At Magic Media, we prioritize delivering industry-leading quality services to our clients and that is how we stand out from the competition. With a global team composed of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and skill sets, we offer a wide range of services, from full-cycle game development to specific art production, game VFX, and video production. But how do we achieve this level of quality? What is it really like working with Magic Media?

Let’s dive into the internal processes of Magic Media’s workflow with our clients. Spoiler alert: there are no hidden technologies or secret formulas! Instead, we rely on a passionate and talented team who work collectively to deliver the results you desire. Let’s have a closer look.

Magic Media’s Outsourcing Process

When you choose to work with Magic Media, you can expect a high level of commitment, investment, and passion from our team. Our experts seamlessly integrate into your game development process, immersing themselves in your team and workflow.

To ensure this seamless integration, we have established our own processes that align with how we work. Our game development process is marked by constant communication, agile approaches, and rigorous quality assurance.

Project Initiation for the Game Development Process

Before we begin creating, coding, or utilizing our expertize, the first step in the game development process is project initiation. This is where our team leaders and yours come together to understand your requirements, goals, and desired outcomes. Together, we establish a project plan and communication pipeline to ensure an effective and streamlined operation.

Planning and Scope Definition

During this early stage, we also define the planning and project scope. If we are assisting as co-developers, it is crucial for us to have a clear understanding of the project’s direction. We discuss deliverables, timelines, and budgets. Together, we create a detailed project plan, identifying necessary resources, team members, and setting milestones.

Agile Development Approach

When it comes to the actual development work, we adopt an agile development approach. This approach is highly effective for game development, given its iterative and incremental nature. It also aligns well with our flexible, adaptive, and continuously improving work style.

Game Development Built on Communication and Client Collaboration 

While delivering high-quality services is important, ensuring that our work aligns with your vision is equally crucial. From the beginning of the project, we provide a single point of contact to ensure your voice is heard, and requests are efficiently communicated. You have access to our entire team, and we maintain regular check-ins through meetings, emails, and other project management tools.

We offer micro and macro check-ins at any point to track project progress, address challenges, and ensure we meet your expectations. Through these regular check-ins throughout the project lifecycle, you will have a clear understanding of our progress and how we align with your expectations. This direct line of communication allows us to address any concerns or queries promptly.

The Game Development Process and Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a constant aspect of all our video game outsourcing services. Whether we are delivering art, development, or game trailers, our team has internal processes in place to ensure the promised quality is achieved.

Before any work reaches your screen, we conduct comprehensive testing, bug fixing, and iterative improvements to meet our high standards and yours. We strive to deliver our work to you with the utmost quality, meeting established milestones.

Market Research

We are committed to continuously improving the quality and efficiency of our work. Regularly assessing the game development process is crucial to stay ahead of modern trends, tools, and methodologies.

Our teams actively research market trends, investigate target audience preferences, explore new technologies, and keep an eye on our competitors. This research ensures we stay current with player interests and maintain efficient game development workflows.

With these insights, we implement new practices. Our talented game development team, consisting of artists, animators, developers, designers, and more, constantly test new technologies and methodologies. Alongside user feedback, our experts are always prepared to deliver engaging and marketable games.

Team Composition

At Magic Media, we tailor each team to suit your project’s specific needs. We don’t just provide a concept artist; we provide an artist who is genuinely interested and passionate about your game’s genre or style. Our diverse and global team ensures that we always have the right person for your project.

We don’t just want to deliver experts who can create industry-leading results. We want to provide you with an outsourcing or co-development team that is genuinely interested and enthusiastic about being a part of your work.

If you are interested in utilizing our expertize in full-cycle development, co-development, game porting, art production, game VFX, or any of our comprehensive services, please get in touch with us today. We are always ready to create magic together!

Step into the creature animation inspired by Game of Thrones and witness the epic battle unfold in our awe-inspiring game cinematics video. Our team was delighted to have the opportunity to create an almighty siege that captures the essence of the beloved series. With attention to detail and a deep passion for the source material, we meticulously crafted a video that immerses viewers into the heart-pounding action. Watch our creature animation video here and experience the magic of Game of Thrones.

