Making A Scene

How developers create cinematics.

- Xalavier Nelson Jr.

You might assume that cutscenes are a simple piece of game development, without all that pesky interaction. This is not the case. In fact, examining the production process for cutscenes reveals a messy truth underlying most games – the inherent risk accompanying their non-linear development.

“For us, the cutscenes were written months before the gameplay was finalised, so we were writing these cinematic beats of high tension and emotional fulfillment... when all the lead-up to those moments hadn’t even been conceptualised yet,” says Dead Rising 4 writer Shannon Campbell. “We had a map and we knew the rough destinations we wanted to hit, but the road we’d take to get there was a complete mystery.”

This process is not atypical, as corroborated by Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 4 creative director Alex Hutchison. “Usually you want to lock the script as late as possible,” he says, “so it can respond to changes in design and missions effectively. But you need a draft script and a strong sense of the narrative early so you can make sure everything will fit together.”