely limited colour range suitable for the web but not for printing. GIF can also be used for animations.

 Image capture

Image capture is an application program from Apple that enables users to upload pictures from digital cameras which are either connected directly to the computer or network.

Storage of image assets

Storage of image assets is a very useful way to store things like textures, graphics and text styles so that others can easily access them and assets. This is very useful in the game industry as most companies have lots of different teams who all need to access the same stuff. Being able to transfer files between colleges really speeds up production as you don’t need to wait around for files to transfer. 

sketches

Level 1. Starting in the top left hand corner you make your way through the relatively easy level dodging 3 monsters to reach the goal at the bottom right hand corner.

Level 2. Starting at the top left hand corner you make your way through the maze which is a little bit harder than level 1. There are 4 monsters you have to dodge in order to reach the goal in the bottom right hand corner.

Level 3. Starting at the top left hand corner you find your way to the goal which is in the top right hand corner. This time you will be facing 5 monsters. This level is harder than level 1 and 2.

Level 4. Starting at the top left hand corner you have 6 monsters to dodge and reach the goal at the bottom right hand corner. This level is harder then 1, 2 and 3. 

Level 5. This level is the hardest out of them all starting in the top left hand corner dodging 7 monsters to reach the goal at the bottom right hand corner. 

 This game is going to be aimed for the both genders of all ages as it will be suitable for you children and teenagers. I will be making this game with a team of people all taking on different roles such as coding, graphics and designing. I will be doing the designing aspect of the game. We are making the game for a college project which will be available on the college computers. For this game we will need to create our sprites using Photoshop. We also need sounds and music which we can either download of the internet or we can record ourselves.

visual styles of games

Visual Styles of Games.

Photo realism = GTA

Photo realism is where developers try to create graphics that looks so life like that it looks like a photo.

 

Cel-shaded = Viewtiful Joe

Cel shading is when the texture of an object is made to look like a comic book or a hand drawn image using flat colors.

Abstract = Geometry wars

Abstract often employs a lot of lines and geometric shapes that don’t resemble any real life object. Geometric wars is a game which insists of only lines and geometric shapes.  

2D = Space invaders

2D games are games with flat images so it looks like a piece of paper with images on

3D = Crash Bandicoot

3D games are games that have 3 dimensions therefore you can see the height, length and width of a character and the scene.

pre-production

Unit 1

Pre-Production.

Pre-production is the planning you do before you start to make your product and is important in the whole of the media industry.

 This includes finance and time. To be able to make a high quality, professional game you need to have a budget. One way you can get a good amount of money to make your game is a distributer. A distributer will give you some money to get things started and ask you to come back and see if the game is progressing well and if it is then they will give you some more money to progress even further. Having a distributer means that you will always have a deadline, if you cannot complete your project by the deadline then they will either extend the deadline or scrap the project all together.

Part of pre-production is personnel. This is the team of people with different roles, skills and experiences in the creative media industry that will help you create your project to a professional standard. A more experienced game maker is more likely to demand higher fees whereas a new inexperienced person would cost less. Some of these people may be artists, designers, writers, directors etc. The size of the team is not restricted as you could use one person for all the roles needed or many. The more personnel you have the better the quality but the higher the cost. A project manager is responsible for ensuring that each personnel is available as and when required.

All the team members need to meet and agree on what steps are needed to ensure the game making runs smoothly. You need to consider meeting places, availability of all concerned and costs of venues. You also need to consider the availability of the facilities you will need to use such as, production equipment and facility houses. Facility houses is where your team will go and use the resources to help them make your game. You may need to outsource which means that you pay someone who isn’t part of your team to come in and do some work for you.

There are many materials you will need to use to complete your game successfully, such as a sound library. A sound library is a collection of sound recordings that you load into a sampler, which is then used to create your piece of music. Sound libraries are used by many people in the media industry such as composers, performers and producers of music.

Before starting pre-production you should already be aware of the codes of practice and regulation. Some things you must consider during pre-production is making sure you don’t copyright because if you are caught you can be sued and getting permission from people who may appear in your work.

Pan European Gaming Information (PEGI) are an age rating system that is supported by the major console manufacturers including Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. The roles they have is to watch every game to ensure it is appropriate for the age rating before it is released. For example films and games with graphic violence and strong language is not appropriate for children.

 Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) advertise across all types of media. The types of responsibilities they have is to make sure that the advertising in all media is legal and appropriate. For example a baby with a cigarette was banned after complaints.

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a rating system that helps enable parents and others choose games that are most appropriate for their children.

The British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) have offices in England, Scotland, Wales, and with regional representatives spread across the country to do four key things

•      Support and promote the British digital industry

•      Reward great work

•      Share knowledge and great practice

•      Encourage the next generation

BIMA is a membership association for people working in digital media in the UK. They state membership will extend your network, raise your profile, attract and develop talent, grow your business and give you a voice on issues affecting your business.

Game Genres

Genre	Game Description	Game Example
FPS	First person shooter is a video game genre centred on weapon based combat through the first person perspective.	This game uses the new Frostbite 3 engine. "The new Frostbite engine enables more realistic environments with higher resolution textures and particle effects. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_4 The story, according to the official Battlefield website, follows American VIPs' evacuation from Shanghai and an American squad, designated Tombstone, struggling to make their way back home. Single player action is a series of fast paced scenarios, very linear in places. IE you must reach goal x in time y. This game shines mainly in multiplayer format. Two teams engage in a variant of ‘capture the flag’ type games. Very fast paced action. All in all it’s really a multiplayer game with a weak single player element. Don't bother with it if you’re not a fan of running around shooting lots of bullets and hoping to win!
Strategy	Strategy games are games that you use skilful thinking and planning to achieve victory. They usually include tactical and logical challenges.	CS GO. Source is a 3d video game engine that debuted in 2004 with counterstrike. Global Offensive is an objective-based multiplayer first-person shooter. There are two teams that a player joins witch are the Terrorist or Counter-Terrorist team and attempts to complete objectives or eliminate the enemy team. The game has short rounds that end when all players on one side are dead or a team's objective is completed. For most game modes, Players purchase weapons and equipment at the beginning of every round with money awarded based on their performance. Completing objectives or killing enemies earns the player money. If you like multiplayer strategy based where you have to work as a team and use tactics to win the game this is the game for you.
Adventure	Adventure games are usually games in which the player takes on a certain role in a story and completes the game by exploring and completing challenges and puzzles.	Borderlands. Borderlands 1 uses an Unreal Engine which makes it look futuristic. Borderlands includes character building elements found in role playing games. At the start of the game, players select one of four characters each with a unique special skill. Players take on missions assigned through non player characters, each typically rewarding the player with experience points, money and sometimes a reward item. Players earn experience by killing both human and non-human foes and completing in-game challenges.  (Such as getting a certain number of kills using a specific type of weapon. As they gain levels from experience growth, players can then allocate skill points into a skill tree that features three distinct specialization of the base character. Players can distribute points among any of the specializations, and can also spend a small amount of in-game money to redistribute their skill points. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderlands_(video_game)
Sports	Sports games involve physical and tactical challenges that test the player’s precision and accuracy. These games usually take place in a stadium or arena with clear boundaries.	Grid 2 uses an EGO engine developed by Code masters. Ego is a modified version of the neon game engine and was developed to render more detailed damage and physics as well as render large scale environments. The game includes numerous real world locations and cities such as Paris. It also includes motor vehicles spanning four decades. In addition it includes a new handling system that developer Code master has dubbed ‘True Feel’, which aims to hit a sweet spot between realism and accessibility. Races do not include a first person cockpit view. The popular game mode drift was recently shown in a gameplay preview by Code masters. Drivers are given certain cars before some race modes, and can unlock others through other vehicle challenges. Car liveries can be customised by the player, using present graphic designs adapted with colours or varying shades.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_2
Role-playing	A role playing game is a genre of video game where the gamer controls a fictional character and takes on a quest in an imaginary world.	The sims 3 is built upon the same concept as its previous games. Players control their own sim’s activities and relationships in a manner similar to real life.  The gameplay is open-ended and does not have a defined goal. Challenges occur randomly based on aspects of each Sim's lifestyle, such as relationships, skills and job. Career opportunities such as working overtime or completing special tasks can yield a pay raise, cash bonus, or relationship boost. Skill opportunities are requests by neighbours or community members for Sims to solve problems using their acquired skills for cash or relationship rewards. If the opportunity is connected to a Sim's school, the reward may be increased school performance.
