This question goes out to everyone including BioWare. I am currently working on a three act movie using the Dragon Age toolset and have stopped at one of my first hurdles.
The toolset was designed in such a way that modules are created to form interactive experiences for the player. But what happens when an auteur in the making such as myself, wishes to use the toolset to create a full length film / movie - machinema?
- A film is devised into a shot list before being shot with cameras. This shot list contains all scene information that will be shot by the crew on the given day.
- In the toolset we can make Modules that appear in the game menu from which we can activate individually.
- Multiple cutscenes can be created in the toolset.
So here is my question: What is the best, quickest, or most efficient way to create a movie based on a three act structure which contains numerous scenes?
I will be using the rendering method to "record" my scenes so how should I go about setting up each scene in my movie? Do I create one cutscene per scene in the movie? Do I create one module per act?
Your help is much appreciated in advance!
P.S. I will update this post with my findings to help future on lookers!
Standard Scene setup for DA Toolset Movie Making
Débuté par
Lord Methrid
, déc. 21 2010 11:35
Retour en haut
#2
Posté 21 décembre 2010 - 12:11
DahliaLynn
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Here's my two cents : (I'll edit this as new ideas pop up)
1. Create a new module setting the appropriate module settings.
2. Plan your shots based on location. (Area)
3. Set up your areas creatures, artwork assets, VO etc. for your scenes
4. Setup each cutscene as if it were a shooting day in one location.
5. Preview your scenes in the game (can be done by various methods)
6. Capture scenes and continue to Edit them externally as planned (Post Production)
7. Apply Foleys/soundeffects and other remaining sound related material, video tweaking. (more post
Notes:
Storyboard:
Plan and create your areas and necessary artwork cereatures, levels lighting, etc. Design your storyboard and base your cutscene work on area location. Get the VOs done.
Shots:
The Cutscene editor allows you to shoot "live" in the sense of all edits made in a cutscene are in real time. i.e. will not allow for crossfades, but rather cut to cut.
You can take this into account when you capture your scene and import it into your external video editor extending your shot length according to the types of cross fades /camera angles you would like to use
On location:
Depending on your shots/ storyboard, if your scene takes place in a static area, then you can create one scene per area , and change your situations accordingly. (as if your film crew had a shooting day "on location" for that day.
This way when you wish to capture your scene in an organized fashion you can load each scene in your "movie" module (for example) with each area change then make your edits in an external video editor.
Post Production:
A recommended method of capture is Frame by Frame (regardless of game performance) using the Cutscene Capture command for the highest resolution capture.
You can use sunjammers "Cutscene companion" for this, or use a batch file from the wiki.
Please note that this only captures visuals
To apply sound effects:
There are soundeffects that are associated with various animations.You can record these when previewing, and add your own accordingly in post.
You may also insert more sound effects in the CS editor itself.
For Voice overs, it's probably best to insert them as a speakline in the Cutscene Editor for sync to animation purposes, then in your external audio editor when putting audio to video place the original VO recording in the same sync positions according to the visuals, adding and mixing VO with desired effects (compression, EQ, reverb)
You can create one module for the entire movie using whatever resources custom and/or single player. Within this module you can create as many cutscenes as you wish. (if you want more info on in game viewing let me know)
You can use lighting effects in the cutscene editor, but for more refined work you may want to manipulate the level lighting.
1. Create a new module setting the appropriate module settings.
2. Plan your shots based on location. (Area)
3. Set up your areas creatures, artwork assets, VO etc. for your scenes
4. Setup each cutscene as if it were a shooting day in one location.
5. Preview your scenes in the game (can be done by various methods)
6. Capture scenes and continue to Edit them externally as planned (Post Production)
7. Apply Foleys/soundeffects and other remaining sound related material, video tweaking. (more post
Notes:
Storyboard:
Plan and create your areas and necessary artwork cereatures, levels lighting, etc. Design your storyboard and base your cutscene work on area location. Get the VOs done.
Shots:
The Cutscene editor allows you to shoot "live" in the sense of all edits made in a cutscene are in real time. i.e. will not allow for crossfades, but rather cut to cut.
