601166 - Visual FX & Post Production

:: What Are Visual Effects? ::

Before I can decide what production piece I want to create, I need to fully understand what VFX are and how they are used in video games. Where does lighting end and visual effects begin? Likewise, do user interfaces count as visual effects?

‘VFX or Visual Effects, is the process by which digital art software is combined with traditional art to create any phenomena that are not characters or objects. VFX artists can create incredible, explosive superpowers or things as mundane as water and dust.’

Starloopstudios.com (n.d.)

The above article ‘What Software is Used to Create VFX for Games?’ by Starloopstudios.com (n.d.) discusses how VFX are used to create things like magic systems as well as in more realistic settings for things as simple as waves in a body of water. It does seem a little of a grey area where user interface ends and VFX begin, likely because common user interfaces use VFX to make them more interesting to a viewer.

:: Visual Effects in Games ::

Visual effects are used all throughout modern film, but they have also been used in video games almost since the first video games were made. Giving that final polishing touch to the worlds created by the developers. While there is no use for CGI (which often goes hand in hand with VFX) in video games, given the entire world is computer generated imagery. Almost all modern titles published include some form of visual effects no matter how simple.

So common are visual effects in games that the player often won’t notice their use. Such as damaged cars producing smoke or fire (Ref.1). This is something that a player will not praise being there but will criticize if not. Showing the standard of visual effects expected in modern game titles.

Other titles use visual effects to back up gameplay mechanics such as in ‘Frostpunk’ (11 Bit Studios, 2018). Where the player is trying to build a city while keeping a generator running in a frozen wasteland. When the generator is running the player can see steam and smoke rising from the top. However, should the player run out of coal the fire visually fades (Ref.2). This serves to emphasize the importance of the game’s objective to the player solely through the visual.

Ref.1 – Mafia 3 (2016) – VFX on the gun and car smoking and fireball.
Ref. 2 – Frostpunk (2018) – The generators fire VFX is a visual indicator of the players goal. loosing intensity when the player runs out of coal.
Ref.3 – Need for Speed: Heat. (A) – Vfx used for the august and dynamic text being shown on screen
Ref.4 – Need for Speed: Heat. (B) – Vfx making tyre smoke and sparks when the cars collide

Visual effects are used across all titles of all genres, including racing games. Above you can see exhaust flames react to the players interaction, shooting out from the exhaust when the player revs the car (Ref.4). You can also see tyre smoke when the race begins, along with sparks being created when colliding with barriers or other vehicles (Ref.3)

:: Initial Idea ::

For my assignment I need to create a short 60 second video which shows good use of visual effects. In this sequence I want to implement many different vibrant colours and experiment with visual effect techniques within unreal engine. A good approach for an easy-to-follow visual piece which can use many visual effects would be a tracking shot, which would allow the viewer to focus on a single figure that then pulls the eye through the various other visual effects on display.

A previous students work (Ref.5) is of a similar nature to the piece I intend to create. Following a single element through what appears to be various time periods throughout history. With heavy use of audio ques to add to this. I like the effect of following one central character through an environment filled with various visual effects and will try to implement something similar in my own piece.

Ref.5 – Эд К (2020). ‘VFX & Postproduction training module’ [YouTube Video]. –

Instead of moving the viewer through various historical setting however I want my piece to tell a short, contained story. There is an opening cutscene in ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ (CD Projekt, 2015), which gave me the idea of using a medieval battle as a setting. There is a wonderful visual which shows dozens of flame arrows moving over the character, with the camera following the perspective of the character (Ref.6). I think this a great shot and would love to include something similar in my own piece.

Ref.6 – CD Projekt (2015) ‘Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ –
Ref.7 – freestyle_images (n.d.) – Glowing toucan bird

I want to use a bird flying through a medieval siege as the focal point for my piece. Likely a dove, in order to symbolise piece, I think it would be a nice visual if this bird was created using visual effects similar to the one shown above (Ref.7). By using a bright vibrant colour for this central piece I will have almost complete control over the viewers eye and can direct them through the scene and other visual effects at will.

My idea is to have the viewer follow a dove, made from visual effects through a medieval siege, with an army on one side and a castle or opposing army on the other. Then I can have trebuchets flinging boulders with flame visual effects flying over the bird at intervals as well as dust. Perhaps even using magic such as lightning to add more colour to the scene.

I must try not to make the audience feel nauseous with too much camera movement while also not making the piece visibly boring. Likewise, I want to add flashes of colour with the visual effect through what will otherwise be a fairly dull background but must be careful not to just throw visual noise at the viewer.

:: References ::

11 Bit Studios (2018). ‘Frostpunk’. [Video Game]. Available online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/323190/Frostpunk/ [Accessed 06/10/2022]

2K Games (2016). ‘Mafia 3’. [Video Game]. Available online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/360430/Mafia_III_Definitive_Edition/ [Accessed 06/10/2022]

EA Gothenburg (2019). ‘Need for Speed Heat’ [Video Game]. Available online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222680/Need_for_Speed_Heat/ [Accessed 06/10/2022]

Freestlye_images (n.d.) ‘Toucan, Glowing Abstract Bird Flying Through Particles, Fantasy 3D Animation’. [Online Artwork]. Available online: https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/85522743-toucan-glowing-abstract-bird-flying-through-particles-fantas [Accessed 06/10/2022]

Starloopstudios.com (n.d.). ‘What Software is Used to Create VFX for Games?‘. [Online Article]. Available online: https://starloopstudios.com/what-software-is-used-to-create-vfx-for-games/#:~:text=What%20does%20VFX%20mean%3F,mundane%20as%20water%20and%20dust. [Accessed 04/10/2022]

Эд К (2020). ‘VFX & Postproduction training module’ [YouTube Video] Available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgmUoqZD5qE&t=15s&ab_channel=%D0%AD%D0%B4%D0%9A. [Accessed 06/10/2022]