Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Because there are so many specialties when it comes to creating a game ani-
mation, 3D model building and rigging, 2D and 3D environments, programming,
animation, sound, and so on, previs helps sort out who is going to make what.
When you're planning a scene for a trailer or deciding how sequences in the
game need to be executed, the mechanics of actually building it is one of the
things previs can help sort out. During the previs phase of development, deci-
sions are made such as who will build the 2D elements, 3D, animation, music,
dialogue, sound effects, special effects, and so on. There are a great many details
to track while building a game, and using previs to refine what needs to be done,
by whom, and when is critically important.
Previs can indicate what needs to be done, and it can also point out gaps for
design elements that had not been considered yet, or show problems with pro-
duction that may be too expensive or pointless to pursue.
storyboards
When it comes to designing characters and planning how they will work together
with other characters, bosses, quest givers, and anything else they might inter-
act with in the game, entire sequences may need to be
boarded out
(depicted in
a storyboard) to gain a clearer understanding of how the story is being told, how
actions need to be planned for, and what other elements need to be designed,
redesigned, or eliminated.
Storyboards are essentially blueprints, or roadmaps, if you will, that can com-
municate to members of a design and production team what needs to be created
and how events will unfold. They help save time and money once a project goes
into production, because they indicate what things need to be created and where
people need to focus their time: they can also provide insight to help you elimi-
nate unnecessary elements.
Games, like most projects, have one or more creative directors associated with
the endeavor. After making creative decisions, their most important goals are as
follows:
Communicate the vision to other members of the team.
Allow team members to offer feedback, based on the vision, on ways
to implement, change, or enhance the design.
Storyboards are an important tool to accomplish both of those goals.
You may wonder how a game can be boarded out if characters can go in dif-
ferent directions. Don't think of them like storyboards created for a movie or TV
