Art direction in games is a crucial part of the development
process for a game. The art direction tells us, and the people working on it
how to make things look and feel. This makes or breaks how a player reacts and
immerses themselves within a game. Without it a game would have little or no
identity. The art director is responsible for pretty much everything a game has
to offer visually. They are responsible for the overall look of a game, this
relates to everything from textures to cracks in the walls, they decide how
things should look in order to keep in line with the theme and tone that has
been decided upon. http://my.safaribooksonline.com/159200430X/ch11lev1sec2?portal=oreilly
This role requires a highly creative mind and a visionary type of character.
Someone who is always thinking ahead and constantly thinking of the work ahead
of them. Ways to improve and to better the quality of work they have to produce
as a team. To make an exceptional art director, you don’t only need creative
flare; something that is just as important is a good team leader. As is stated
in this link http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3115/common_methodologies_for_lead_.php
:
“The best teams I've
worked with had an art director and lead artist who worked closely together and
respected each other's roles. They communicated openly. They agreed upon the
visual direction of the product and discussed their respective responsibilities
that were required to carry out the execution of the design. Not surprisingly,
they were relatively stress-free teams. With the definitions out of the way, we
can look at the methodologies and stages of production the lead may encounter.”
In order for a team to create a highly detailed, flowing
game, that has all the qualities the art director is looking for, they need to
have close communication with everyone on the team. Collaboration is another crucial part of art development, many ideas working well together is usually a
highly successful technique if done properly. Collaboration cannot work without good
communication and understanding of one another. A team leader (art director)
needs to be able to collect ideas from different areas and work them together.
This calls for decision making, every decision counts to the end result in some
way and it’s up to the art director to make these tough decisions.
Game art
direction is one daunting role to be a part of, let alone be the leader of. In
comparison to an art director in film, the roles are quite similar. According
to the step by step guide on wiki how, http://www.wikihow.com/Become-an-Art-Director-in-Film
an art director has to design a set, right down to the smallest detail. This is
similar to an art director for a games company, designing an environment then deciding
what to use and what not to use. However from reading the above webpage, it
seems to be much more of a solo career in the films industry then in games. There seems
to be little collaboration or signs of working with a team. Also, an art
director has to choose the feel and mood, and set the vibe for the entire game through its visuals. This stretches beyond the environments, and right to
characters and vehicles as well.
From this comparison, I understand just how much an
art director has to take on when helping to create a game. As well as having to
lead a team, it adds further social pressure compared to a more solitude design
process that an art director for a film would have to endure. Game production
has such a wide scope and needs a lot of peoples help. Communication in order
to make the story flow from its different areas of creation, seems crucial to
making an iconic game.
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