Upcoming Promo Video (part 5)

Putting all this together was an interesting task, because it's hard to really decide on what needs to be first. For me, having the narrative in mind helped structure the scenes I needed to show, but once I had those scenes put together, the narrative voice-over needed to be timed with those scenes. I adjusted the pacing and length of the scenes, but didn't want to prolong any part of it because of the narrative subject, so therefore needed to create more video scenes to keep the pacing of the cuts consistent. On top of this, I added in camera movement, using slow zooms and pans, and that synced well with the music, but I also needed to time certain parts of the music (while composing it) to fit with what I'd put together with the video and narrative. It's all very convoluted, but it came together nicely and I'm happy with the final version. To top it all off, I also created a short intro with the logo for my company, Corefun Studios, and added some sound that I matched to the animation. I'm very excited to share it with you, and if you don't want to wait to see it when the Kickstarter begins, sign up for the monthly insider updates at the link below—I'll be sharing the unlisted Youtube link with my insiders as soon as the video is finished.

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Upcoming Promo Video (part 4)

Sound design for the video was very important, and it needed to include the voiced narrative, appropriate background music, and even a few sound effects to highlight some of the moments. An explosion, the hum of a cyberweapon, and the sound of loud metal clanking were a few of the sound effects I inserted under the soundtrack and narrative. The musical soundtrack itself needed to feel like scifi music, but I also wanted it to convey a sense of urgency and excitement. Using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), I composed a very upbeat, exciting piece of music that sounded like something you might dance to at a rave. I used an assortment of synthesized sounds that evoked a scifi atmosphere, and assembled everything with multiple layers. I then had to time some of the pulses to what was happening in the video (and vice versa) for emphasis. Finally, I had to adjust the volume levels of all these parts, making sure the music didn't drown out the narrative and the sound effects could still be heard over the music.

Upcoming Promo Video (part 3)

There were too many options at the beginning of this video design process, and it can easily feel overwhelming. It's like creating anything—you have to narrow down a few parameters so you have a better idea of your workspace. Otherwise, you'll be paralyzed by indecision by the huge variety of possibilities. I wanted the video to highlight many different features of the game: it has an epic story, RPG-like choices, multiple paths, possible romance, the potential for combat, encounters with alien leaders, and beautiful artwork for the backgrounds, characters and CG's. I came up with a fun way to present all this, and it was through the initial mission you'll be offered at the beginning of the game. The character, Sarah, presents the mission to the protagonist, Trey, and talks about everything that will be involved. She tries to sell it to him as being an amazing opportunity and a chance to see the universe, and assures him no danger is involved. I've hired a voice actress to speak some of those lines for the video, while at the same time, I show what really happens throughout the game, kind of like a contrast to her promises. During the video, you get glimpses of the different places and people Trey will encounter, in addition to the challenges and hardships he'll face along the way.

Upcoming Promo Video (part 2)

Putting together a promo video to advertise the Star Legation was a lot of fun, but it was also a challenge, because I've only finished programming 5% of the game—the demo. Thankfully, I have most of the background art and all of the CG's in the game already finished, so I was able to simulate some parts of the game that I have yet to program. I went to a few scenes in my script and programmed some of those moments exactly as I plan to when I actually arrive at those points in the programming process. Then, I recorded the gameplay of those moments and made short videos. I then brought those short videos into my video editor and cut them to highlight a few moments, adding in some slow panning camera movement. For example, the encounter with the Chiraktis Queen was set up exactly as it will be when Trey is ushered into her throne room. At several points in his conversation with her, Trey will have choices about what to say. I programmed a scene with 3 choices, and linked one of the choice buttons to the text that Trey will actually speak in the game, and then I recorded myself “playing” that scene, selecting that choice and seeing the resulting text emerge. Nevermind that the other two choice buttons didn't actually lead anywhere yet—they will when I get that far in the game, but for now, my intention is to give you a clear picture of what the game will look like so you can decide if it is something you might want to play when it's finished.

Upcoming Promo Video!

Last week was an exciting week as I spent some time away from programming and focused on putting together a promo video for the upcoming Star Legation Kickstarter campaign. I have some background in film, so I really enjoyed planning out the details while seeing some come together as I went along. I completed the video this weekend, except for the voice-acting. I'm auditioning two voice actresses for the part, so once I have both auditions in, I'll plug in their voices with the video and see which I think fits it better. After I decide and the voice actress completes her part, the video will be ready, and I've got to say, it's really pretty fun! I sure hope you like it, but there are only two ways to see it: wait for the Kickstarter campaign to launch (date not yet determined, but fairly soon!) or...subscribe to my insider email list. I send out updates on the game once a month to my insiders, and if you're on the list, you'll get an unlisted youtube link to the video when it's done. This week, I'll talk about everything that went into designing the video.

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The Gaming Mind (part 4)

Playing a video game requires a number of layers (habits) to be built, in order to progress through the game. Those who don't have the patience to persevere through failure after failure won't experience the heightened skill development that results from this process. But ask any garner: if you keep trying, you will see improvement, and knowing you're getting better is the affirming knowledge that often gives us the perseverance to keep struggling ahead, no matter how slow the progress. Gamers feed off of each little crumb of confidence which eventually grows into a pride and certainty that fighting forward is going to get them to the goal. Musicians do the very same thing, day after day, practicing their instrument to build new layers of habits. And it's no wonder that both gamers and musicians are more likely to evidence resilience and strength even when they fail--they'll just keep trying, again and again, until they reach success.

The Gaming Mind (part 3)

If someone seems to truly be multitasking, there is actually something else going on under the hood. One of the tasks that person is performing is actually a habit. Give someone two entirely new tasks to do at once, and they'll falter at both, but ask them to do something new while doing something they've done for years, and you'll see a different result. We are capable of performing many complex actions simultaneously when we have built in layers of habits. Just look at a musician to see this in action: they move their hands and fingers entirely independent of each other while performing a complex series of entirely separate tasks, all while counting complex rhythms, maintaining a consistent pulse, even shaping the music using dynamics, phrasing, articulation, and other musical embellishments. The mind of a gamer has similar capabilities...