Creature Animation Process

Creating the creature animation was a meticulous and time-consuming endeavor, occupying more than half of the total production period. Extensive research was conducted to ensure that the movement of the dragon was faithful to the intended style and atmosphere of the iconic Game of Thrones series. Numerous references, including photographs, illustrations, and similar videos and films, were carefully studied to capture the essence of the realm and bring authenticity to the animation.

The Challenges

One of the biggest challenges faced during the creation of the visual effects video was achieving a balanced composition while populating the stage with a vast army that accurately represented the period and style of the show. The aim was to create a visually impactful creature animation scene that stayed true to the grandeur and scale of the Game of Thrones universe. Extensive attention was paid to detail, such as the composition, scale of the knights, and the overall atmosphere of the scene. Technical challenges were overcome through rigorous testing and consultation with specialists, ensuring that the scene was visually stunning without compromising rendering efficiency. 

Creating the Creature Animation Video

Animating the dragons was a focal point of the project, as these majestic creatures are an integral part of the Game of Thrones world. Extensive research and comparison with references were conducted throughout the production to create lifelike and believable dragon movements. The team analyzed the physics and anatomy of real-world creatures to ensure that the dragons’ flight appeared authentic and awe-inspiring. Striking a balance between realism and staying true to the series’ visual style posed a significant challenge that required meticulous attention to detail.

The role of sound effects and music in the video was paramount to enhancing the overall impact and immersing viewers into the scene. Sound design played a crucial role in capturing the epic nature of battles, while the carefully crafted music heightened the emotional depth and further immersed audiences in the fantasy world. The combination of sound effects and music work to complement the visual elements and create a truly immersive experience.

Industry-standard software for creating 3D graphics was utilized to bring the animation to life. The decision to employ this particular toolset was based on its proven capabilities in delivering professional-grade results and its widespread use in leading studios across the industry.

Creating a sense of tension and excitement in the creature animation video was achieved through a combination of techniques and pacing. The director’s vision and script were meticulously refined to ensure that key moments resonated with audiences and captured the intense nature of the series. 

At Magic Media, we offer dozens of services for gaming, entertainment, and tech projects, including visual effects, full-cycle game development, real-time VFX, and more. For a services partner you can trust, get in touch today, and let’s create magic!

Animation has endless possibilities for its direction and execution. One of the most critical decisions when it comes to animated video production is choosing its style, and as part of that, whether 2D or 3D animation should be used.

The decision between animation styles isn’t as simple as it might seem. Both 2D animation and 3D animation have distinct advantages, and there is no ‘correct’ decision between the two, only what your video production requirements are. Depending on what your video content is being used for and several other factors, either direction could be viable and appropriate for your video content.

Going with 2D Animation

2D animation is more efficient and cost-effective to produce, so it lends itself well to video production projects where iteration is required or going to be a strong possibility. With this in mind, 2D animation is particularly suitable for performance marketing advertisement campaigns. This style of video content, more often than not, requires iterations to maximize its impact and audience reach.

To this end, 2D animation might be more appealing to newer companies or businesses where the video production budget is limited. With the right partner, however, budgetary concerns shouldn’t affect the quality of the final video content. Whether it’s 2D or 3D animation and regardless of budget, a partner like Magic Media produces the best animation possible regardless of budget and overall direction.

What’s more is that 2D animated video content is much easier to reproduce for web formats, which also might appeal to the marketing teams of an organization. For 2D animation that uses vector graphics, it’s straightforward to derive further content from the video. This can be extremely helpful for marketing material, teasers for videos, PDFs, and more.

2D Animation with Depth

An in-between option is a 2.5D animation style. This is essentially 2D animation but with added effects to create a sense of depth. This style is commonly seen in side-scrolling games such as the modern classic Limbo, and it can work just as well in video production. It has a compelling layered visual that can be eye-catching for your target audience if executed well.

For organizations where there is ample budget for 2D animation but perhaps not enough to produce 3D animation to requirements, 2.5D animation should be strongly considered to grab attention and set video content apart from the competition.

