How To... Make Standalone Shorts for Mobile Games

Brands don’t evolve and shift into new sectors overnight. There is a decisive, strategic process that leads to the kinds of dramatic shifts that have seen Netflix transform from a DVD rental company to an Academy Award-winning entertainment giant.

With its Best Fiends franchise, mobile gaming company Seriously is steadily expanding the breadth of its expertise in similar fashion and making moves into the entertainment space - starting with a series of Hollywood-level animated shorts. 

While mobile games have a basis of story and character at their core, there is a great deal of groundwork required to elevate it beyond its app gamification and into the video world. From day one, we were looking at the big picture, laying the design and conceptual foundation to create a series of animated shorts that would pave the way for longer form entertainment. This is when we started asking broad questions. Who are these characters outside of the 2D world of the game? How do they move in 3D? What are their personalities like? In CG, there is a unique freedom to create the most amazing and fantastical worlds, allowing creators to truly dig into the story and build scenarios where standard laws of nature do not apply.

STEP 1: 2D TO 3D TRANSFORMATION 

One of the first things that we had to do was to translate the simple 2D character designs and worlds into 3D, adding layers of complexity and detail not required in 2D. We had to really examine if our designs would work with every camera angle and also if they would accurately represent and elevate the established aesthetic that players have become accustomed to in the game. What may land and result in a laugh in a 2D environment can very well quite literally turn into the most unfortunate comedy of errors in 3D. 

To convert character designs into a 3D world where they would need to perform, we had to really delve into how best to bring them to life. For example, we knew right away that the slug characters would lend themselves to great physical comedy, delivering a spark of energy with a Tom & Jerry cartoon slapstick style.

STEP 2: CREATE THE SHOW 'BIBLE' 

While there were some existing storylines, there was very little information about the rules of their world and what made up the characters’ personalities and mannerisms. This led us to create the 'Best Fiends World Bible'. 

We worked closely with the Seriously team to define the intricate details of the character designs, and establish lasting frameworks for how each one of them moved, emoted, spoke and interacted with other characters. In live action where you are working with actors, they are able to embody a character and give it their own spin, but in animation, we are pulling the puppet strings and laying the groundwork for streamlined character physicalities, facial expressions, mannerisms and personalities that will eventually become recognizable character traits. While this in-depth process required a great deal of time and creative exploration up front, the resulting framework has provided us with lasting guidelines that we can apply to all of our short films and further on into longer-form entertainment content.

STEP 3: SCRIPT ANALYSIS (AND RE-ANALYSIS) 

After we’ve established the rules of the environments and how the characters function within this world, the team dives into the script. As the director, I make sure that the script will fit within the four-five minute timeframe as well as ensure that the penned action will effectively translate to the screen through animation. I also look for a balance of establishing the characters to appeal to new players and viewers with the lighthearted comedy and in-jokes that will resonate with diehard fans. Through my years in animation, I’ve developed a shorthand with the timing of comedy in animation. I can read a gag in a script and know right away if it will work or not, or if it will need to be modified or scrapped altogether. While there is still much to be gleaned from the unexpected, in animated comedy, simple is still often the best choice for consistent laughs.

STEP 4: WHO AM I? CHARACTER PERSONALITY 

Next up is defining each character’s personality, which allows us to build upon the framework of how they are represented in the animations. For example, for the butterfly JoJo, we wanted to portray her as a refined girl that would transform into a warrior in moments of challenge. To augment this through animation, we designed the texture of her wings to transform to coincide with her mood and personality shifts. For the scorpion Gordon, who maintains a small, but sturdy frame, we chose to personify this with a New Yorker persona, complete with an accent and movements of a puffed-up runt that moves like a giant. 

STEP 5: PRODUCTION (WITH LESS CRAFT SERVICES) 

Once character personalities are established and the script is in place, it’s time to get started with the production process, which is similar to that of live action, just with different components. The hours are still often just as crazy, but more so fall into the late-night animation coma, rather than the 5am call time arena. 

Outside of the animation production process, we also work on the voice recording with the actors. Throughout this process, actors use the 2D storyboard designs as a reference point to help them arrive at the right timing. As the director, I also help guide them in order to stay aligned with character personalities and land at the appropriate timing for the action at hand.

STEP 6: DELIVER, REST AND REPEAT 

Finally, render is where all of the elements comes together to create the end product, which we ensure views well on all screens, which includes the mobile devices where the games’ fans are already interacting with the franchise and the YouTube channel where new fans have the opportunity to discover the franchise for the first time. All told, the process takes three-four months, from script to final delivery. Is it branded entertainment? Of course, because the Best Fiends franchise is in itself a brand, but it blurs the line between gaming, entertainment and advertising.