Great video! I've been thinking about this recently, since I almost always skip ahead in game trailers to see gameplay. If the gameplay looks somewhat interesting to me, I often jump back to the beginning of the trailer to watch the whole thing. If some of that gameplay footage was right at the beginning (no logos, or anything, before that), I might not skip at all. Which is why I'll probably end up adding a couple of gameplay shots to the very start of my own trailers (when our games are at the point of needing trailers).
I loved your explanation here because you didn't just say "don't ever do this" but actually explained the reasoning behind it, explored case studies that made these intros more appealing without changing the core idea behind the trailers, and showed the cases where it is and isn't okay to edit that way. That's the kind of stuff that helps a lot more than just listing out rules because it makes us really think about what's applicable for our individual projects and how we can consider audience retention without altering the vision; in a way it's like regular game dev too haha I'm definitely going to remember these tips as I start planning out trailers for my new game! Thanks :D
Of course its also brand awareness and expectation that factor in how long a slow intro would keep players. A random new Indy game has much less time to impress and keep the player watching than an announcement trailer for a Half Life 3.
@@DerekLieu I was going to bring up MMO expansion packs. The players know the game they just want to see where they're going next but games with large fan bases pretty much covers it.
I think having these shots anywhere in the trailer is a pretty good indication the game won't be a kind I'll enjoy. First of all, my computer is a potatoe not meant for gaming so I probably won't be able to play games where such shots are impressive in the first place. Second of all, I like games that focus on gameplay over visuals or story, so these shots don't show much that really interests me.
I wonder what your thoughts are on Crimson Desert..Not only is it flooded with nature shots, but it's packed with so much for 5 minutes! It's practically bloated!
Games with very high fidelity graphics can get away with this a bit more because people like shiny graphics, but it will only take you so far before they want to see the gameplay.
@@DerekLieu Really, I felt like the trailer needed to be trimmed down a great deal. It showed a lot of combat, but a lot of it was the same combat. Have only a few combat shots, GREATLY reduce the amount of nature shots, and focus more on the variety of moments the game has like it showed in the last third. I'll be honest, I was immediately uninterested in the trailer until the combat and story showed, as despite the pretty graphics, the actual locations weren't anything special or new to me.
@@ianmitchell5979 Yeah I'm pretty much the same way. I'm sure the artists spend a ton of time and energy making those environments looks so gorgeous, but the bar is set so high for game graphics. Unfortunately, fidelity of graphics it's not quite enough of a differentiator (art direction is becoming far more important), and it will still always come down to what the gameplay is!
I'm so glad I'm not alone disliking trailers with intros avoiding gameplay with filler logos and what have you. Leave logos for the end, leave narrating for later at less is presented with gameplay. After all gameplay is the most important aspect of a videogame anyway, if you as a developer can't trust gameplay footage to the forefront of a trailer then what does that say?
I don’t think most people do it because the gameplay wouldn’t look good at the front, and I’m okay with slow intros if they’re done well and in the right context, but I feel most are done this way because of assumptions of what trailers should do or typically do.
I think the slow trailers are based on ones like Botw that had a minute of environment shots before having any gameplay. Maybe because it's live and we can't skip that BOTW's works?
I think it goes all the way back to other games or even movie trailers. Most likely just copying AAA which doesn't work for indies who just aren't working at that same level of production quality (though even AAA could ease off of this approach too). Also, there's the desire to ease in the audience to the exciting stuff which I totally get, but it has to be a well considered choice/risk.
@@DerekLieu I wonder if having a slow intro isn't bad if we all inherently skip ahead anyway? I seem to catch myself skipping ahead even on trailers that start on action, often I end up watching only if there is a story told through out it that I feel like I am missing.
I agree on skipping. I also skip youtube videos of no matter what because I hate full one minute videos. Now a days there is less time to waste seeing nonesensical stuff so skipping saves time.
I personally disagree witha lot of this because gamers have a higher patience for game trailers. Games take hours to complete, I think most gamers have the patience. Also- opening with these shots are supposed to dive you-the player into the world. Getting a feel and a theme is extremely important so players know how to feel once gameplay is shown. Slow shots builds build up and tension, while gameplay is the pay off. This is where you are supposed to absorb the gameplay, with music, etc. Just like you usuallyshow the middle and best action parts and scenes in movie trailers during the “intense phase” you should show the gameplay there too. Nobody wants camera shots AFTER gameplay unless its quickly edited for narrative reasons. Just like you dont show all the action, at the start in an action movie then make the trailer slower at the middle. Anyhow, you make awesome fucking videos.
Haha, I wish I had your optimism about attention spans :P I think this sort of opening can absolutely work for all the reasons you mention, and do in many trailers I like, but the majority of the times I see it done in a way which doesn't achieve those narrative goals which is why I wanted to make this video. My main concern is people using this technique only because they see other people do it, not because they've considered the story arc of their trailer. Thanks for watching!
@@DerekLieu I see. I know a lot of trailers are certainly done in a homework way, where the will do everything that was done, but not understand why and when it should be done. I think this is a great video though for people who are unsure on how to make a trailer that is fitting, because there are so many ways to make one.
Hello, Derek. I am interested in creating trailers for games, and I would really appreciate any feedback you could give about my work. I love your videos, they are filled with great tips and techniques that I often forget.
