Process of an artistic direction in video game

repstyle

hello, I'm an amateur art director working on a video game project going to grow up at a professional level.

by dint of experience gained from many years of researches and participations on some projects, I am able to establish a working methodology to guide my artistic direction.

See it there : http://www.repstyleart.com/gamorgy/index.jpg

But I'm currently facing a problem :

In fact my project leader have a vision and know exactly what he wants in terms of game design and programming but artistically, i don't think.

He has probably a blurred vision of the game but this is not really the problem.

My problem is mostly that my lead thinks that we don't need a backstory to develop a visual identity, but, to do my job, I need it to create an efficient and consistent artistic identity.

He's probably afraid of closing some doors of opportunities and I'm afraid of losing me and wipe me through the endless possibilities.

My project leader then offers extremely wide constraints such that be funny and target an adult audience and he thinks that's enough but not me because it is so subjective and it's not quite on target.

1. Am i wrong ?

2. So I'd like to have your approach in the field, chronologically with the differents steps that will enable you to establish your artistic direction especially in the field of video game.


Thank you for sharing

fearian

edit: as a disclaimer, I'm not in industry, I'm a student working on my second 'Team project' with a heavy hand in the art direction of our game.


eh, I voted no, but I think I've changed my mind to yes. You wrong. Chill out a bit. Talk things through with your team. If you guys are planning on incorporating a story into your game, it should go in sooner than later, but it probably shouldn't dictate the art style unless the story is really, really central to the whole game.

However, depending on what your game is, what your story is or what your style is everything I said could be bullshit. It really depends on your game. There is no 'Rule' to fall back on here.

Lets say your gameplay is the same as Mario. Your team, or your lead, has decided that it should be funny and aimed at an adult audience of 18 to 30 year olds. If that is to vague for you, ask specifically, does he want a setting? a mood?

Who is in charge of story? Does there need to be a story? does your team want a story? work together with your team and find out what you want as a whole. If your team thinks the game is better as a level based arcade game, work from there.

you shouldn't overcomplicate your development with rules that don't exist. In a small team, making a game can be very informal and organic as a process. Enjoy it.

Ninjas

I would focus on the concrete skills you bring to the project and let your artist figure out the art. If you are doing all the programming and writing, that is a lot of work.

Also, you don't really have to worry too much about getting everything working visually on the first pass. Most game design is iterative, so you can tighten the weakest stuff on each pass.

[edit]

Finally, it is a good idea to show your work early and often. Your audience will let you know what is not working.

PredatorGSR

I have no real experience as an art director, just did some prototyping of assets in new styles while working with an art director, and I gotta say, if the way you get started trying to figure out an art style is to spend 2 weeks making a spreadsheet, I think you're on the wrong path. Lets see some art.

Again, I have no experience as an AD, but to figure out an art style I would start by knowing what type of game it is, then I would find lots of art I like from concept artists, traditional painters, other games, movies, etc and experiment with styles that I liked and that fit the game. Farther down the line you'd work on things like a color script and figure out things in more detail.

But dude, that looks like a businessman making a spreadsheet to define what art is.

moof

As an artist you should know that nailing down things to early will make it harder for you to adapt to conditions later.

Your preproduction goals should probably be more about finding our what works with your tech and design, and designing around that, rather than nailing down what you want early on. *Unless you have capabilities to adapt a rigorous, artistic vision from the get go I suppose.

Make art that works around the process and tools you have or will have, rather than art you're trying to conjure into existence by force.

If I can put it in one phrase:

path of least resistance, with some direction of intent.


[edit] have to add since I have only unprofessional, small scale art lead experience, I wouldn't say my words have extreme weight to them. :]