Elevating Your Game Capture for a Compelling Trailer

The distinction between a good gameplay trailer and an award-winning one lies in exceptional capture. Crafting game trailers is a complex task that requires a team effort, creativity, and ingenuity at every stage. Having worked on trailers for games like Alan Wake Remastered, Project Zomboid, The Ascent, and PUBG, we're sharing our top tips for achieving great quality footage from any game, regardless of your expertise. Before initiating capture, it's crucial to have a solid grasp of the game mechanics and overall objective. Spend time experimenting with the game to understand its boundaries, as this will spark new ideas. Certain genres, such as simulator or strategy games, pose more challenges due to the need for a deeper understanding of the game before capture sessions can begin. For instance, strategy games involve various army units and tactics, necessitating a thorough playthrough to comprehend the gameplay. Genres with inherent complexity, like city-building simulators, are particularly challenging to capture. We once had to create a city specifically for capture, which was tricky as the city needed to function reasonably well to prevent buildings from appearing abandoned or empty on camera. Sports games also present unique challenges, requiring a thorough understanding of the sport's rules before capture to ensure the footage makes sense, which can be time-consuming. Additionally, sports games are often random and require extensive setup for a single take. When considering objectives, several questions arise: What is the key message or audience you want to reach with this trailer? Are there specific features you want to highlight? Are there any gameplay aspects you'd rather not showcase? It's vital that everyone involved in the project is clear on the strategy before production begins to ensure everyone is working towards the same objective. Each shot should have a purpose, whether it's to illustrate a mechanic, area, enemy, or weapon. Planning ahead with a shot list is essential for saving time and maintaining focus. Game capture is more than just demonstrating gameplay; it's a craft that demands creative knowledge of cinematography and choreography. Being aware of composition, lighting, pacing, and leading the eye is crucial, as is maintaining consistent continuity. For those looking to get into game capture, our advice is to plan your shots beforehand and have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve before recording. Learning about film theory and what makes a shot look good is also vital. Watching numerous trailers is an excellent way to learn and understand what works. The tools you use are also crucial in achieving the right capture. For game capture, there are many free tools available, such as OBS, which offer great quality options. On the editing side, Final Cut, Adobe, or DaVinci are excellent programs to start with. Ensure camera movements are as smooth as possible; if using a mouse and keyboard is too jittery, consider using a gamepad. Smooth camera movements take practice and patience to master. If possible, adding camera ease or damping can be incredibly helpful in making the final result look cinematic and well-made. Game capture sometimes involves working with pre-release game builds, which can be challenging due to bugs and glitches. It's essential to ensure that what's seen in the frame is in a finished state and not a work in progress. Capturing as much B-roll footage as possible can be incredibly useful, allowing the editor to work with multiple angles and takes. When experimenting with the game, occasionally start a random recording to bolster the amount of footage available. Even if the footage is unusable, it can spark new ideas or serve as a placeholder for a more refined idea later in the edit. With the abundance of online resources available, there's never been a better time to invest in yourself and have your work seen globally. You can start capturing with just a PC and a free tool like OBS. Watch numerous game trailers to understand how they work, then record shots in your favorite games. Many games offer freecam or no HUD options, providing excellent opportunities to get creative.