You can take this into account when you capture your scene and import it into your external video editor extending your shot length according to the types of cross fades /camera angles you would like to use
On location:
Depending on your shots/ storyboard, if your scene takes place in a static area, then you can create one scene per area , and change your situations accordingly. (as if your film crew had a shooting day "on location" for that day.
This way when you wish to capture your scene in an organized fashion you can load each scene in your "movie" module (for example) with each area change then make your edits in an external video editor.
Post Production:
A recommended method of capture is Frame by Frame (regardless of game performance) using the Cutscene Capture command for the highest resolution capture.
You can use sunjammers "Cutscene companion" for this, or use a batch file from the wiki.
Please note that this only captures visuals
To apply sound effects:
There are soundeffects that are associated with various animations.You can record these when previewing, and add your own accordingly in post.
You may also insert more sound effects in the CS editor itself.
For Voice overs, it's probably best to insert them as a speakline in the Cutscene Editor for sync to animation purposes, then in your external audio editor when putting audio to video place the original VO recording in the same sync positions according to the visuals, adding and mixing VO with desired effects (compression, EQ, reverb)
You can create one module for the entire movie using whatever resources custom and/or single player. Within this module you can create as many cutscenes as you wish. (if you want more info on in game viewing let me know)
You can use lighting effects in the cutscene editor, but for more refined work you may want to manipulate the level lighting.
Modifié par DahliaLynn, 30 décembre 2010 - 09:50 .
#3
Posté 22 décembre 2010 - 05:55
Lord Methrid
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Thanks DahliaLynn! For #6, does the batch file have to be edited every time I want to render a scene? Say for example I have two scenes, one in a town, another in a forest. Does the batch file or module script or any script for the matter have to be modified per render?
#4
Posté 22 décembre 2010 - 09:54
techwench
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Not the batch file itself, but the text file that lists your cutscenes. You have to create a text file with a list of all the videos you want to capture (one on each line), and the batch file will basically go down the list and re-run the capture process for each item.
Sunjammer's cutscene companion does the exact same thing except it's in a nice little GUI wrapper. Well, not the multi-cutscene queue part...
Sunjammer's cutscene companion does the exact same thing except it's in a nice little GUI wrapper. Well, not the multi-cutscene queue part...
#5
Posté 23 décembre 2010 - 04:36
Lord Methrid
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Ohh ok now I get it. I was not aware of that video per line feature, thanks peeps!
#6
Posté 24 décembre 2010 - 04:45
BloodsongVengeance
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heyas;
not sure if this will be any help, but here is how i do a shoot, mainly for music videos.
1: storyboard the entire thing.
i just make a new file in photoshop (same aspect ratio as the video, of course), and scribble stick figures for every shot. i save them all out, then i load my movie editor (currently vegas) with the song, and import each still storyboard.
then i can squash/stretch the still to match the timing for the music. once that is done, i know how many seconds/frames to use as a target for my scene. this might not be as helpful in your case, as the length of the shot will depend on the actors' performances and line delivery.
2: make a shooting schedule
when i did 'the i love awen show' video (a second life machinima, but same idea), we had to build everything -- sets, props, hair and wardrobe, scripts, animations, etc. an we had a six week shooting schedule to make it in time for the raglan film festival. so what i did was break each storyboard shot down by complexity, and scheduled the simpler shots first, while we built the stuff for the more involved shots in the following weeks.
things to consider:
a: which actor(s) appear in the shot (casting call)
b: close-up or long shot (how much do you have to worry about scenery)
c: set (what area, what level customization do you need)
d: props (are any items going to be 'active' in the shot -- weapons are easy, but carrying a sack or bag, opening a chest... etc.)
e: dialogue. (if and when the voiceovers will be done, and the conversations, and the facefx. for my current project, i have complexity of facial expression listed on each shot as a factor in how difficult it is.)
in my current music vid project, i have several scenes or sequences. i recommend NOT putting everything into one cutscene. if you ever need to tweak one little sequence, you could be spending a lot of time going through stuff that's already 'in the can.'
on the other hand, sequences that are related to each other might work better in a single cutscene -- even if they are not chronological. this is simply because you will have actors in positions they will need to be doing stuff.
