I just checked the video and the first half has lots of information about game cinematics production for animators. I decided to take some notes and share some of my thoughts. Thanks to Erica Pinto (Lead Narrative Animator) for making such cool presentation at Gnomon.
First of all, the software for animators Sony Santa Monica (SSM) uses is: Maya and Motionbuilder.
This is the standard in game production, motion builder has a great power in matters of handling heavy scenes with many characters and the story tool is a master tool to deal with timing and blending long scenes. Maya on the other hand is heavy on detail rigs and polish animation and very handy for retouching camera movements.
Goals of GOW:
- Compelling story
- Camera with a documentary style to push immersion
- High quality animation
- Work quick and effective
This is simple and effective thinking in a complex process and I really like that the cinematics department specifically deliver really well in these ones. The story of GOW is great, we have lots of conflicts within the main characters and amazing creatures. Camera work is outstanding and worth studying. Great transitions and keeping the player´s eye on target.Animation blendings and quality are very nice, diverse, fluid and responsive to the player, making every fight very rewarding experience.
Animators work in Cinematics
Actor
This is the live of an animator and in SSM is no exception. Their animators have to be on the ground of the action. Be part of the whole experience from rough layout to final product.
The same way was on my experience with The Witcher, Battlefield and Star Wars. In some cases even putting the mocap suit to create npc´s or heroes actions instead of professional stuntmen.
Choreography
In this stage animators need to understand the story and implementation of the scenes very well. This process goes hand by hand with an effective pipeline to be able to avoid issues that might cause nightmares afterwards. Their example was animators playing with cardboard creatures, to understand how to attack or move.
Live Action Reference
Super important to identify how to stage the scene, how to move characters in the best way possible, lenses, composition.
Motion Capture
This is an amazing tool for such big productions. I can say with no hesitation that thanks to mocap you can play games of 100 hours. As well animators stand up and take part of the action.
Layout Artist
Mainly keyframe animation setting up rough blocking of characters and cameras
Stagehand
Helping crew, stuntmen to set up starts and ends in stage.
Share previz with actors and other people helping in the mocap session.
Plan choreographies with actors, because animators are the ones that know exactly where and how to move on stage.
Practise transitions, start, end poses.
This is a very rewarding process as animator, having experience directing actors is very entertaining and is complex. Sometimes ideas in your head don't work in the recordings and need improvisation, things get fun and shows professional experience on everyone's side.
Editing
In this part of the process SSM uses motionbuilder and story tool. I repeat myself but this software is amazing and very helpful. As they mentioned you can correct mistakes, from actors. You can play with the timing of the scenes and actions of the characters. You can use inserts for clarity, which means you can add in certain parts of the animation other animations and even recycle movements.
Now a days this is a very, very important tool, because from here you will have your foundation to the end result.
Animators
Here after all this process we start to have more fun on Maya and start to push poses and performance.
Tech Art
Thanks to these guys, games are able to have variety and customization. I cannot thank enough and admire the people involved in this department, because without them things would take longer hours and we wouldn't have the luxury to work with so many different characters and creatures.
Problem Solver
If you think game animation is just keyframe, mocap and delivery your stuff. You are wrong!!
Games have lots of issues and most of the time animators have to deal with implementation, dealing with animation bugs. In the talk they name examples as:
Fix character and audio sync
Check out for smooth transitions on state machines
Mini games
Watch out Ik, collisions, physics
Weapon and armor variants
And for ending be a team player, games are demanding and one person cannot deal with everything. Share knowledge and be open to hear feedback.
Hope it was a fun read.
On the video at (min: 23:52)
“ENTER THE LIGHT” cinematic process where is explain all of the above.