Simulation	Simulation games are games that attempt to simulate real life. These games put the player in real life situations.	DayZ. The goal of dayZ is to stay alive and healthy during the zombie apocalypse. The payer begins equipped with only simple clothes and a flashlight, and must begin exploring the large landscape to investigate locations such as houses, barns and apartments to scavenge for supplies. These supplies include food and water. Players can find various forms of clothing, which not only allows the player to customise their character, but can bring the benefit of extra storage space for supplies.  Also scattered around the map are a variety of weapons, allowing players to protect themselves from zombies or other players if necessary.  While travelling around the game, players can also find various medical supplies as the environment poses a range of threats to their character. Planned features include diseases such as cholera, dysentery and hepatitis, which can be caught by ingesting dirty water or rotten food and must be cured with the appropriate medicine. If a player is shot or otherwise hurt, items on their person may be damaged.[11] The player may also start bleeding and must be bandaged quickly to minimize blood loss; excessive damage or blood loss will result in serious deterioration of vision for the player and can render them unconscious.
Massive Multiplayer Online	An MMO game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting large numbers of players simultaneously.	League of legends is a massive multiplayer online game where players control a ‘champion’ within short PVP or Bot battles. There are 120 different champions from which to choose all of which are classified by type which indicates the champions game play style. Players gain levels from killing the opposing teams champions, controlled by other players or bots, and minions that regularly spawn and attack the other teams turrets, minions and champions.  In the classic game mode, the map is typically divided into three "lanes", which are paths that spawned minions take; the "jungle", an area between lanes where neutral monsters spawn; and "bases", where players spawn and can purchase items. The three lanes are composed of the bottom, mid, and top lanes, which different champions tend to battle on based on their respective types. The jungle is sometimes considered a lane, where some champion tends to roam in order to collect buffs and assist in the other lanes freely. The player earns a small amount of gold every second passively, but can earn more by getting the last hit on minions, destroying enemy towers (referred to as turrets) that guard the lanes, killing neutral monsters located in the jungle, and killing enemy champions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Legends
Massive Online Battle Arena	An MOBA game is a video game in which a player controls a single character in one of two teams.	Smite. Players are formed into two teams, with three to five players to each team. All players begin at opposite sides of a map at their team's 'fountain'. Before the players enter the map, they are granted an amount of gold (usually 1,500) to buy starting items. These items grant special bonuses or abilities that enhance the player's god. There are one to three continuous 'lanes' running from one side of the map to the other. Each lane is defended by a 'Phoenix' which is accompanied by a pair of extra defensive towers.  Phoenixes and towers deal a large amount of damage to any enemies that come too close. The goal of each game is to destroy the opposing team's Phoenixes and the Titan, a giant warrior who must be defeated to win the game. The players are accompanied by 'minions', small soldiers with a weak attack; these minions spawn at the Phoenixes every thirty seconds and run along their lane until they meet opposition and attack immediately. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smite_(video_game)
Survival	A survival game is a video game where the player must complete tasks in order to survive.	The walking dead is a graphic adventure, played from a third person perspective with a variety of camera angles, in which the player work with a rag-tag group of survivors to stay alive in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The player can examine and interact with characters and items, and must make use of inventory items and environment. Throughout the game, the player is presented with the ability to interact with their surroundings, and options to determine the nature of that interaction. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(video_game)
Maze	Maze games are video games in which the entire playing field is a maze and the player must get from the start of the maze to the end.	The player controls Pac-Man through a blue maze eating dots and fruit. When all the dots are eaten, Pac-Man is taken to the next level. Four enemies roam the maze, trying to catch Pac-Man. If an enemy touches Pac-Man, a life is lost and Pac-Man dies. When all lives have been lost the game ends. Near the corners of the maze are four larger, flashing dots that provide Pac-Man with the temporary ability to eat the enemies. The enemies turn deep blue, reverse direction and move more slowly. When the enemy is eaten its eyes remain and return to the centre box where it is regenerated in its normal colour. Blue enemies flash white when they are about to return into their original colour.