3D Animation Considerations

Producing 3D animation is generally more expensive than 2D animation, as there is a whole dimension of depth to be concerned with. There is a perception that 3D animation is inherently more impressive than 2D animation, which isn’t necessarily true as 2D animation can be as amazing with the right talent behind its execution. Regardless, there is a wow factor associated with 3D animation that can be beneficial for companies with the budget to create it.

3D animation makes more sense for some industries and projects than 2D animation. For instance, if Magic Media is creating animated video content for an animated TV series or 3D animated game, 3D animation would be more representative of the product it will be advertising. Using 2D animation in such cases could be considered inconsistent and lead to detachment for viewers.

Theoretically, 3D animation can be more detailed than its 2D counterparts and have more creative possibilities. With the added dimension of depth, there is technically more that can be accomplished using 3D animation. This, of course, depends on the talent behind creating it, but 3D animation can instill a sense of size and scope that might otherwise be impossible to achieve with 2D animation.

At Magic Media, we’re experienced veterans of game development, whether it’s for remakes or original projects. We offer dozens of services for gaming, entertainment, and tech projects, including full-cycle game development, real-time VFX, and more. For a services partner you can trust, get in touch today, and let’s create magic!

In-game animation is a crucially important part of games of any genre, visual style, or scale. From 2D-animated mobile games to complex AAA gaming experiences, in-game animation is critical to believable character movements and actions. For realistic character and world interactions, in-game animation needs to be created and refined with a keen eye for detail, as any mistakes will be easy to spot.

Magic Media views creating in-game animation as a different practice compared to the longer animation cycles seen in the likes of the movie industry. It requires different expertize, which, fortunately, we possess through our years of experience. In-game animation requires meticulous attention and a deep understanding of the character, their actions, who and what they’ll be interacting with, and the game world.

Defining In-Game Animation

In-game animation refers to the animations created for characters and objects seen during the gameplay experience. This means all the movements that a character makes, running, jumping, and even idling animations. are created by in-game animators. Though cutscenes technically fall under the category of in-game animation, these responsibilities are usually carried out by VFX personnel who work on cinematics. In-game animation generally refers to the body mechanics of characters and objects, their movements and actions, rather than cinematics or even facial expressions.

Compared to cinematics and film work, in-game animation is completed in smaller bite-sized chunks. The purpose of in-game animation is different from other industries, as it needs shorter repeatable cycles of animations representing player inputs and character actions on screen. This requires unwavering attention to detail for even the most minute animated details, as even single frames being out of place will be noticeable in the context of short animation cycles.

The Role of an In-Game Animator

In-game animation is completed in several phases, and through our experience, we’ve identified three key stages involved in creating believable and compelling animations. The first phase is called blocking, where the in-game animator creates key poses for the animation to ensure that timing and placement are correct. In the following phase, splining, the in-game animator refines the animation and makes it smoother overall. The objective of splining is to roughly smooth the animation, rather than refining it down to the last detail. In the last phase, polishing, the animation overall is smoothed out down to its finest details, including secondary actions such as the movement of hair and clothing.

The animations themselves are created in small sections. Using a jumping animation as an example, an in-game animator will establish key poses during the blocking phase, and break down the whole sequence into a handful of transitions. A jumping animation, for instance, could be worked on in three sections – from idling to jumping, jumping to landing, and idling. Working in segments like this can help in-game animators focus on the details at every stage of an animation cycle and ensure there are no outstanding glaring errors.

Because in-game animations are usually created in isolation from the game itself, in-game animators must understand the character and animation’s context. The more information an animator has about a character and their interactions, the more they can inject personality and flair into the animations. Animators will often be provided with layout scenes, minimalist artistic representations of an environment, so that they can place the characters in the scene and animate them with appropriate placement and scale for the location they’re in.

Important Considerations of In-Game Animation

Every development project will be different in its visual style, and this is a critical consideration for all in-game animators. Animation is heavily influenced by the overall artistic direction of the game. If, for instance, the team is developing a realistic shooter, then the animations should follow this style to the letter and would benefit from having the most realistic animations possible. Conversely, stylized visuals open the door to many different possibilities, such as exaggerated movements and reduced movement anticipation for comedic effects, but this depends on the overall tone of the game in addition to its artistic style.

