Introduction – Who Are We?
Marty Stoltz
Studio Cinematic Director, Midway Chicago
Stranglehold, The Suffering: Ties That Bind,
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon/Deception/Shaolin Monks,
Psi-Ops, Sanitarium
Richard Rouse III
Director of Game Design, Midway
The Suffering, The Suffering: Ties That Bind,
Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates, Odyssey,
Game Design: Theory & Practice
Introduction – Cinematic Games
• What are “Cinematic Games?”
• Often people mean:
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Better/more cut-scenes
Better story/dialog
More custom-scripted
High drama moments
High production values
A highly immersive experience
Introduction – Cinematic Games
• Heavily loaded term
• Avoid “Hollywood Envy”
• Don’t want
• Interactive movies
• Uninteractive games
"One day soon, calling a game ‘cinematic’ will be a
backhanded compliment, like calling a movie
‘stagy.’"
-
Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner
Introduction – Cinematic Games
• A new definition of “Cinematic Game
Design”
• Draw from cinema’s 100-year-old library of
techniques
• Integrate these devices into actual
gameplay
• Not just copying, expands our medium
Cinematic Technique #1:
Character Framing
• Rule of thirds creates good compositions
• Mental map allows audience to take
fragments and make sense of them
• Careful use of eye-lines
• Example from:
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Character Framing:
Gameplay Application
• Same rules of scene composition apply
• For third person games, avoid placing the
character dead-center
• Examples from:
Splinter Cell
Shadow of the Colossus
Cinematic Technique #2:
Camera Following a Character
• When tracking a character, principles of
photography apply to the cinema
• Still obey the rule of thirds
• Avoid “computer” camera moves
• Example from:
Goodfellas
Camera Following a Character:
Gameplay Application
• Wherever the player moves the camera,
always keep the avatar well framed
• Avoiding fading out/making the avatar
disappear
• Balance player control with good shot
composition
• Example from:
Max Payne 2
Cinematic Technique # 3:
Slow Motion
• Many films have used slow motion to
emphasize the beauty/brutality of a
scene
• Can also be used to slow/quicken an
event where the audience won’t notice
• Simulates real-life dramatic events
seeming slow
• Example from:
Aliens
Slow Motion:
Gameplay Application
• Lots of games have stylishly used slow
motion as a game mechanic or an FX
component
• Slow motion can also be a tool for
storytelling
• Could also be used more subtly
• Example from:
FEAR
Cinematic Technique #4:
Visual Storytelling
• Inform the viewer about person and place
• Scene works without dialog/exposition
• Start wide and end close: close shots at
end for progression and impact
• Example from:
Rear Window
Visual Storytelling:
Gameplay Application
• Player should learn about the fiction
through play
• Every element is important: art,
animation, voice, audio, etc
• Repetition of key details is necessary
• Example from:
Half Life 2
Cinematic Technique #5:
Subjective P.O.V.
• Often multiple non-realistic effects can be
combined to make the audience see a scene
from a particular character’s POV
• Effects include: FOV adjustment, slow motion,
exaggerated lighting, screen filters, audio mix
• Example from:
Raging Bull
Subjective P.O.V.:
Gameplay Application
• Used for literal sensory changes:
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Drunk (GTA)
Drugged/Stoned (Rise of the Triad/Narc)
Dream Sequences (Max Payne)
Shell Shocked (Mercenaries)
• Could be used more subtly to indicate
emotional state of the main character
Cinematic Technique #6:
Parallel Editing
• Inter-cuts two scenes that are happening
at the same time
• Great way to build suspense
• Example from:
The Silence of the Lambs
Parallel Editing:
Gameplay Application
• Underused technique in games
• Not the same as plot-driven cut-aways
• Perfect for breaking up long navigational
sections, if kept short & quick
• Has to be done carefully to not frustrate
or confuse the player
• Example from:
Karateka
Cinematic Technique #7:
Split Screen
• Similar to parallel editing, but different
pacing
• Can be used for suspense or emotional
juxtaposition
• Example from:
Kill Bill
Split Screen:
Gameplay Application
• Also underused in games
• Excellent for in-game storytelling
• Do not force the player to intently watch
multiple views simultaneously
• Example from:
Indigo Prophecy
Cinematic Technique #8:
Picture Within Picture
• Mini-story that happens in the
background of a scene
• Can be used to juxtapose two narratives
or themes
• Example from:
Citizen Kane
Picture Within Picture:
Gameplay Application
• Depending on a game’s camera &
perspective, differently techniques apply
• Careful placement makes scenes nondisruptive but also likely to be seen
• Example from:
Another World / Out of this World
Cinematic Technique #9:
Building Tension
• Keep the pace changing but maintain a
general direction
• Don’t be afraid to slow things down in an
action sequence
• Use audio to keep the audience on edge
• Example from:
Alien
Building Tension:
Gameplay Application
• Design game mechanics in ways that will
give the player some information, but not
all of it
• Motion sensor in Marathon and AvP
• Radio static in Silent Hill 2
• Audio design in System Shock games
• Interactive music perfect for building
tension in gameplay
Cinematic Technique #10:
(Mis)Leading the Audience
• If audience figures out the story: bored
• If audience can’t figure anything out: confused
(Both are bad.)
• Hitchcock said: audience likes to be one step
ahead of the story
• Mislead audience away from what will actually
happen
• Example from:
A Clockwork Orange
(Mis)Leading the Audience:
Gameplay Application
• Games have repetitive mechanics
• Players expect them to work consistently
• Thus players are susceptible to being
misled
• Be clever/devious in how you mislead,
but don’t go for “cheap shots”
• Example from:
The Suffering
Cinematic Game Design:
Ten Techniques
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Character Framing
Camera Following a Character
Slow Motion
Visual Storytelling
Subjective P.O.V.
Parallel Editing
Split Screen
Picture Within Picture
Building Tension
(Mis)Leading the Audience
Questions?
• Contact:
Richard: rr3@paranoidproductions.com
Marty: mstoltz@midway.com
• Final slides available at:
http://www.paranoidproductions.com/writings.html