General Info on Cutscene Production

AKPiggott · 02-27-2003, 05:06 AM

I've seen it quite a lot. People know the commands and tools that are essential to making a good cutscene, but they don't utilise them to their maximum potential. I compiled all of my cutscene experience and wrote an article for TACC. If you are interested in making cutscenes, you'll hopefully find it a worthwhile read. It goes in-depth on cutscene elements such as camera use, dynamics, voice-acting and pretty much all the other essentials.

If you have any comments or questions, please reply to this thread.

Emon · 02-27-2003, 08:11 AM

Best article on the topic yet, sticky this thread!

Kengo · 02-27-2003, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emon
Best article on the topic yet, sticky this thread!

I second that, great article!

AKPiggott · 02-27-2003, 02:13 PM

I'm glad you guys liked it.

lassev · 02-28-2003, 01:49 AM

Yes, it was great indeed. It is twice as important, because it gives much even for those who know their scripting business. For making decent cinematics is more than knowing how to script. This article should be mandatory for SP map makers.

AKPiggott · 02-28-2003, 06:24 AM

Well this is exactly it. There's plenty of resources that define all the ICARUS commands and such of how to make a cutscene, but they don't usually tell in any sort of detail the techniques of which to use them.

Higginson · 02-28-2003, 02:24 PM

AK since ur like the god of all cutscenes

do u know how to make npcs duel in cutscenes? or use force powers? im makin an episode 1 mod with a completely new end level, which is basically an SP conversion of the dotf map by livingdeadjedi and hav some cutscenes planned. would i be able to ask u for some help if i need it?

AKPiggott · 02-28-2003, 02:30 PM

I'll be able to give you some tips and point you in the right direction.

There's two ways of doing the cutscene duelling:

1) You could animate every single lightsaber swing and clash and input the sound effects into an ICARUS script. It'll probably take forever and look a bit unnatural but at least you can control everything that happens.

2) You could also just make the NPCs fight each other by changing their AI properties. This is how the Desann and Luke duel on the Doomgiver level was done. It'll look pretty good but the main problem is it'll be completely random.

Force powers would have to be scripted. You'd basically just have to input the right commands to make the NPCs look like they are using the corect force powers. This'll mean adding the right sound effects, animating the NPC correctly and affecting the enviornment the way it needs to be (e.g. moving something that has been force pushed).

Higginson · 02-28-2003, 02:41 PM

So, could i make the npcs duel randomly and thn go into a set battle? like eg, have thm randomly fighting, thn go into a saber lock and thn for one npc to backstab the other?

boinga1 · 02-28-2003, 04:48 PM

wait. there is some way to make npcs use thr force, right? in the doomgiver fight, desann uses saber throw. or does he?

AKPiggott · 02-28-2003, 05:10 PM

Yeah... Desann does use force throw.

You should be able to do that Higginson, it'll take a bit of trial and error though.

Higginson · 02-28-2003, 05:17 PM

K, thanks Ak. *praises the holy mapping and cutscene god AK Piggott*

Emon · 02-28-2003, 08:58 PM

The saber throws in JO's cutscenes are fake, they are only animations, there are no saber trails...

To do it properly, you would make an NPC that's noclipped and invisible, and small, without a model. It's the dummy target. Take the NPC, tell him to target that NPC. ICARUS can change the NPC's fire mode to secondary. Do that, then use the command that holds down the fire mode for a number of seconds. After those seconds, switch everything off.

AKPiggott · 03-01-2003, 07:48 AM

Is there any sort of randomisation in that method Emon?

Emon · 03-01-2003, 11:36 AM

Not that I know of. If there are other NPCs in the area, you could set them to notarget or make them neutral temporarily to avoid the possibility of the NPC attacking of them instead.

Do you want randomization, or is it a bad thing?

*Andy867* · 03-01-2003, 12:03 PM

Its not that its a bad thing Emon, but if someone is trying to choreograph the fight a certain way, they will want certain elements to happen and not happen, like have the 2 saber duel without interference from the other NPC, like if someone wanted to orchestrate the Anakin-Obiwan fight for Episode 3 in their own way, but have others looking on, that kind of thing.. you wouldn't want Palpatine to kill Anakin/Vader...

AKPiggott · 03-02-2003, 06:59 AM

I've sent in a news item about this article, it's yet to be posted though.