Naming conventions are also crucial for organizational purposes. Every studio will have different naming conventions, but we’ve commonly seen and used names based on the game’s title or to be more specific, names derived from the animation itself to prevent any possible confusion.

Magic Media is an expert provider of in-game animations for development projects of any size and scale. As a trusted provider of services for the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries, we have a wide range of services including full-cycle game development, video production, cybersecurity, and more. Get in contact today and let’s create magic!

Game animation is an integral part of any immersive gaming experience. From realistic character movements to visually stunning landscapes, animations are what bring games to life. As a game developer or a gamer, understanding the principles of game animation can take your gaming experience to the next level. In this article, we’ll uncover 4 principles of game animation that can help you create captivating animations that will keep players engaged and wanting more. So, let’s dive into the world of game animation and unlock the secrets that will elevate your gaming experience.

Anticipation: Laying the Foundation for Engaging Animations

Anticipation is a fundamental principle of game animation that sets the tone for an engaging animation. It provides the viewer with an understanding of what will happen next, allowing them to brace themselves for impact. In a game, this principle is crucial in making sure the gamer can anticipate the next move of their opponent or understand what is coming their way. Without anticipation, the animation can feel disjointed and fail to capture the viewer’s attention. To create anticipation, you can use a range of techniques, such as exaggerating the movements or creating a sense of suspense. Anticipation not only helps to create engaging animations but also adds an element of surprise and excitement to the game.

Staging: The Art of Setting the Scene

Staging is about setting the scene for the animation. It involves making sure that the viewer’s attention is focused on the most critical aspects of the scene. In a game, it is essential to ensure that the player’s focus is on the most important aspect of the game at any given moment. By using staging, you can guide the player’s attention to where it needs to be, whether it’s a crucial item or a character’s movement.

Timing and Spacing: Making Animations Realistic

Timing and spacing are critical in creating realistic animations. It involves the careful timing of movements and the spacing between them. In a game, this principle is vital in creating a smooth and realistic gaming experience. If the timing or spacing is off, the animation can feel choppy and disjointed, taking the player out of the game’s immersive experience.

Appeal: Making Animations Visually Stunning

Appeal is all about making the animation visually appealing to the viewer. It involves creating animations that are interesting to watch and visually stunning. In a game, this principle is essential in keeping the player engaged and interested. By making the animation visually appealing, the player will be more likely to invest their time and attention into the game.

At Magic Media, we’re more than just a game animation company – we’re passionate storytellers and artists who specialize in bringing games to life. Our team of talented animators in Igloo Creative House are dedicated to crafting high-quality, visually stunning animations that immerse players in your game’s world.

Using the latest technology and techniques, we create smooth, realistic, and captivating animations that capture the essence of your game. We have a deep understanding of the gaming industry, and we know what it takes to create animations that stand out from the competition.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s create magic!

In this feature of our “Day In The Life” series, we are stepping into the world of one of our senior animators at Igloo Creative House, Elay Shtephman, where every day is a new adventure in bringing inanimate objects to life. Imagine waking up each morning, grabbing your trusty pen and tablet, and diving into the creative world where the possibilities are endless. Whether it’s a 2D hand-drawn masterpiece or a 3D computer-generated extravaganza, Elay’s job is to breathe life into characters and make them move in ways that will leave audiences mesmerized. 

What is an Animator

An animator is responsible for creating and designing the movement and actions of characters, objects, and visual effects in films, television shows, video games, and other forms of media. This can include tasks such as designing character movement, choreographing action sequences, and animating special effects. Animators may also work closely with other members of the production team, such as writers, directors, and designers, to ensure that the animation supports the overall vision for the project. Additionally, they may be responsible for testing and troubleshooting animation to ensure that it functions correctly and meets technical requirements.

