Bellular Gaming | Motion Graphics, Sound Design
An intro for Bellular Gaming to use for videos covering Square Enix’s MMO, Final Fantasy XIV.
Moodboard
Since I was familiar with Final Fantasy XIV, I suggested a number of concepts that would fit directly with the artstyle. We decided on a look that would be similar to the title cards seen in-game when the player starts a new expansion or enters a dungeon.
The expansion opening title reveal during an in-game cutscene.
An example of the dungeon introduction title sequence.
Game Capture
While I considered using third party software to modify the camera, it is frowned upon and I didn’t want to risk a suspension. I instead opted to record a section of a cutscene that would offer a more dynamic use of the camera than the player camera. The game has been modified client side with upscaled textures and a G-Shade (ReShade) hook that improves lighting.
Using the in-game cutscene viewer to browse and select a particular cutscene to record with OBS.
Cutscene playback; the UI was disabled to simplify use of the footage.
A still from the clip I extracted for use.
Development Process
With the aforementioned footage verified, I began the project in earnest.
The logo was designed within After Effects using Text and Shape layers.
I used the ‘Inner Glow’ layer style to create a depth map.
CC Glass was used on the footage and the alpha channel lifted from the logo in order to create a faux-3D look.
Trapcode Particular was used to add additional effects like fake dust particles moving with the scene.
Dirt impact for when the ‘Gaming’ text comes in.
Sparkles for when the logo completes.
The last stage visually was to colour correct and add post-processing effects using Magic Bullet Looks. I elected for a warm colour palette and added noise, chromatic aberration, and anamorphic flare.
Finally for sound I imported sound effects and automated gain and pan.