Unit 1 - Pre-production

Unit 1

What is pre-production?

Pre-production is the preparation of the product e.g. research, finance, time and locations.

 

Finance and Time

Finance is the most important aspect of creating a game because if you do not already have the resources needed you will have to pay quite a lot as game making software is not cheap. You can have several sources of finance such as private investors and distributors. You can link finance and time together because if you get your finance from a distributors they will give you a dead line.

The newly released game Destiny cost $140 million to cover Bungie’s development and limited marketing efforts

Personnel

With popular games you will need more personnel to work on different parts of the game, such as script writers, graphic designers and sound creators. Personnel can also link to finance as you have to make a budget on what you’re going to pay the personnel to make the game.

Facilities

Facilities automatically have to link with finance as you may have to pay for the computer to make the game and the software. You also may have to pay for a room if you do not have enough room somewhere else or do not have one.

Materials

A material in a product is the necessary parts that make up the product, e.g. a sound library, script and animatics.

 Contributors

Contributors are a very important role make a game, film or TV show. If you do not have any money to afford personnel or facilities you may get an anonymous contributor or you may have another company contribute to your product.

Locations

Location is very important in film and TV as you may have to book a specific area to shoot it. This also then links to finance as you might have to rent a room or area to shoot your footage.

Codes of practice and regular

It is very important that you understand the codes of practice, rules and regulation, trademarks, ethics and copyright when in pre-production. The codes of practice and regulation is the most important factor of pre-production because if you do not fully understand it and you take a character out of another game that has a copyright, then the company has a right to sue. So it is best to follow the codes of practice and regulation so you can stay out of legal trouble.

Regular bodies:

Ofcom – (Office of Communications) the communications regulator in the UK. Ofcom make sure that people in the UK are getting the best from their communications services and are protected from scams.

ASA – (Advertising Standards Authority) Independent regulator of all media advertisement. ASA deal with complaints and proactively checking media to make sure is no misleading, harmful or offensive adverts.

PEGI – (Pan European Game Information) PEGI is an age rating system that helps parents make decisions on buying computer games. E.g. PEGI 18. PEGI is used throughout Europe, in 30 countries.

ESRB – (Entertainment Software Rating Board) the ESRB is just like PEGI as it also rates video game to help parents make decision on buying a game.

TIGA – (The Independent Games Developers’ Association) trade association representing business and commercial interests of some video and computer game developers.

ELSPA – (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association) ELSPA was responsible for introducing age rating to games in the UK. It was the first age rating system for any entertainment medium in the UK.

BIMA – (British Interactive Media Association) based in the UK and exist to do four things:

·         Support and promote the British digital industry

·         Share knowledge and best practice

·         Reward great work

·         Encourage the next generation