*Andy867* · 03-02-2003, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Higginson
im makin an episode 1 mod with a completely new end level, which is basically an SP conversion of the dotf map by livingdeadjedi and hav some cutscenes planned. would i be able to ask u for some help if i need it?

You should try to make the cutscene of Episode 1 level based off of Shadriss & WhiteShdw, who LDJ helped make. That map has the n-1 Naboo Fighters and an even mor accurate layout. Plus Shadriss level is SP converted already.

Higginson · 03-02-2003, 03:11 PM

U mean ive been thru all tht trouble for nuthin? Sh*t!!!!!!!!!!!!! but i read in another thread tht the dotf 2 map file wasnt available so thts why i asked LDJ for his first one. i never played the second one either, but i think the first is bigger and therefore allows more play for the end level. anyway im still crying because my radiant wont compile, so i hav to blindly save without being able to test it.

Emon · 03-02-2003, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Andy867
Its not that its a bad thing Emon, but if someone is trying to choreograph the fight a certain way, they will want certain elements to happen and not happen, like have the 2 saber duel without interference from the other NPC, like if someone wanted to orchestrate the Anakin-Obiwan fight for Episode 3 in their own way, but have others looking on, that kind of thing.. you wouldn't want Palpatine to kill Anakin/Vader...

Yes, I know. My method should let a NPC throw his saber at a target and it should work every time.

Kengo · 03-02-2003, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKPiggott

2) You could also just make the NPCs fight each other by changing their AI properties. This is how the Desann and Luke duel on the Doomgiver level was done. It'll look pretty good but the main problem is it'll be completely random.

So that fight was totally random, different every time you watched the cutscene? If so, it came out really well the time I watched it

AKPiggott · 03-08-2003, 07:53 AM

Could somebody please sticky this thread? Or at least PM a moderator to sticky it? I have PM disabled. I want to encouage SP editors to learn more about cutscenes and if this thread turns out to blossom into something bigger, it could provide a valuable resource.

AKPiggott · 03-08-2003, 01:28 PM

Excellent... it's been stickified.... and renamed.... cheers.

*Andy867* · 03-08-2003, 02:44 PM

Glad i could help, I just hope this gets more people into making cutscenes and such

AKPiggott · 03-09-2003, 02:04 PM

Yeah me too... there's too many good levels with crap cutscenes... well, not for JO but for other games at least.

Kengo · 03-10-2003, 04:35 PM

Can I also add links to some tutorials on how to do the programming behind cutscenes:

http://members.lycos.co.uk/eaglee7/index.html

http://www.geocities.com/kengomaps/

http://www.darth-arth.de/tuts.htm

-=ReApEr=- · 04-14-2003, 11:31 AM

Nice guide Ak good to see some people taking there time to compile what they know into a guide for other's i might make some level's based on some roleplaying done on this forum.

PRSLou · 04-20-2003, 12:53 AM

Yes, thank you for taking the time to write this! My first level is going to have a good amount of cutscenes and voice acting, if I can pull it all off. Thanks AK and everyone else.

Quote:

Originally posted by -=ReApEr=-
Nice guide Ak good to see some people taking there time to compile what they know into a guide for other's i might make some level's based on some roleplaying done on this forum.

PS: Ooops stupid of me I signed in with the wrong name I used to use...*DOH*

Louis · 04-20-2003, 12:59 AM

Hi I'm back with my real name

griff38 · 07-30-2003, 12:24 AM

Really Intelligent question.

Where can I get some finished cutscenes? I have yet to find any.

Joshua_Stone · 07-28-2004, 05:46 AM

Tell you what - and this is a novel approach - how about instead of a 'general information' guide to cut-scenes which is very nice but, by it's own definition deals in generalities, how about someone posting a 'useful' guide to cut-scenes which actually tells us how go about putting one together in Radiant.

Just an idea.

We don't all know as much as you think. Some of us need practical help and advice rather than stylistic tips on good cut-scene production. I'll worry about that - and come back to your guide - when you've told me how to get a cut-scene up and running.

Morthon Gyzaall · 01-28-2006, 04:36 PM

I'm with joshua

razorace · 01-31-2006, 09:15 PM

Please don't make useless "ditto" messages to year old stickies.