Art Direction

Art Direction in games is very important; its main purpose is to immerse the player into the games world. This is done by setting up scenes in the environment, and using colours and textures correctly to convey a certain mood/atmosphere.

An Art Director basically crafts the desired feel for the game and is responsible for how this is communicated to the player. Making sure that from every possible angle environments are correct. They are basically responsible for everything in the game, the presuuure…

A good example where art direction has a great effect on the game is Fallout 3. The environments are very Grey and dull with rubble from destroyed buildings littering the landscapes, subways which are dark and gritty creating a very threatening atmosphere.

The game is set in 2277, 200 years after the nuclear apocalypse. Washington D.C has never progressed passed the 1950s.

However without even knowing the story, just from playing the game you can tell where and when you are. Particularly with the use of propaganda posters - which have a very distinct Art style from that era. Also all of the buildings and assets in the game world all look as if they have survived from a 50s apocalypse

Another good example is Red Dead Redemption, when im roaming the West on my trusty steed there was not one occasion where the surroundings did not look absolutely stunning. Hats of to rockstar.

Environments, props, textures, colour, lighting – all decided by the art director. The use of colour is very important. Colours can be assigned to characters and environments to convey a certain message/feeling. This is also very similar in film as art direction helps a film to develop its identity. Creating a unique style to distinguish itself from other titles.

Although Art direction doesn’t necessarily make a good film, acting, script and story line are generally more important, it could just be a bad film that looked nice. I often remember certain scenes from films purely from a visual perspective.

I think the art direction in Wall – E is amazing. This film relies heavily on visual ideas as there is very little dialogue between the two main characters.

The contrast between a destroyed Earth covered in towers built with rubbish to the pristine spaceship with technology controlling everything. In this way an Art Director working on a Game is very similar to the same position working on a film, as they will have to make the same decisions based on artistic judgment.

The main difference in art direction between these two mediums is that where a film is a 2d image where the director can force the viewer the information, a game has to stand up against a fully playable 3d environment.

So is art direction for me? Well I do like art :P but what skills would I have to develop to accomplish a career in this area? Well I think already having a good eye in spotting techniques which games and films use, so that they can then be used in suitable situations within games. Knowing the atmosphere and creating a suitable environment to fit the scene.

Art directors should also have good communication skills due to their position leading a team. Even if they have the right ideas, but cannot convey their message correctly, then the outcome may not be as good as the directors intensions.