Day to Day

Elay kicks off the day with a glass of ginger lemon honey and some entertaining conversation with the team at the office and then gets to action. The tasks at hand can range in scale from small tasks for explainer videos to character animation for videos in the gaming and high-tech industries. From there, the team starts off the pipeline with a brief from the project manager and the art director. Once a brief is given, animators receive the design files and layout from the design team to help structure the process to be done in the most efficient manner. Once this is complete, the animation process begins. The processes here become dependent on the project itself. For 2D animation, Elay’s go-to tools would be adobe after effects along with the help of scripts and extensions. Blender would be the tool for 3D animation. In order to stick to the vision of the project, communication with the art director and rigger is of high importance. After a successful alignment on the vision of the project, Elay would search online for anything that could be a good reference for the character’s animation. If no good references could be found, a team member would help act on the motion that needs to be captured. The next step in the process would be a review from the direction team and revisions if needed.

When it comes to facing any challenges for any project, Elay’s success in overcoming them has always been the ability to consult the team and allow a group effort to break through any obstacle.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the film, tv, gaming and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive VFX services for in-game, cinematics, and more, as well as animation and full art services! Our main goal is to to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s talk!

If you were to ask a group of people what their idea of animation is, you’d likely receive different answers. Some might say it needs to be bright and colorful, whereas others might say it needs to be as realistic as possible.

The real trick with animation is the hidden details, the subtleties that aren’t immediately obvious. Animation isn’t robotic (unless you’re animating robots!), and no movement is ever the same. It takes skill to ensure movements embrace the little differences in the way we move in real life and adapt this principle to animation. The small moments, how a character grabs a door handle, slouches, or sits down, can bring an animation to life.

Animation Principles

Fundamental skills in animation never go out of style. There are twelve principles of animation that are considered by many to be foundational skills. These principles were established by Disney as early as the 1930s, though they wouldn’t become common knowledge until 1981 after a book was released detailing them.

These animation principles have been iterated on over the years, but at their core, the philosophies remain the same. While we won’t detail all of them, here are the first four.

Squash and Stretch

The process of squashing and stretching gives weight to an object. Imagine a ball thrown at a wall, its form will squash on impact, and while it’s in the air after being thrown, it will stretch. This principle even applies to people where there is a squash as someone crouches down preparing to jump and a stretching motion as they leave their feet and jump into the air. Applying this principle means adding weight, gravity, and even force to an object.

Anticipation

You could describe anticipation as the preparation of action. For instance, when baseball players are preparing to pitch a ball, they lean back before throwing so they can put more force into it. Similarly, when a person is about to jump forward, they crouch down first in anticipation of propelling themselves forward. Movement without anticipation can be jarring for us to see, but it can be used for comedic effect in the right project. Such sudden movement without the viewer being able to anticipate movement is a hallmark of many types of comedy, including slapstick.

Staging

Staging is an often-overlooked principle. It relates to grabbing the viewer’s attention with the right visual element. A typical example of this would be using thirds. Imagine a screen is vertically divided into thirds, and a character relaying important information related to the plot is located in the middle third. This simple trick should focus the viewer’s attention on the central figure. Staging can also be achieved using other characters’ eye lines. Having the primary character of a scene in a visible position, while surrounding characters look at them is a particularly strong way of directing attention.

Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose

Straight ahead refers to drawing an animation frame by frame in chronological order, which is often used by animators trying to create a realistic look. Pose to pose, however, refers to drawing the first and last poses of a character, and not drawing each frame in chronological order. This method can give a greater degree of control, allowing you to decide how much emphasis to give the pose in the in-between frames.

Finding Details

References can be extremely helpful when crafting an animation. Often, the animators within the Magic Media group will act out movements themselves to help replicate them in an animation. If it’s something particularly complex, it’s not uncommon that they’ll film themselves doing it so they can reference it later during production.

Two of the most difficult types of animation are facial and realistic physics, so to help make them as true-to-life as possible, animators will make heavy use of references. While examining the same reference material might be painstaking and become tiresome, it’s worth it to find the obscure detail needed to nail that perfect animation.

For example, when someone is turning the pages of a book, there is a ton of detail that isn’t immediately apparent. The way a person’s fingers rifle the corner of a page, the movement of the page itself as it’s turning, and the way the front and back covers might bend aren’t obvious but including this detail can enhance an animation.

