THIS MONTH MARKS THE RELEASE OF AN EXCITING NEW PROJECT WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR APEX LEGENDS IN CONJUNCTION WITH EA AND RESPAWN. IN THE WORLD OF ADVERTISING, SO MANY PROJECTS ARE ONE OFFS THAT COME AND GO. IT’S ALWAYS WISTFUL TO SEE ALL THE LABOR OF CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT BECOME SO FLEETING. ONE OF THE BEST PARTS ABOUT GAMING WORK IS THAT WE GET TO REVISIT THE SAME WORLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND STRIVE TO MAKE IT MORE DEVELOPED EACH TIME. IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE FOR LIAM (CO-DIRECTOR) AND I TO WORK ON THIS LONGER FORM APEX PROJECT AND IT HAS LED ME TO REFLECT ON WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES US LOVE GAMING WORK. 

FOR US, CINEMATICS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. ALTHOUGH GAMES USUALLY TAKE PLACE IN FANTASTICAL WORLDS WITH A STRONG AND HEROIC CAST, OUR GOAL IS FOR EACH CHARACTER TO HAVE A GENUINE SENSE OF HUMANITY. IT’S NOT ABOUT WHO HAS THE COOLEST MOVES, OR WHO SAVES THE DAY.

IT’S ABOUT THE AUDIENCE SEEING A PART OF THEMSELVES IN A CHARACTER, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE. 

WE HAVE BEEN SO LUCKY TO PARTNER OVER THE YEARS WITH TEAMS SUCH AS SUPERCELL WITH THEIR WILDLY ENTERTAINING CHARACTERS, OR THE APEX TEAM WHO HAVE SO THOUGHTFULLY CREATED DENSE CHARACTER LORE TO ELEVATE THEIR AMAZING CAST OF DESIGNS. THE COMMON THROUGHLINE WITH SUCCESSFUL GAMES LIKE THESE IS THAT THEIR DEVELOPERS ARE DRIVEN BY WANTING THEIR PLAYERS TO CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. AND THAT PAYS OFF. UNIQUE AND CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT CHARACTERS DRIVE CONVERSATION AND FANDOM.

NATURALLY, OUR CINEMATICS ARE IN SUPPORT OF SOME KIND OF LAUNCH OR BIG FEATURE UPDATE. HOWEVER, ONCE PROJECTS ARE RELEASED TO THE WORLD, I’M ALWAYS ASTOUNDED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE AUDIENCE CONVERSATION ACTUALLY REVOLVES AROUND INTERESTING CHARACTER MOMENTS. THIS HAS LED OUR TEAMS TO A NEAR OBSESSION TO PACK OUR PROJECTS WITH INTERACTIONS AND DETAILS FOR FANS TO FEAST ON. A SINGLE GLANCE BETWEEN TWO CHARACTERS CAN SEMI-ADVERTENTLY EXPLODE INTO RAMPANT SPECULATION OF ROMANCE. A SUPPORTING CHARACTER HAVING A MOMENT OF HIJINX IN THE BLURRY BACKGROUND WILL GET TURNED INTO FAN ART WITHIN HOURS OF A VIDEO’S RELEASE. WHEN IT COMES TO PROJECTS WITH A BIG FANBASE, NO SMALL DETAIL GOES UNNOTICED, AND SQUEEZING IN A TINY MOMENT OR AN EASTER EGG WILL GUARANTEE TO END UP SPARKING FAN ENGAGEMENT. AND THAT MAKES THE EXTRA TIME AND CARE SPENT, SO WORTH IT. 

TAKE OUR MASS EFFECT TEASER THAT’S SO EPIC IN SCOPE AND LITERALLY SHOWS GALAXIES WORTH OF VISUAL EYE CANDY. NONETHELESS, THE MOST TALKED ABOUT MOMENT IS A SIMPLE MOTION OF A CHARACTER LOOKING UP AND REVEALING HERSELF TO CAMERA. THERE’S A NUANCED SENSE OF WISTFULNESS IN HER EYES, YET HOPE IN HER SMILE THAT HAS LEFT FANS IN DEEP ANALYSIS. OR IN APEX’S SAVIOR LAUNCH TRAILER, WHEN REVENANT, A BLOODTHIRSTY ROBOT, POIGNANTLY POPS A BALLOON WHILE EVERYONE ELSE PARTIES. HE COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY BEEN NURSING A DRINK AT THE BAR, BUT THIS TINY LITTLE DETAIL BROUGHT DEEPER MEANING TO HIS ISOLATED PERSONALITY AND WAS WIDELY REPOSTED BY FANS. GIVING AN OLD MAN THE SLIIIIIGHTEST SMILE AS HE LANDS INTO BATTLE - HIS HAPPY PLACE, SPEAKS VOLUMES TO ME. A SCENE LIKE THIS WOULD WORK JUST FINE IF HE JUST PLOWED IN AND STARTED SHOOTING, BUT THOSE SUBTLE UNDERTONES ARE, FOR ME AT LEAST, WHAT PUSHES A PERFORMANCE FROM “COOL ACTION SEQUENCE” TO SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE; MAYBE YOU’RE NOT A FAR FUTURE RENEGADE, BUT YOU SURE KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE.

