Analyzing visual principles and elements in commercial game trailers Gustav Thelander Computer Graphic Arts, bachelor's level 2018 Luleå University of Technology Department of Arts, Communication and Education Preface This thesis summarizes my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Graphics at Luleå University of Technology in Skellefteå, Sweden. I would like to thank my colleagues for feedback and Inspiration. A big thank you to LTU and my instructors Fredrik Tall, Aron Strömgren, Arash Vahdat and Håkan Wallin who made the education possible. Gustav Thelander Sammanfattning Denna forskning syftar till att etablera visuella principer som existerar i moderna medier och jämföra deras användbarhet. De visuella principerna kommer att förklaras och presenteras. Därefter analyseras de inom två speltrailers från kommersiella spel. En korrelation kommer att extrapoleras och presenteras om resultaten skapar det presenterade och förväntade resultatet. Abstract This research seeks to establish visual principles present in modern media and compare their usefulness. The visual principles will be explained and presented. Then they will be analyzed within two game trailers of commercial games. A correlation will then be extrapolated and then presented if the results create the presented and expected outcome. 1 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Introduction 4 1.2 Background 4 1.3 Problem Description 4 1.4 Scope 5 1.5 Limitations 5 2 Theory 6 2.1 Analysis Theory 6 2.2 Visual Principles 6 2.2.1 Rule of thirds 6 2.2.2 Lines and Shape 7 2.2.3 Lighting 8 2.2.4 Color 9 2.2.5 Rhythm 10 2.2.6 Contrast and Affinity 11 2.2.7 Visual principle critique 11 3 Method 12 3.1 Literature 13 3.2 Data collection 14 3.2.1 Battlefield 1 reveal trailer 14 Battlefield 1 shot for shot breakdown: 14 3.2.2 Battlefront 2 reveal trailer 17 Battlefront 2 shot for shot breakdown: 17 3.4 Observations 22 3.4.1 Battlefield 1 Observations 22 3.4.1.1 Rule of thirds 22 3.4.1.2 Lines and Shape 22 3.4.1.3 Lighting 22 3.4.1.4 Color 23 3.4.1.5 Rhythm 23 3.4.2 Battlefront 2 shot for shot Observations 24 2 3.4.2.1 Rule of thirds 24 3.4.2.2 Lines and Shape 24 3.4.2.3 Lighting 24 3.4.2.4 Color 24 3.4.2.5 Rhythm 25 3.5 Method critique 25 4 Results 26 4.1 Visual Principles 26 4.1.1 Rule of thirds 26 4.1.2 Lines and Shape 26 4.1.3 Lighting 26 4.1.4 Color 26 4.1.5 Rhythm 26 4.2 Trailer Visual Principles Statistics 27 4.2.1 Battlefield 1 trailer: 27 4.2.2 Battlefront 2 trailer: 28 5 Discussion 29 5.1 Visual Principles 30 5.1.1 Rule of thirds 30 5.1.2 Line and Shape 30 5.1.3 Lighting 30 5.1.4 Color 30 5.1.5 Rhythm 31 5.1.6 Contrast and Affinity 31 5.1.7 The Story Structure Graph 31 5.2 Statistics 32 5.2.1 Visual Statistics 32 5.3 External factors 32 5.3.1 Music 32 5.3.2 Marketing 32 6 Conclusions 33 7 References 34 8 Appendices 35 3 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction Visual principles are used in all walks of media related imagery. In this research the causation and or correlation of visual principles in produced commercially successful media will be presented, analyzed and discussed. The result of the analysis will then discuss that using proven visual principles enhance in game created media. 1.2 Background Visual principles are an artform developed since the beginning of sovereign thought, in order to ascertain a way to grab a human’s attention in a visual presentation. As humanity has evolved so has our understanding of visual principles. In game trailers have existed since the beginning of gaming itself. In the beginning trailers were simply made to show exactly what the game was and what it presents. There were no fancy effects or visual additions to these trailers as the market and the medium was still underdeveloped. But with a rise of in game ingenuity and increasingly powerful hardware and software, in game trailers have started adopting more visual principles from other older sources of media, such as film or comics. In order to appeal to certain audiences and convince consumers to buy the games from a trailer pitch perspective. But what have the visual direction of today's trailers come to? That is what this research is planning to find out. 1.3 Problem Description The problems and questions this research aim to challenge are: How are visual principles used in modern game trailers? What does the resulting information tell us about the visual principles? By interacting with these questions and questioning their validity, this research aims to answer the question of how valued visual principles are to modern game trailers. 