for example, i had some sequences of 'returning to camp,' which were all in one cutscene. but in the middle is a leliana kissing scene. i just swiped hers from the single player to use it, and had that sequence by itself.
in another set of sequences, i shot them totally out of order, simply because i had the camera set up for a long shot, one for a head shot, one for a close up of another guy, and another long shot. instead of mucking around flipping cameras through the cutscene to make it all one sequence, i did multiple run-throughs of the action for each camera. then spliced in the editor.
that was probably long-winded. um, my advice... organize the heck out of everything! because that's what i do! ;D
also, i use just one module for all my cutscenes (uh, well now two, due to that one disaster i had). i use a dialogue as a picker for which one to play during any particular run-through. of course, that's only if you dont use the out-of-game renderer. if you DO use a dialogue to start cutscenes, i recommend padding the beginning of each, so the dialogue text has the opportunity to fade off the screen before the action starts. (one drawback of using a dialogue picker.)
not sure if this will be any help, but here is how i do a shoot, mainly for music videos.
1: storyboard the entire thing.
i just make a new file in photoshop (same aspect ratio as the video, of course), and scribble stick figures for every shot. i save them all out, then i load my movie editor (currently vegas) with the song, and import each still storyboard.
then i can squash/stretch the still to match the timing for the music. once that is done, i know how many seconds/frames to use as a target for my scene. this might not be as helpful in your case, as the length of the shot will depend on the actors' performances and line delivery.
2: make a shooting schedule
when i did 'the i love awen show' video (a second life machinima, but same idea), we had to build everything -- sets, props, hair and wardrobe, scripts, animations, etc. an we had a six week shooting schedule to make it in time for the raglan film festival. so what i did was break each storyboard shot down by complexity, and scheduled the simpler shots first, while we built the stuff for the more involved shots in the following weeks.
things to consider:
a: which actor(s) appear in the shot (casting call)
b: close-up or long shot (how much do you have to worry about scenery)
c: set (what area, what level customization do you need)
d: props (are any items going to be 'active' in the shot -- weapons are easy, but carrying a sack or bag, opening a chest... etc.)
e: dialogue. (if and when the voiceovers will be done, and the conversations, and the facefx. for my current project, i have complexity of facial expression listed on each shot as a factor in how difficult it is.)
in my current music vid project, i have several scenes or sequences. i recommend NOT putting everything into one cutscene. if you ever need to tweak one little sequence, you could be spending a lot of time going through stuff that's already 'in the can.'
on the other hand, sequences that are related to each other might work better in a single cutscene -- even if they are not chronological. this is simply because you will have actors in positions they will need to be doing stuff.
for example, i had some sequences of 'returning to camp,' which were all in one cutscene. but in the middle is a leliana kissing scene. i just swiped hers from the single player to use it, and had that sequence by itself.
in another set of sequences, i shot them totally out of order, simply because i had the camera set up for a long shot, one for a head shot, one for a close up of another guy, and another long shot. instead of mucking around flipping cameras through the cutscene to make it all one sequence, i did multiple run-throughs of the action for each camera. then spliced in the editor.
that was probably long-winded. um, my advice... organize the heck out of everything! because that's what i do! ;D
also, i use just one module for all my cutscenes (uh, well now two, due to that one disaster i had). i use a dialogue as a picker for which one to play during any particular run-through. of course, that's only if you dont use the out-of-game renderer. if you DO use a dialogue to start cutscenes, i recommend padding the beginning of each, so the dialogue text has the opportunity to fade off the screen before the action starts. (one drawback of using a dialogue picker.)
#7
Posté 24 décembre 2010 - 06:41
Sunjammer
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At least not yet ...techwench wrote...
Sunjammer's cutscene companion does the exact same thing except it's in a nice little GUI wrapper. Well, not the multi-cutscene queue part...
Modifié par Sunjammer, 24 décembre 2010 - 06:41 .
#8
Posté 25 décembre 2010 - 12:29
Lord Methrid
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Good advice BSV, all this production talk is quite motivating. Thanks so much guys!
