Game Trailers

1. Game Trailers Brandon H.S. 25.09.11

2. What is a Game Trailer? • A game trailer is like an advertisement to an upcoming game. It will mostly show short footage of the gameplay, sequence and storyline. By showing a game trailer on TV, it will be viewed more than a print advertisement in a magazine, because nearly everyone has a TV!

3. How Are Game Trailers Created? • The trailers are created by the team of people who have worked for the company that make the game, using a videogame engine called “Machinima". Most trailers are one minute and a half or approximately two minutes long.

4. What is Their Purpose? • To advertise the game and persuade the gamer to buy it. It can take a lot of money just to make a short trailer, but if it’s a successful trailer then it should make a lot of money for the developers. A good trailer should excite and interest the audience.

5. Where/How Are They Normally Shown? • There are a number of places that trailers are shown. TV, the internet, cinemas and conventions/trade shows. Game trailers are often shown during ad-breaks on TV. Some trailers are not suppose to be shown until 9pm, because they may contain explicit scenes of violence and gore. Game trailers need to be shown at the appropriate timing of when the targeted audience are watching, e.g. The ad-break of “Futurama” would be a good time to advertise for gamers because the TV show is mainly for 12 year old kids. • The main places you would see a game trailer on the internet is mainly the official website of the game’s developer, or Youtube. An advantage of advertising on the internet is to “Spread the word” by using links, on social networks and forums. • At video game conventions and trade shows developers can show their trailers for the first time, and give the audience a sneak-peak.

6. Are They Targeted to a Particular Audience? • Game trailers will be targeted to a different audience. It depends on the type of game or genre. For example, “Fifa 12” is targeted for sport fans and “Guitar Hero” is targeted for music lovers.

7. Do They Fit Into Certain Genres? • Every trailer fits on to a certain genre, it depends on what the game itself is based on. The different genres include “Action”, “Fantasy”, “Horror”, “Sci-fi” and many more. Regardless of what the genre is, the trailer leads the viewer to buying the game. On the right are two trailers with different genres. “Turok” (top) and “Silent Hill: Downpour” (bottom).

8. How Would You Design a Game Trailer With Music Track? • You would have to research the game on the internet or playing the game itself to understand which scenes look good for creating the trailer. The next thing you’ll do is to create a storyboard by using still images. You could either sketch or copy and paste images from “Google”. Making a storyboard will show what scene goes in what order. The storyboard will also include information like the timing for each shot.

9. How You Would Go to Design a Game Trailer With Music Track? • One of the key effects of a trailer is adding sound effects and music. Music affects different peoples moods. You would need to make sure that you’re choosing the appropriate music for the right type of game. For example, Horror: dark, eerie, terrifying. Action: fast paced, intense, suspenseful, epic. You may have to experiment with different music to fit with genre of the game trailer you’re designing. Click this speaker to hear an action style music. Click this speaker to hear a horror style music.

10. Research • http://www.google.co.uk/ • http://www.youtube.com/?gl=GB&hl=en-GB

11. My Version of Turok Trailer • For my version of the “Turok” trailer, I have decided to use text in order to replace the narrator’s voice. I’ve done this to add more detail to the story of this game. One of the main changes on my version of the trailer is that I’ve decided to show only a small glimpse of the dinosaur near the end of the trailer. The reason for this is because I’d like to add tension for the audience. The music is almost the same, just a little more eerie for the tension parts.

12. Storyboards Certificate rating. Developer of “Turok”. A spaceship flies through space, pass a planet. A number of pods are put in place. The doors on the pods open, revealing men. One of the men (Turok) awakes and slowly climbs out.

13. Storyboards It was suppose to be a simple mission. Text screen. The spaceship heads towards a planet, with Cole talking in the background. Cole: “Our target is Roland Kane, leader of the legendary Wolf pack”. Cole: “We’ve tracked him on the planet below, our mission is simple. Find Kane and…”. Picture of Kane flashes into scene. Before Cole could finish, a missile hits the spaceship.

14. Storyboards But life can be full of surprises. Turok tries to outrun the explosions. Turok wakes up from being knocked-out, seeing trees instead of the sky. Text screen. Another man is waking up. Turok looks around to see where they are. He sight catches a landscape of plants and trees, meaning he is in a jungle. Turok and the “other soldier” view the entire land.

15. Storyboards The other soldier hears something. The other soldier is suddenly dragged by something. Turok and Logan hear the scream of the other soldier. A hostile planet Something with teeth is stalking the soldiers. A military base sits in the middle of the jungle. Text screen.

16. Storyboards A vicious enemy A deadly fight for survival Text screen. Text screen. A huge eye is moving behind the plants. February 5, 2008 Turok gets ready to be mauled. Quick scene of what appears to be a dinosaur, attacking Turok. Title of the game with date of release.