4 1.4 Scope The goal of this research is to find visual principles in modern game trailers and analyze how they are used. This includes the amount of visual principles the analyzed trailers use, and how well they can be used. Five visual principles will be researched and presented, Using those principles two selected trailers will be analyzed shot by shot in order to determine a result. Afterwards the result will be discussed and analyzed of whether the results has answered the questions stated in 1.3. 1.5 Limitations For this research only a set number of visual principles are planned to be used. And only two game trailers will be compared. 5 2 Theory 2.1 Analysis Theory Visual principles is a way of enhancing a visual spectacle. By using queues and colors the producer can direct the attention of onlookers to see and feel what the producers want the a consumer to see. It is necessary to know all of these principles in order to fully analyze a produced piece of media. In order to interact with this theory, the research will analyze the use of visual principles in commercially successful trailers in order to collect enough data to discuss the use of visual principles in in game trailers. 2.2 Visual Principles The principles that are going to be in focus in this research are the rule of thirds, Lines and shapes, Lighting, Color and Rhythm. 2.2.1 Rule of thirds The most common way of visual storytelling is by using lines and shapes to divide the frame into smaller shapes using surface divisions. And the most common of these surface divisions is the rule of thirds. “There are several ways to divide the frame: halves, thirds, grids, square on a rectangle, and the golden section.”1 Rule of thirds is the practice of dividing a screen of frame in to three different parts, both horizontally and vertically. This creates a number of so called crosses where humans are most likely to focus their attention on when looking at a screen. 1 Bruce Block (2013) “The Visual Story” 2nd edition. P.66 6 Figure 2.2.1 A photo showing where to place objects of focus by following the rule of thirds. Using this principle implies placing important focus points on the crosses of the lines. As well as helping the onlooker by containing the action inside the different squares created by the lines on the screen. 2.2.2 Lines and Shape Shape theory is very prevalent in story telling purposes. This simple way of blocking in the action with lines, squares, circles and triangles, transfers symbolism into a visual principle. For example, characters forming a triangle with their sightlines usually symbolizes something otherworldly or godly. Square symbolism enhances stale and robotic symbolism. While circles symbolize almost everything that is the opposite of stale and an encompassing purpose. “Any object, no matter how apparently unique. Can be categorized into one of the three basic shapes.”2 Shapes are mostly used in designs pertaining to their respected symbolism such as the shape of different cars or people. But the same theories can also be used in invisible lines between objects and characters on screen connecting them further with the line and shape visual principle to tell a specific narrative. Lines as a visual principle help direct the attention of the onlooker as it can be used to draw lines or arrows towards focus points on the screen. Lines and shapes can also reinforce the business of a frame or the lack thereof by how many different lines and shapes there are in the frame at any given time. Causing the shot to give off a more stress inducing visual, or a mellow calm visual. 2 Bruce Block (2013) “The Visual Story” 2nd edition. P.109 7 2.2.3 Lighting Lighting is one of the primary ways of directing the eyes of the onlooker. Humans unconsciously direct their eyes towards light areas of the screen. This allows a screenwriter to show what they want the onlooker to see by staging the focus of the scene in light, and the unimportant aspects in darkness. Figure 2.2.2 A shot displaying how lighting can be used as a visual principle to change the story of the shot. “A white wall can be shadowed and appear dark. The wall’s brightness is now being controlled by the amount of light falling on the wall, rather than by the actual tone of the wall itself.”3 Light can also set the mood and quickly tell the consumer what they are supposed to believe is good and what they should believe is bad in certain shots.