What do I need to know, before I start my Game or Animation Project?

Hello All,
I’m putting together a plan/budget for a project that I’m about to start and I have a lot of questions. Hoping the community might be able to help me.

I’m certain these questions have been asked before, so I apologize for the duplication. I’m hoping if we get some solid answers, maybe we can make a pin somewhere, on the forum.

Before I ask my questions, let me establish some base lines. My project is an animation. For the purpose simplification lets confine the questions to:

A 1 minute scene, with 3 characters. All three characters are talking and moving, there are, multiple camera angles, camera effects and special effects. It takes place in a well furnished room.

  • When I refer to stylized, I mean something like Star Wars: the Clone Wars
  • When I refer to medium, I mean something like Overwatch
  • When I refer to somewhat realistic-ish, I mean something like Star Wars: the Old Republic

Questions:

  • On average, how many people would it take to make this scene?

  • What are the different duties/roles for an animation project?

  • How long would it take 1 person to complete this scene, assume they were somewhat proficient in each role?
    [LIST=1]

  • Stylized:

  • Medium:

  • Realistic-ish:

  • What are the average wages for each role?

  • What tools would be needed and/or recommended to do an animated project? Any preferred brand or vendor name would be appreciated, as well.

  • What are the cost of needed tools or services?

  • What is the best way to collaborate within a team (ie…have meetings, share assets, manage assets, etc…)? What cost is associated with this and which solutions are the most secure.

  • What are the most common pitfall or obstacles? Any recommendations to reduce or overcome them would be appreciated as well.

  • Where are the best resources, for:

  • Animation Projects?

  • Hiring members or recruiting volunteers?

  • Training on any piece?

  • What do I need to know, that I did not ask.
    [/LIST]

I would like to ask about render times, but with my limited experience, I understand that there are to many variables to give average render times, but if I’m wrong, please feel free to give me average render times.

Everyone, I appreciate any help. Once I get answers, to the majority of the questions, I will put together a document and see if I can get a moderator to pin it.

Also, my questions are geared towards animation (my project) but I assume that something similar is needed for Game Development, so if you have answers for that, add them here and I’ll try to build something for the Game Development community as well.

Please, respond by giving the number you are replying to.

Example:

2: Writer, Storyboard artist, Concept Artist, Modeler (soft and hard body), Texturer, Rigger, Animator, Compositor, Composer, Voice Actors, Special Effect Artist, Editor, Director, Producer,…

5: Computer, tablet, render farm or render service, Sharable Cloud Drive,…

This is probably the wrong place to be asking your questions… :stuck_out_tongue:

The “Game Engine” subforum pertains specifically to the game engine built into Blender itself, not necessarily to “game development using Blender as a tool”. And since BGE doesn’t really support professional environments or team-based workflow, the vast majority of the community here is solo hobbyists, tinkering away on their own projects, without any experience in the world you’re trying to enter.

I’d recommend checking Unity3D’s forums, since Unity is more suited to professional development environments and team-based workflow than BGE is. You’ll get a lot more, diverse, and better answers to your questions there.

On average, how many people would it take to make this scene?
What are the different duties/roles for an animation project?

-probably enough for one professional - it all depends on the complexity of models, scenes, and in general animation (time). In addition, there is sound. And if the pro mini team - one modeler / texturiser, one animator, one audio designer, Python and shader programmer (to games). In addition, you need a team engine - a person who in general covers all the listed specialties and correctly predicts, as well as with aesthetic taste - It can also participate as an assistant to all specialties.
At the expense of time I do not undertake to count. There is a team and there is, and everything seems to be in its place, and the project bogs down and stretches like a fly in honey.

What are the average wages for each role?

  • Wages like a very decent - more than a janitor that’s for sure:yes:. Many studios (like softgants) are looking for talented people from poor countries. Wages like a very decent - more than a janitor that’s for sure:yes:. They can pay a salary of * 0.5;). The problem with the language in the first stages - the polish of the team.

What tools would be needed and/or recommended to do an animated project? Any preferred brand or vendor name would be appreciated, as well.
What are the cost of needed tools or services?

  • Well, let’s go for free software:
  • Blender3d - you know … there are no analogues. Modeling, sculpting, animation and video editing (good GE). For a professional, that’s enough.
  • GIMP + gimp-plugin-registry - textures.
  • does not hurt Inkscape - vector graphics, I personally help in some situations.
  • Audacity - is a multi-channel audio editor. Just need high-quality microphones, and keyboard sound synthesizers. For voice acting, good sounds actors are temporary hiring.
  • OS Lubuntu, without Internet connections, on workstations…

What are the cost of needed tools or services?

