Guest
Lectures
CALLUM TAI
Cinematic Designer
I was a part of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope's Design team at Supermassive Games.
Little Hope is a choice-driven, horror thriller game released in 2020.
The project has two intertwined playable stories with unique cinematic content, shot in real-time within Unreal Engine 4.
Implementing Data
Throughout the stages of my involvement in Little Hope, a significant aspect of my role revolved around the implementation of motion capture data, including both facial and body animations. This responsibility required a meticulous approach as I delved into the intricacies of each sequence, spanning various mediums such as screenplay, storyboard, and 2D blockout.
I meticulously brought the motion capture data for each sequence into the level, leveraging my technical proficiency and attention to detail to achieve optimal results. This process involved aligning animations with vocal performances and fine-tuning performances to enhance immersion and storytelling. I not only contributed to the visual fidelity and authenticity of character animations but also played a crucial role in shaping the overall player experience. My dedication to precision and quality ensured that each sequence seamlessly transitioned from conceptualization to execution, ultimately enriching the narrative depth and emotional resonance of the game.
Little Hope gave me the opportunity to learn the tool that currently provides the skeleton for all of Supermassive Games's cinematic projects, GameFlow. Though the projects are built on Unreal Engine, all of the game's logic, the cinematic content, UI based gameplay, and even exploration run through GameFlow. As a tool, it allows for visualisation of where in the flow of a project the player is, which is exceptionally helpful when creating a cinematic game.
Drawing from my prior experience with articy:draft during my university years, I swiftly acclimated to the new tool upon joining the team. I became proficient in creating comprehensible Flows that effectively captured the intricacies of our project's narrative and gameplay dynamics. As the project evolved and scene requirements shifted, I emerged as a dependable resource for adapting and refining Flows to suit evolving needs.
My proficiency in GameFlow earned the trust of my colleagues and superiors. I was entrusted with the autonomy to reshape scenes based on my creative insights and gameplay considerations. One notable instance involved transforming a brief walking section, which felt disjointed and disrupted the game's pacing, into a thrilling escape sequence from pursuing creatures. This required not only reimagining the scene's dynamics but also integrating multiplayer logic and character-switching mechanics for single-player branches seamlessly.
I have been fortunate enough to utilise this skill consistently on every project that I have been on while at Supermassive, still learning new things and also helping to guide new tool development for the software.
Bespoke Engine Tools
Narrative Logic
My experience working on Little Hope provided me with a profound insight into the intricate narrative logic inherent in branching cinematic games. Delving into the complexities of the game's branching narrative structure, I quickly developed an intuitive understanding of the various narrative branches and their interconnected pathways.
This enabled me to adeptly identify issues within the branching narrative and propose effective solutions. Whether it was addressing continuity errors, refining character motivations, or optimizing player choices, I approached each challenge with a keen eye for detail and a commitment to preserving the coherence and integrity of the narrative.
Through my contributions to Little Hope, I not only honed my skills in narrative design but also demonstrated my ability to navigate complex branching narratives with precision and insight. My capacity to understand and manipulate narrative branches proved instrumental in enhancing the player experience.
I was a part of the "Deaths" team, an inter-departmental strike team, who would go through the entire project and get all deaths up to final quality earlier than the rest of the game as a part of Certification.
This process involved ensuring all recorded motion capture data was implemented and correct, liasing with the other departments, and leveraging in-engine cameras, all to craft visually stunning and emotionally impactful death scenes, maximizing cinematic effect and player immersion.
This work was completed with an intense time-pressure which necessitated round-the-clock coordination, quick decision-making, and a commitment to excellence. My ability to thrive under pressure and deliver under tight deadlines underscored our team's dedication and professionalism, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the death sequences.
