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[ welcome ]
[ the game ]
[ requirements ]
[ controls ]
[ press ]
:: the team ::
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| [ about | the team | Chris Blyth ] |
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Video Sequence Design, Animation & Production
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A man destined for bright lights and a big directors chair.
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Where do you get your inspiration for the FMV sequences?
All the classic Warner Brothers and Hanna Barbara cartoons, especially Road
Runner.
How long does each sequence take to develop?
Typically 3-4 weeks with post production. It took quite a while to get a Worm
character fully articulated and working perfectly before the animation could
begin.
Did you develop the FMV style from that of the game?
Yeah, the big problem with the first game was pure consistency, we had
different worms on the box, in the game and on the logo! With Worms2, it's the
same character throughout (although marketing has beefed up the box Worms a
bit!)with the FMV worms being instantly recognisable. I'v e also strived to make
the cartoon style as similar as possible.
How do the FMV sequences differ from the original Worms ones?
They have a complete new look and style, like the game. The quality of
animation is far better and it all looks very cartoony, we were determined to
make the graphics look typically non-rendered and used cartoon-shading to try
and achieve that.
What packages do you use?
Lightwave 5.0, PhotoShop, Image F/X and Premiere for cutting the scenes
together.
What hardware do you use?
A combination of a 500Mhz Dec Alpha for modelling and rendering a, P150/64Mb
PC with Perception video system for doing my editing, and I add all the sound
FX in Premier. I've also got other various niceties scattered around the
place.
Do you use any special techniques?
Lightwaves cartoon 'cel' shading and a variety of special 'plug-ins' provide
the subtle enhancements to the imagery. We have continued to use the 'Zen /
Whobrie facet-planing' technique, we initially used it on `X2` but its a lot
easier now with the DEC Alpha. The overall idea though is to make the
sequences amusing and cartoon-like, rather than any overwhelming desire to
stun with incredible visuals. Making incredible visuals isn't easy, but making
a cartoon sequence that 99% of people will enjoy, is a lot harder!
Any advice for people wanting to get a job designing sequences?
They don't have to be a good conceptual artist, but it helps to clearly get
your ideas over before deciding which ideas to actually animate. More
importantly they MUST have ideas and the abilitiy to get the message and
perhaps 'gag' across in the most effective period of time. For sequences such
as these, timing is especially crucial and I find that people usually have it
or they don't.
Which FMV sequences do you admire?
Too many to name any individual ones, but when you consider the
hardware/software being used and the general level of talent out there being
used these days, its not so surprising. The quality & design of intro's now is
staggering. However, there are some examples of fantastic rendering, lighting
etc but very poor animation.
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| [ about | the team ] |
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Team17 would like to extend their thanks to all who played a big part in Worms2 and the success of the
original game, not least the thousands that gave us much valued feedback on our web-site.
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| Producer |
[ Martyn Brown ]
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| Development |
Craig Jones
Paul Kilburn
Paul Sharp
Espen Lyngaas
David Watson
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| Artists |
[ Danny Cartwright ]
Animation, Graphic Design & Additional Background Art
[ Rico Holmes ]
Lead Background Artist
[ Cris Blyth ]
Video Sequence Design, Animation & Production
[ Rory Little ]
Modelling Support
[ Mark Taylor ]
Modelling Support
Paul Robinson
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| Programmers |
[ Karl Morton ]
Game Code Design & Lead Programming
[ Colin Surridge ]
Menu System & Network GUI Design
[ Phil Carlisle ]
Network & Additional Programming
Rob Hill
Martin Randall
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| Sound and Music |
Bjorn Lynne
Allister Brimble
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| Web Design |
Paul James
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| Quality Assurance |
Paul Field
Paul Dunstan
Kelvin Aston
John Eggett
Mark Baldwin
Grant Towell
Andy Aveyard
Guy Palmer
Emma Aspinall
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| Original Concept |
[ Andy Davidson ]
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