Unit 1: Task 1

Unit 1: Task 1

"A side-scrolling game, side-scroller or 2D is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters can generally only move to the left or right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology. The move from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphics, during the golden age of video arcade games and during third-generation consoles, would prove to be a pivotal leap in game design, comparable to the move to 3D graphics during the fifth generation. Although side-scrolling games have been supplanted by 3D games, they continue to be produced, particularly for handheld devices or for digital-only releases.

Type of production: eg film, television, video, radio, audio, interactive media, web, computer game, print, photo-imaging"- Wikipedia

Before starting a production, all your later decisions will be  influenced by the type of media you are looking to create. In this case we are creating a 2D Scroller. If you wanted to create a movie you would have to concentrate on hiring a film crew, and possessing good quality cameras. In a case of creating an audio. A similarity in all pre-production is THE INITIAL CONCEPT. This includes specifying what the pillars of what you are trying to produce. In case of both movies and games this
may be the script and plot. However, in games are much more integral part of production would be the the type of game you want to produce as this will later impact the rest of the process.
The pre- production although it needs a linear process often that is not the case. This is the case as ideas are constantly reviewed and optimised in the the process of production. Never the less, having a a carefully planned schedule is essential for good time keeping.

Finance: 
Sources of finance - Big cooperation may find funding in companies tat are willing t sponsor them and in return get a share in the game's income and success. Most games however will still be created by individuals that have a passion for game making and fund their own projects. For example Witcher:

"The Witcher is an action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by Atari, based on the novel series of The Witcher by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Wikipedia

Series: The Witcher

Director(s): Jacek Brzeziński

Producer(s): Maciej Miąsik

Composer(s): Adam Skorupa; Paweł Blaszczak

Developers: CD Projekt, CD Projekt RED

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems"

The game was created by a very small team at the time yet they managed to make a name for themselves.

The rights from Sapowski to the Witcher story were bought at around 7000 pounds  however Sapowski claiming the game will fail refused shares of the games income. This way the small team became millionaires solely on the games gross income.


Since anyone may develop a concept for a game the game designers must create a concise and eye -catching High Concept Pitch document that they will present to different companies in hopes of the company being interested enough to buy the concept and and produce it. Big cooperation may receive hundreds of such documents so it important to be able to be engaging but short and concrete.

Requirements, eg equipment, transport, talent, crew, materials, facility hire, clearances
It is hard to create a suitable budget that incorporates all of the above and that's why usually companies have to settle for compromised solutions. They may higher more crew that may not have as much talent but are cheaper. As usually personnel is paid per hour you have to use time efficiently so every specialised crew member is busy pushing the project forward and not idly wasting time. In this case pre-production also has to include a time table that will be carefully planned out to maximise the productivity of all the members of the team. 

Time:
Deadlines- The time set do produce a finished product, or finished parts of the product.

Availability of equipment - In cases of small project it may no be worth buying all of the equipment and instead renting it. For specific segments of the project a team may hire a very powerful camera to capture detailed image and later incorporate the image into their other less detailed work.
It's also vital to respect the time and availability of personnel. It is important to have a rational outlook on how fast an employee might work. To solve this time management problem it might be useful to higher a manager that will communicate with teams to give them an insight on how much time they have available. It is likely that the media your creating will be published by not only a game company but also, in the time of multimedia, expand onto other surfaces. These will rely on you completing the product in a due time.

Clearances-  The biggest problem with the project will probably arise from legal issues, so an important part of pre- planning is guaranteeing clearances for the use of; images, locations, equipment. In the case of film making getting clearances for filing would need to come from the council as well as the police if a stunt for example, especially dangerous. On the other hand, if your creating a 2D scroller these issues are unlikely to arise, there maybe more problem with copy right issues.
  

Personnel: 
Size of team and roles - The size of crew will all depend on the project you're doing and how much time you have to finish it by. In the case of  2D scrollers, the concept does not require a big team as a simple project may only require a programmer and a digital graphic expert. Depending on the skill sets of these employees the and the complexity of a project, the simplest 2D platformer using if you were going for something with the complexity of Sonic the Hedgehog, without a pre-existing engine like unity, including unique graphics, level design, etc…. You could spend many months doing that, even with a substantial team." - 
geometric primitives for graphics may be build in a couple hours. However, "
https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-to-make-a-2D-platformer-game


Resourcing:
Availability; costs; team or crew CVs - In a case of amateur productions the costs will be minimal as the crew would be creating a game as a hobby and their availability will be dependant on their engagement with the project. If you where to hire a crew though,whilst looking through CV's you need to pick out concept artists that suit your aesthetic which ultimately will  become the biggest selling point of the game. As with everything an employer will value a person with experience more highly then any certified qualification, so in this industry a portfolio of your work is the biggest factor in searching for a job in the arts industry.

Facilities: 

Production equipment- Everything you need to make the project.
Post-production equipment- Everything that need to use to complete the tasks after the game is made.
Facility houses- The venue where you do your work. Since most work for game is done on computers its not necessary to rent a place to work in however, with bigger projects its helpful for the teams to work in the same place to exchange ideas and cross reference work.
Outsourcing- You may send assignments to individual companies that specialise is a certain aspect of development. A recent example of this is the ILM London HQ that supplied special effects for movies like Solo (2018) although most of the team never worked on base of the filming.

Materials: type
Original materials- What you make yourself.
Archive and library materials, Internet, assets, audio, script, animatics, graphics, interviews, costumes, properties, recorded music; sources; costs; clearances
As creating your own materials take up time and money most businesses decide that its easier to buy rights to a material that then later incorporate into their work. There are archives on the internet where there is stocks of images, music, and pre-made animations for characters. This may be incredible cost effective as you save money on music compositors and programmers as you are able to purchase pre-made material.
Sourcing legal issues- Problems arise when you don't put enough care into acquiring rights to material you use. To avoid this the materials need to be bought or negotiated about so there is no problems in the future of people trying to sue for copyright.

Contributors: 

These people will effect the production and add to the ideas that where initially made. This is important since the product must be acknowledged by the audience to become successful. This means that the technical aspect of production is equally as important as the message its conveying. The public may help by openly stating what they're looking for in the game which will serve as a check list for designers that want to appeal to them. You also want to give accurate information, this may be achieved by consultations  with Professors that re specialists in these fields.

Specialists and experts- People trained in a specific field that they use in a production such as
programmers or costume designers.
Talent- All the people are shown in the media produced.
Public- Audience
Contributor biographies- Credits

Codes of practice and regulation: 
Ensures and enforces copyright regulations as-well as provides a universal code of conduct in game classification. It also protects Personal data and protects health and safety. These regulations are necessary to make sure no unauthorised content is supplied to minor and they prevent legal issues in controversial material or abuse of free speak in media.




Pan European Game Information (PEGI)-
"European video game content rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors." - Wikipedia

British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) -
"BIMA's purpose is to represent the interactive media and digital content sector in the UK. Its core objectives are to promote the British digital industry, share knowledge and best practice, recognise excellence and support the next generation of digital professionals. Nationally, BIMA acts as a liaison with academia and the government, acting as a united voice for its members and aiming to drive commercial growth in the sector. Globally it champions the UK's digital industry to foster an internationally competitive industry." - Wikipedia