Article below is a translated version of Takeshita-san (Lead artist of Storm series)'s blog post.
He's talking about how he makes Ultimate Jutsu cutscenes.Enjoy!
Link to Original :
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Japanese release date is only one-day away!
Hello everyone, I'm Isao TAKESHITA, a lead artist of the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series.
In NUNS Generations, I directed Ultimate Jutsu scenes and the opening movie.
Today I would like to talk about how how we made these cutscenes (such as Ougi or Ultimate Jutsu).
Here I will describe how I make a cutscene from start to finish and explain where I put my focus on!
Here we go!
1. Overview
At first we describe an Ultimate Jutsu in text. What does he/she do? how? etc.
During this phase, there are three rules that we always stick to.
An ultimate jutsu cutscene must :
Be true to the character's nature
Convey a great action feel in the short period of time
Have at least one undoubtable "Wow" feel
In addition to that, I personally have "golden rules" :
"Use the original manga/anime cuts as much as possible!"
At this stage, I write down specific information such as "From the upper left frame of the page <number>, volume <number>." to ensure the impressive scene will be in the game.</number></number>
I strongly believe every single Naruto fan wants to see cool cuts from the original!
2. Storyboard
This is a draft design of the cutscene.
Here, I decide camera angles and compositions.
Delete all unnecessary cuts!
In order to maximize the impact of the Ultimate Jutsu, I delete all unnecessary cuts.
There's no time for fillers to be in!
If you hide one of the frames in the storyboard and the whole scene still makes sence, which means the hidden cut is "unnecessary", so I delete it.
Then I add cuts that generate the "wow" feel.
Make the flow easy-to-understand
The imaginary line between two characters is always in frame, unless it is definitely necessary.
(example of exceptions: To emphasize a drastic change to situation etc)
So when I cross the imaginary line, it is always intentional.
3. Draft version
Here we build the cutscene without much details, just to check the flow of the scene.
Many Japanese companies call this process "Animatics"
The most important aspect here is "Trial & Error".
I usually have the draft checked by a lot of staff members and adjust it until everything flows smoothly.
*Link to a video
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My golden rules:
Determine the rhythm of the whole cutscene
Examine the rhythm the ensure it is "enchantedly flowing".
As a member of CC2, an anime-loving company, I very much appreciate the importance of accentuating the highlight part.
Just like music, a song without modulation would be totally boring.
4. Production!
We add details, (hair movement, facial expressions, and visual effects etc.) to the cutscene at this phase.
We adjust even the slightest movement of a hair part here.
*Link to a video
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My golden rules:
ALLOW NO COMPROMISE on Facial expressions
If facial expression alone does not convey the associated emotion, I add some lines into the cut!
The ultimate goal here is to create a cut to make the players understand how the character feels by solely looking at it!
5. Adjusting/Debugging
This is where I adjust the overall coloration and atmosphere.
This task is like a counterpart of "composition" in video editing.
I also test the ultimate jutsu in various stages and/or against various characters to check if the jutsu works fine.
I literally watch one Jutsu for a few hundred times, checking frames by frames.
This takes a lot of time and concentration but it's essential!
My golden rules:
-God is in the details!
-A movement of a tiny hair part or a welter of a cloak make the whole scene better.
... Now I have briefly described my work on an Ultimate Jutsu, but of course this is not all, there are so many other aspects I pay extra attention to!
I would be really happy if you could feel my passion through watching these Ultimate Jutsus while playing!
Please enjoy!
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