  • I sometimes go to online stores, and I see there are quite good workstations, even though the previous generation. To start, so as not to burn very much - and this should also be taken into account, if you do not see the future at 100% - this is enough. There are even almost new solutions, and the price is two or three times less. If you are ready to invest in new technology, then there is a possibility that it will be in such a store - for want of it :p.
    To work, in principle, enough of a good modern gaming computer - the prices themselves estimate in your countries - for a beginner studio, and then, if there is a profit, you can go to professional workstations.
    For the office you can take an old hangar / warehouse, spend a quick repair … and it will be cool … than in the city center office. I even have a project of not a large floating office/apartments, if near the sea / ocean - this is an inexpensive solution and very comfortably. There is still a rule of neutral waters - taxes. Plus its own electrician, and without other fees.
    From the office to the cabin (personal room) - one floor, for a lunch break you can swim in the ocean - a good charge for the team - work on the “Canary Islands”, with an improvised beach. For the weekend on your own inexpensive boat (solar energy) to sail to the coastal city. I myself can create such a project (solution) - I have already learned a lot (there are nuances, but they are removable). From the production of fiberglass, to solar energy, like certain aspects of shipfreight. I wrote this with intent - this is not a technical problem, but rather a financial one.
  • What is the best way to collaborate within a team (ie…have meetings, share assets, manage assets, etc…)?
    What cost is associated with this and which solutions are the most secure.
  • if people are purposeful, then from home to work, there are at least a few obstacles (distractions, as well as time). In working days, no social networks, only on weekends. Corporate parties / picnic (small) every month.

What are the most common pitfall or obstacles?

  • No unlicensed solutions - resources. No extra advertising, especially before the right time.

Where are the best resources, for:
Animation Projects?
Hiring members or recruiting volunteers?
Training on any piece?

  • resources in each studio are usually their own.
  • find talented people on the forums.
  • if a person is talented and good conditions will be created - learning new on the fly (in the process of work).

I would like to ask about render times, but with my limited experience, I understand that there are to many variables to give average render times, but if I’m wrong, please feel free to give me average render times.

  • I saw such a thing - one small studio bought a lot of integrated boards from AMD and made their own Render Farm - it’s very convenient and fun. This is a very smart decision - it all depends on the needs of the studio, then the farm can be expanded.

What do I need to know, that I did not ask.

  • try to be honest with your team as much as possible, a lie is always destructive and is the basis for disputes and discontent.

Thank you for attention.

We’ve done something similar in my company not long ago. I will answer just the wages questions ( for not rich EU country :wink: )

  • What are the average wages for each role?
  • Realistic professional animations for 3 characters with multiple camera angles for 1 min anim. - 1000-1500$ (one month) If lipsync is needed ~ 2000$-2300$
  • Scene 3d background environment + textures ~ 500$ (1 week)
  • 500$ per character model + textures (Overwatch video teesers qty) (5 days per character)
  • Voice overs+ SFX ~ 100$ (1-2 days)
  • Music ~ 20$-30$ (for 1 min loop) (1 day)
  • Screen play director - depends
  • Post-processes and additional polishing of the scene (1-2 days) 100$

P.S. 1 min of animation is not that hard to render even it is high quality on home PC for 1000$ for a week or so.

Complete scene( 1 min) - 4500$-5000$

Blizzard teasers cost ~ 2m dollars + several months of work. (if you ever wondered; you can not afford that type of quality)

Thanks guys. All good info.

I forgot to write about one more factor - hiring a job in the game studio:
Chief:

  • what games did you play, which ones did you like - describe briefly?
    future employee (all specialties):
  • Doom 1, 2, 3, 4 ©; Quake (all) ©, Half Life (all) ©, Unreal Tournament ©, Mirror`s Edge ©, GTA Vice City (San Andreas and +)©, World of Tanks (Blitz) ©, Aliens vs Predator (all) ©, Warcraft 3© … and many many, and more than once passed.

It is difficult to reinvent the wheel from the beginning… and the best experience is all old school games (top), as well as new ones. Of course - without screenshots specifically, as well as violations of copyright entirely.

Also about the animation - what did you like in cartoons (3D animation), what is not - and if not, how is it better?

The main thing is not to overdo it - do not crush mentally, that you can not do anything:spin:.

Thank you for attention.