Trailers and Cutscenes

[IRHP]

I hope this is the right place for this. I have been looking around and all I can find is are mere mentions regarding cutscenes or game trailers for commercial use/release. How would you get help making them?

I searched through Classified and didn't notice anyone who did cutscenes (computer graphics nor traditional animation). I didn't expect to see a ton but now I'm left with questions. Also, I wouldn't know where to begin to look for help in developing a release trailer for a game, either.

I imagine both (especially cutscenes of any type) to be relatively expensive, as a side note. Anybody have experience or knowledge relating to these issues? Anybody know of any RPGM games to feature cutscenes?

Sorry if my questions aren't clear, I'll elaborate if it's a problem.

Thanks.

 

[Andar]

You won't find much in that kind, because it's either an ingame cutscene done by eventing (and those are usually done by the game developers themselve, because relatively easy to learn) or it's about cutscenes by movies, and those need to be done completely outside the RM engine.


If you want movies, then we can't help you - and if you want a cutscene by eventing, just start the regular tutorials, begin making the event for the cutscene with the commands you learned in the eventing tutorials and then ask us if you don't know how to do something specific in that cutscene.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

"Movie" cutscenes, especially if we go with hand-drawn animations, 3D animations and other CGI, takes a lot of work and if commissioned, takes a huge amount of money...

Also, I wouldn't know where to begin to look for help in developing a release trailer for a game, either.

Get a screen recorder, I use HyperCam2 coz it's free, record the parts of the game you want to show. Then use a video editing software to pack them all up, edit and add some spice. Render the video, compress the video file in case the editor renders it without compression then upload.

 

[bgillisp]

Then use a video editing software to pack them all up, edit and add some spice. Render the video, compress the video file in case the editor renders it without compression then upload.

What video editing software would you recommend? I use banditcam for my video recording but at some point I'll need something to edit videos myself.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

That depends on what you want to achieve upon editing. For simply cutting of some clips and joining them together, the movie maker that comes with windows would suffice. IDK of any other free software.


I bought Sony Movie Studio 13 Platinum today on the steam sale (that would be around $25 I think, the original price was at around $79.99) but IDK when I'll get to actually download it. Sony Vegas is really awesome, but it's more for the actual pros (and it costs $599). I got to try a much older version of vegas, and I'd say it was really good though. Movie Studio basing from images, vids and reviews seem like a toned down version of Vegas. Though on the less than $100 price range, most people tend to prefer Corel's software.


Now if you have a Mac, I do think it has a good video editing software that comes with it.

 

[IRHP]

Thanks for the suggested programs, guys.

I just figured we get people who make music here so maybe there could be those who animate. If not, would someone point me in the right direction?

I can probably make the trailer myself if I have to, thanks to the suggestions in this topic (but I'm still open to help there), but I'm sort of set on finding someone for a short intro cutscene, really need the help.

Thanks.

 

[Andar]

You'll need to tell us what kind of intro/cutscene you want.


As a general type, you could be talking about 3D-Animation, regular animation, a movie of still scenes/pictures or a real movie made with people, and it would be rare for someone who could do all types - most people would be experienced in only one of these art types.


And you need to tell us if you're paying for those or not.


Animations (both types) are a lot of work - you won't get them for free and your best option in that case would be to make a classified request with your pricing options. Depending on length this would probably go beyond several hundred dollars if its even a few minutes long, but I'm no artist and don't know the exact prices.


Movies of still pictures or real people would probably be easier to get made, but again that depends on details you haven't given yet.

 

[IRHP]

^ 2D animation, like anime, preferably.

Also, yes, I would be willing to pay.

The length would probably be a minute, give or take. Just like a short intro video.

Okay, I will make a topic in classifieds. I just wasn't sure if we get many people in that type of animation around here or not, and if not, then where would one look?

Thanks. Any other details I am missing?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

A minute of hand-drawn animation would probably take a considerable amount of money... Assuming you're running a video at 30FPS (the standard I think), that means 30*60 frames of animation which is 1800 frames... Aside from money, the animator would probably spend months just to finish those 1800 images for your video...

 

[Sharm]

A composer and an animator aren't similar styled jobs.  Take a look at the credits list of an animated show sometime.  You'll see one composer and at least 100 animators.  To put it another way, let's say you can get a drawing from someone for about 10 bucks and it takes them an hour to do.  At that same rate doing just one minute of 15fps animation would cost $9,000 and take nearly 4 months of full 8 hour work days to complete.  I love animation very much but I think the people who do it are a rare type of crazy who have jobs in the industry, are in college, or have retired because they can't draw anymore.

 

[IRHP]

I see. Thanks for the input, very informative. Well, if anyone knows of a studio that takes work, or a site with a list of different ones which do or anything like that, please tell me.

I'll be putting something in classifieds now. Hopefully something comes up.

 

[juggernaut]

I think it's worth noting that next to no one still does animation the hard way. To say that an artist has to do 1800 frames of animation as per the example isn't necessarily the case anymore. It's still a monumental thing to produce animation but a single minute is doable and doesn't have to demand tons of money. The style (2D or 3D pre-rendered), content, layers, or really just the overall complexity of the composition is what starts to hike up the $$$$ signs. 

Nonetheless, even in our internet dominated world I'm sure it would be hard to find an artist who would do a modestly priced project for anyone. They know their talent is worth something!

 

[IRHP]

^ It seems hard just to find an artist. Should I just contact random animation studios or something...?

 

[Andar]

Contacting professional studios is possible (everyone is always looking for work), but they will only work if you can pay professional rates.


An alternative might be asking in the forums of general art sites like Deviantart.com - you'll have to check answers as there are not only professional artists and art students but also a lot of want-to-be-artists, but sites like that are probably your best bet to get a good compromise between payment and quality.