This applies to movement as well. When we swing our arms while walking, they’re not moving in straight lines, but in curves. This applies to most living beings and when it’s represented in animation, it’s far more realistic to use arcs and curves rather than straight lines.

Animation can be complicated work, and Magic Media is here to simplify it for you. Our broad range of expert services includes game animation, cinematics animation, and much more! Contact us today and find out more about we can make animations that fit your needs.

The Igloo Gaming team has had the pleasure of working with many clients who make games in many different styles and genres. Word games, casual games in fantasy settings, and pirate adventures, it’s exciting to work on such a variety of games that allow us to exercise our creativity.

While each project can be wildly different from the last, we have several key steps involved in the production process of creating videos and animations. Working on video content, like user acquisition commercials, for these gaming projects can be a slightly different process from working on trailers!

Initial Steps

It all starts with meeting the client. This is crucial so that we can understand the target audience the client wants us to attract and the game we’re going to be promoting.

In this meeting, we also like to see if the client has any ideas of their own. It’s great when they do as this can inspire our creative process and help us come up with pitches. The client’s suggestions can feed our work, and in turn, our work at every stage can help the client view their game in a different light, with new ways to convey it they might not have previously considered.

Pitches

After much discussion, we create some work and get some ideas together for what we call a creative pitch presentation. In these presentations, we like to present our clients with multiple possible creative directions.

We try as much as possible to incorporate a game’s distinctive visual style into our video content. This can create a sense of familiarity with fans of the game and engage them quickly. In a video we made for Zynga, we decided to use Lumbo the Lumberjack from Farmville to tell a fish out of water story of him finding himself in an unfamiliar urban environment.

These presentations typically include sketches and written pieces to help us and our clients visualize what our finished video might look like. Igloo Gaming’s Creative Director, Producers, and Animation Director are directly involved in this stage of the process.

Writing the Script

Once a direction has been agreed upon, we move on to writing the script for the video. This is a critical step in the production process because script writing for our purposes is different from the traditional script writing format.

The script is important to coordinate what we see with what we hear. It establishes the visual elements of the video, as well as audio elements like voiceover and its timing. Timing is everything, and this document helps put all the pieces we need into place.

We don’t limit the script-writing phase in terms of revisions. We believe that there shouldn’t be a hard limit on how many we do because, ultimately, we only want to move forward to the next stage if the client is completely comfortable. Our clients are always open to participating and giving feedback to help the project move forward in the best way possible.

Design & Visualization

The next step is a leap forward in helping our client get a glimpse into what the final video will look like. Next, we create storyboards to present to our clients so that they can get an understanding of the direction the video is going in. We like to use materials provided by the clients directly, such as key art, to represent the video.

We present a full design of the video to the client for approval, which is an opportunity for them to comment and provide feedback. Whether it’s the text that doesn’t look right, if an in-game element can be represented better, or if the copy should be tweaked, we’re happy to get any feedback and make adjustments accordingly.

In the design phase, we have to keep in mind that the video will more often than not need to be created for a variety of aspect ratios. It’s not uncommon for us to make them for 1:1, 16:9, and 4:5 for some social media platforms. By keeping this in mind early in the process, it doesn’t become a potential issue later on!

Production

Once our client has approved the storyboards and we have addressed any feedback we received, we can then move ahead with the full production phase. At this point, animators receive the script, and aspects of the production such as available resources, camera angles, and motion, are considered.

We kick off production with a meeting between Igloo Gaming’s Directors, Animators, and Designers before the Animation Director breaks it down and assigns Animators to different scenes and shots.

We’re always as detailed as possible with our visual descriptions, but they should be open to interpretation without straying too far from what was agreed upon with the client. Our main goal is always to deliver the client’s vision, but we should try and be creative where possible!

While the animation work is in progress, the voiceover audio is recorded. We keep in communication with our clients through production, including twice-weekly updates with examples of the work we’ve completed. This is to ensure that if any changes are required, they’re spotted quickly, so we can then act on them as soon as possible.

Finishing Touches

Once the main production is finished, we send the client the project including voiceover audio and music. At this stage, we can tidy up the video based on any feedback the client provides, as well as add sound effects and any other required minor changes.

Thanks to our consistent communication with our clients throughout our projects, they’re never startled by anything we send them. We like to bring clients with us on the journey of making videos for their games, and they’re kept in the loop every step of the way.

We make a concentrated effort to keep our files organized for use during production, and also after. It’s not uncommon for our clients to want to iterate on user acquisition videos. Often, a client might want to show different gameplay, have gameplay come in sooner, or change the flow of a video to suit different needs, and this is something we prepare for here at Igloo Gaming.

This approach has helped us establish lasting client relationships and helped us create the best possible videos for their games. Our prioritization of communication has been a common element of our best work. Check out the video that we completed for Farmville 3!

If you require a game trailer or video ad, we’re here to help. We can also provide cinematics, full-cycle development, and many other services. Get in touch today, we’ll be happy to bring magic to your project!

Game trailers are everywhere within the gaming industry. From AAA to indie titles, game trailers are almost obligatory for most releases. Both cinematic trailers that highlight narrative elements of a game and trailers exhibiting gameplay features are cornerstones of a game’s pre-release marketing campaign.

While game trailers are a fact of life within the industry, what makes them so important? Let’s look at why game trailers are indispensable for games and how we create them!

Why They’re Important

Game trailers are crucial for advertising to their target audiences and instrumental in creating an understanding of the game and what it’s about before it launches. Game trailers can give an impression of what kind of graphics can be expected and the type of music the game will have, and some trailers can act as a way of highlighting key gameplay features.

A trailer should represent a game and give players an idea of what to expect when it launches. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some illustrious clients and instill their brand identity and unique characteristics of their titles in the trailers we make. You can see some of our video ads portfolio to see how we brought ideas to life.

Initial Concept and First Steps

No matter the game, the process begins with an agreement with the client. Once we come on board to craft a game trailer, we calculate timelines for each stage of the project’s production. When we have a fixed timeline for each stage of production, we can then assign artists. Depending on the trailer, we can allocate artists based on the visual style we’re aiming to achieve. When the project’s schedule is laid out and our artists have been designated, then we can really let our creative juices flow!

With a plan in place, we can begin getting creative and produce several different concepts. It’s important we work on a few different concepts that we can use and morph into the final product. Ultimately, our client is our top priority and they have the final say as to what concept we move forward with. Bearing this in mind, it’s prudent for us to have a few different ideas that our clients can look at and choose from.

Storyboarding and Bringing It Together

After our client has selected the concept they want to move forward with, we can begin working on storyboards. Storyboards are essential to our process as it allows us to clearly lay out sequences and the major elements of each scene. The next step is to create style frames based on the storyboards. Style frames are simple visual representations of scenes that are particularly important to introduce a basic visual framework that we can build on.

With a structure in place, we can then begin to animate the scenes. This process requires painstaking attention to detail to ensure that each aspect of the scene is animated correctly and that the principles of animation are adhered to.

Another key aspect of building a game trailer is the sound design. The audio elements of the trailer are indispensable for bringing a trailer to life and help make the animation pop. Once we’re pleased with the animation, sound, and flow of a trailer, we can apply finishing touches to the project to really add detail to it.

What a Game Trailer Achieves

A game trailer could be compared to the cover of a book. While there are many different books on the shelves in a library, it’s the ones with the most eye-catching covers and synopses that get attention. A great trailer captures the core elements of a game and hooks in an audience, and this is where we step in to help clients.

It’s an exciting creative challenge to balance exercising our own creativity with the needs of clients and the brand we need to represent in our trailers. Our goal is for viewers to recognize the product within the first three seconds of a trailer. We often approach this by utilizing a brand’s color palette and familiar sounds associated with them to make our trailers more identifiable.

Whether a client requests we stay close to the brand’s design in our animations or provide the freedom for us to stretch our creative muscles, our main aim is to give products a trailer that truly captures its spirit and informs an audience as to what they can expect from it.

If you’re in need of game trailer and video ad services, you can learn more here. If you’re in need of other services, such as cinematics or game development, visit our services page or get in touch. We’re ready and waiting to help bring the magic to your project.