OF COURSE, ALL OF THIS STARTS OUT WITH US HAVING A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THESE CHARACTERS ARE AND WHAT MAKES THEM TICK. OFTEN THIS HAS BEEN PART OF THE GAME DEVELOPMENT ALREADY, BUT IF IT ISN’T WE WILL CREATE OUR OWN CHARACTER BIOS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES PEOPLE UNIQUE, WHAT ARE THEIR HABITS, AND WHAT THEIR RELATIONSHIPS ARE WITH OTHER CHARACTERS. DEPENDING ON THE CONCEPT, IT CAN AT FIRST SEEM OVERKILL TO PUT IN ALL THIS BACKSTORY DEVELOPMENT, BUT ONCE YOU DO, GAGS START WRITING THEMSELVES NATURALLY. ANOTHER THING WE LOVE TO DO IS ASSIGN MANNERISMS TO EACH CHARACTER. ARE THEY FIDGETY? DOES THAT RARELY CRACK A SMILE? DO THEY TALK OUT OF THE SIDE OF THEIR MOUTH? ALL OF THESE DETAILS ADD PERSONALITY AND INSPIRE ENDLESS PERFORMANCE IDEAS. 

THIS ALWAYS COMES WITH SOME CHALLENGES. ONE OF THE TRICKIEST PARTS FOR US DURING STORYBOARDING/CONCEPTING IS TOWING THE LINE OF HOW TRUE TO STAY TO WHAT A CHARACTER WOULD DO. IF WE PLAY OUR CARDS RIGHT, HAVING A CHARACTER SUDDENLY PRESENT UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIOR CAN MAKE A PERSONALITY FEEL MORE SURPRISING AND COMPLEX. HOWEVER, IF YOU OVER INDEX ON THESE SURPRISING MOMENTS THE CHARACTER STARTS BECOMING ILLOGICAL AND UNBELIEVABLE. A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS SOME OF OUR ORIGINAL CLASH OF CLANS WORK, WHERE THE WIZARD IS REVEALED TO HAVE LUSCIOUS HAIR. IT’S A GREAT GAG THAT’S SO SIMPLE AND SO SURPRISING (I LOVE SEEING ALL THE OTHER CHARACTERS' REACTIONS TO IT). BUT AFTER YOU GET TO KNOW THE CHARACTER MORE, YOU REALIZE THAT HIS CONFIDENT ALBEIT SELF CONSCIOUS PERSONALITY PERFECTLY BACKS UP HAVING AN AFFINITY FOR HAIR CARE. 

UNIQUE TO GAMING PROJECTS, WE LIKE TO CHALLENGE THE NORM BY SHOWING VULNERABILITY WITHIN OUR CHARACTERS. IT’S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY ARE USUALLY HEROES WHO KICK ASS AND FAN’S USE THEIR POWER TO WIN. HOWEVER, IN THE REAL WORLD WE AREN’T ALL PERFECT. HUMANS CAN BE ANNOYING, LACK SELF CONFIDENCE AND MAKE MISTAKES. IF WE DON’T GIVE CHARACTERS SOME OF THESE TRAITS, THEY DON’T FEEL REAL, AND THE AUDIENCE WILL STOP CARING. 

ULTIMATELY EVERYONE AT PSYOP ENDS UP BECOMING DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THESE CHARACTERS. IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY TO BE IN DAILIES, HEARING A STORYBOARD ARTIST DEFEND THE INTENTIONS OF A CHARACTER, OR PUSHING BACK ON A PLOT POINT THAT DOESN’T ALIGN WITH THEIR PERSONALITY. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF THAT THESE CHARACTERS AREN’T ACTUALLY REAL PEOPLE, BUT TO EVEN HAVE THAT THOUGHT IS A NICE REMINDER THAT WE ARE ACCOMPLISHING EXACTLY WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO.