Real-Time Cinematography for Games
- Book Review,
by Brian M. Hawkins
Book Description
Today’s game audiences expect Hollywood-quality cinematography. But to produce this quality in games, programmers need to understand the traditional film principles of lighting, camera positioning, and motion. Unlike movies, games provide non-linear, interactive storytelling, so to use film and T.V. techniques effectively, the techniques need to be modified for games. Real-Time Cinematography for Games provides this translation by teaching programmers and artists how to incorporate tried-and-true filmmaking techniques into their games. Beginning with an overview of filmmaking and cinematography basics, the book teaches how to tell a compelling story using camera placement based on character and environment. It explains how to handle a camera for panning, zooming, and cradle movement, and it details how to program these techniques into your games through code examples. From there, camera lenses and methods for achieving a variety of effects with software cameras are explored. Hands-on examples illustrate the importance of good lighting and how to handle transitions to new lighting arrangements. The next part of the book covers the essential areas of filters, sound effects, interactive music, movement, and dialog, including coverage of current voice recognition technology. The book wraps up with coverage of directing essentials. Programmers will find the entire book extremely useful, and designers and artists will find the large amount of creative uses of filmmaking techniques invaluable. Every chapter is written with two major parts: creative and technical. The creative section looks into the techniques and practices of the film industry and teaches how artists and designers can use these techniques in games. The technical sections then explain how to implement these techniques into games through practical code and equations. The technical sections require knowledge of basic programming and computer graphics concepts. This is the one resource programmers and designers need to ensure that they are producing Hollywood-quality graphics that will keep your players coming back for more! TOPICS COVERED: * Cinematography—Position * Cinematography—Motion * Acting—Dialogue * Acting—Hitting the Mark * Cinematography—Lenses * Foley Artist—Sound Effects * Lighting—Reality versus Hollywood * Editing—Filters and Effects * Composing—Making Music * Editing—Transitions * Editing—Selection * Directing Key Features * Presents traditional film techniques adapted for use in games * Provides practical code examples that can be easily implemented * Includes an extensive color insert illustrating the techniques covered * Focuses on the concepts of cinematographic lighting to improve real-time lighting * Integrates coverage of graphics, editing, sound, and artificial intelligence * Includes insightful interviews with leading professionals in the film industry * Includes a companion Web site with all the source code for the examples in the book, new code, videos, and other useful tools covered in the book
About the Author
Brian Hawkins began his career doing research at JustSytem Pittsburgh Research Center where he focused on scripted character animation using natural language. He worked at Activision as the game core lead on Star Trek: Armada and contributed to Civilization: Call to Power and Call to Power 2. He also worked for Seven Studios as lead programmer on Defender and now operates his own development company, Soma Inc. He holds a BS in mathematics and computer from Carnegie Mellon University and is the author of Preventative Programming Techniques.
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