We’ve covered technical positions previously in the Day in the Life series, but let’s talk about one of the most important roles for any video production team: the Project Manager. From keeping a project on track, to liaising between team members and the client, the Project Manager is the glue that holds everything together. And that glue is key in delivering the quality found in our Video Ad service offerings.

We spoke with Magic Media and Igloo Creative House’s Senior Project Manager, Dana Dagan, to find out more. After serving as a photographer in the military, Dana studied content writing and worked on film sets, in the process having learned how to work with a global set of clients and suppliers. She has been with Igloo for 3 years, using her combined skills and experience to oversee multiple projects at any given time.

What is a Project Manager?

If a Project Manager was to be defined in three simple terms, Dana says, it would be: calculation, authority, and sensitivity.

And in her own words, the Project Manager is ‘the person with the bigger picture.’ They always have the client’s directive in mind, with a promise to take care of their product, and to get the best value for their money. 

On the other hand, a Project Manager is on the front line to all employees. They ensure the team is receiving the support it needs, while prioritizing the pipeline schedule. More than anything, problem-solving is the main facet of the job. The job revolves around ‘people and situations,’ and possessing the ability to find solutions on the spot.

What’s a typical day like?

In the morning, Dana starts by reading the studio’s schedule for the day. Although a project manager needs to consider every aspect of a single project, another key element to their role is multitasking. For Dana, it’s much better to know about every project in the studio, instead of just hers. This way, she can support the other project managers if required, while also considering the workload of the team as a whole. 

On the way to the studio, she reads and responds to emails, making sure if there’s important information, or changes, to the morning’s tasks. Throughout the day, the Project Manager has meet-ups with each team about new tasks, as well as video-calls with clients either requesting progress updates, or kick-starting a new project. 

For the majority of the day, Dana is the person in the middle: with the client’s feedback on one hand, and the team’s perspective on the other. In between, she makes the schedules and deliverables to the clients, making sure every day that her assigned projects are on the safe side with their time and budgets.

Overcoming Challenges

For a Project Manager, the greatest obstacle in the way of a project’s quality is miscommunication with the client, including setting clear expectations of each other. As Dana explains, they are constantly seeking to prevent disappointment by establishing, in advance, what can be realistically achieved within the budget and time-frame. 

This dynamic is sometimes similar in working with the creative teams as well. Trust plays a major part, as the Project Manager is the main point of contact throughout the project. Your creative teams rightly keep high expectations of you when it comes to backing them up at every stage of the production pipeline.

But Dana stresses that the whole situation isn’t life and death! Project managers can easily take things to heart because of the care needed for every project. In order to keep things balanced, she recommends holding regular meetings with your team to clarify and adapt your work-flow strategy, with a mind to delivering the best possible product for your client.

Production Process

Each project varies in its scope and scale, and so the production process can alternate. Igloo has its separate Creative House and Gaming domains; each studio is very different from the other. In the Gaming studio, they deal with leading international clients, creating slick designs for slot and poker ads, which includes a lot of 3D work. Meanwhile, the Creative House team is smaller, crafting promotional videos for high-tech clients. 

The Project Manager is involved from the get-go in every project. Dana starts with getting to know the client in a meet-up: ascertaining the project’s needs, providing a quote, setting a schedule. All of this information is then collated into Igloo’s task management software. 

Once pre-production has begun, the client reviews almost every stage of the process. This entails that the Project Manager oversee deliveries and review calls, alongside notifying the team of any changes in the pipeline. 

At each step, they update the project status to their own managers, raising key questions about the team’s progress and if we are correctly bringing the client’s vision to life. And even though every project has its own Art Director, Project Managers have the final word on whether a project makes sense as a whole.

According to Dana, projects are very dynamic, especially in the video domain. Therefore, they require a manager that is in touch with all bases at once, and most importantly with the client. That relationship is a part of what keeps the client coming back and makes the hard work worthwhile.

Thank you for checking out this day-in-the-life of a Project Manager, undeniably one of the most important roles for any production. Seeking a career in games, entertainment, VFX, or cybersecurity? Check out our careers page for more information. Or, if you’re interested in collaborating with us on a project, or using our services, talk to us today.