BETTER, FASTER, SMARTER, WITCHER. PRODUCTION TIPS FROM "THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT - HEARTS OF STONE”STAN JUSTPRODUCER

1. Gathering data 2. Identifying improvements

opportunities3. Designing improvements4. Executing on the design5. Control your est. landing dates6. Examples 7. Examples8. Examples

AGENDA

Gather the data

Analyse the data

ID improvement opportunities

Design improvements

Execute on the design

Control est. landing date

GOAL IS TO IMPROVE!

PRODUCTIONIMPROVEMENT

QUALITY SCOPE TIME COST EMPLOYEESATISFACTION

GATHER THE DATA

PERFORMANCE DATA

1. Do it for the closure2. Pick only FEW most important

points3. Remember about them!

POSTMORTEMS

OBSERVATION

QUESTIONS

Wrong Better

„Is it possible to…”„Would it be hard…”„Could we…”

„How much time would it require to…” [multiply answer by x2/x3 depending on a person]

„Is it done/finished?”„Is it ready?”

„When could I review this together with Game Director?”

„What will you be doing tomorrow?”

„When can we schedule a review of this?”

IDENTIFY IMPROVEMENTS OPPORTUNITIES

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED FOR THAT FEATURE?

WHEN WE WILL HAVE A FINISHED, SHIPPABLE VERSION OF THAT FEATURE

IN THE GAME?

ABOUT 3 DAYS.

IN 3 MONTHS.

ILUSTRATINGPROCESSES

Waiting for a script

Waiting for a draft

Draft WIP

Waiting for draft review Waiting for alpha

Alpha WIP

Waiting for alpha review

Waiting for beta Beta WIP

Waiting for beta review

Debugging/Polishing WIP

Approved/Closed

5 MD

5 MD

0,5 MD

1 MD 20 MD

1 MD

1 MD

30 MD 1 MD

1 MD

1 MD

0 MD

ILUSTRATINGPROCESSES

74%

19%

4% 4%

Process time distribution

Waiting to proceed with another stepStep WIPWaiting for a review Review, debug/polish, other

Blocked by other dept.

72%

Waiting for an artist28%

1. Pipeline optimisation2. Communication across

departments 3. Cross-departmental dependencies 4. Process automation 5. Tools upgrade

PROCESSIMPROVEMENTSOPPORTUNITIES

DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS

DESIGNIMPROVEMENTS

Problem Reason Need Methods

Animators are often blocked while waiting on proper monster models

Character artists first priority are the main characters for the game pushing monsters further down the line

Change the priorities to prepare monsters first

1. Convinve stakeholders that they don’t need main characters so urgently

2. Create proxy / placeholders models first

DESIGNIMPROVEMENTS

Problem Reason Need Methods

Reviews are forcing many cutscenes to be reworked or significantly altered even after mocap sessions

Scenes haven’t been properly reviewed before mocap sessions and right after it

More reviews on every step of the process

1. Create an animatic step between scenarios and mocap*

2. Review animatics and early integrations in the game not in Motion Builder

3. Use placeholders when possible (for props and VO!)4. Use automatic notifications to minimize slack

between stages and streamline communication

*Absence of storyboard step is intentional

DESIGNIMPROVEMENTS

Problem Reason Need Method

Dialogue sequences require a lot of adjustments throughout production

Multiple changes in locations, characters, props, anims, VOs, quest

Control, minimize, anticipate and plan for changes

1. Integrate uncleaned anims right from mocap2. Record placeholder VO’s and try to keep

timing3. Design VO postprocessing early4. Use automatic notifications about progres5. Request and integrate placeholder props

early6. Include larger buffers

*Placeholder VO recordings required a feature

EXECUTE ON THE DESIGN

EXAMPLESEXAMPLESEXAMPLES

MONSTERS INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKFLOW

Waiting for a quest request

Brief WIP

Waiting for a brief review

Waiting for a concept

Concept WIP Waiting for a concept review

Waiting for a model

Model WIP

Waiting for a model review

Model debugging

Waiting for final anim

pass*

Final anim pass WIP

Waiting for final anim pass

review

Anim debugging

Waiting for final VFX pass*

Final VFX pass WIP

Final VFX pass review

Waiting for final SFX pass*

Final SFX pass WIP

Waiting for final SFX pass

review

Performance optimisation

Closed / Approved

*Previous steps done before

PROCESSIMPROVEMENTEXAMPLES

Project Process change Consequences

W3 base game

Priority on main characters; quest items last

Animators don’t have models delivered on time and need to adjust gmpl animations and scenes later on

HoS expansion

Priority on monsters than main characters; quest items last

Animators start with a model already done (or at least high-poly) but cinematics still adjust scenes to final models

BaW expansion

Priority on monsters than quest items placeholders, than main characters

*Animators start with already done model and cinematics don’t need to do any further adjustments when final item/prop is delivered

MONSTERS INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKFLOW

CUTSCENES WORKFLOW

Waiting for a script

Waiting for an animatic

Animatic WIP

Waiting for animatic review

Waiting for alpha/integration

Alpha/integration WIP

Waiting for alpha/integration

review

Waiting for beta Beta WIP

Waiting for beta review

Waiting for facial animation

Facial animation WIP

Waiting for facial animation review

Debugging/Polishing WIP

Approved/Closed

PROCESSIMPROVEMENTEXAMPLES

Project Process change Consequences

W3 base game

Infrequent storyboards; no placeholders

Saved time on placeholders but lost more time because of changes done later in the process

HoS expansion

Essential animatics implemented in the game but without placeholders

Saved time on early reviews of animatics but lost some time on adaptation to final assets

BaW expansion

Essential in-engine animatics + integration requires placeholders

*Time saving on early reviews & on adaptation to final assets thanks to placeholders

CUTSCENES WORKFLOW

DIALOGUES WORKFLOW

Waiting for a script

Waiting for a draft

Draft WIP

Waiting for draft review Waiting for alpha

Alpha WIP

Waiting for alpha review

Waiting for beta Beta WIP

Waiting for beta review

Debugging/Polishing WIP

Approved/Closed

PROCESSIMPROVEMENTEXAMPLESProject Process change Consequences

W3 base game

Dialogue scenes adjusted significantly after animation and VO’s are recorded – very late in the procesWorking on any dialogue which is written

Lost of time because of anim + VO adjustmentScene change after assets are deliveredLocation changes forced a lot of adjustments

HoS expansion

Doubling the amount of people working on animations to deliver them earlierWorking on scenes which are ready from story and location side (adjusting blockout with quest designer)

Amount of custom anims caused same lost of time because of anims + VO adjustmentScene change after assets are deliveredLocation changes were not so often

BaW expansion

Implementation of raw anims (without cleaning)Implementation of placeholder VO’s Better mocap data quality (new cameras)Location blockouts adjusted by quest + scene teamNew PMS notifies us about any change instantly

Dialogues require less adjustments later in the processAnimation require less cleaningLocation changes are not so often and we know about them instantly

DIALOGUES WORKFLOW

CONTROL YOUR LANDING DATE

„BACKLOGCREATION

Geralt goes to a small fort where Olgierd resides. There, the witcher accepts a contract to kill a monstrous creature that lives and kills in the Oxenfurt sewers. After reaching his destination, Geralt runs into Shani, who is currently looking for a medicinal substance in the sewers.

Location | 22 MD

Secondary character | 28 MD8x custom bandit | 16 MDP1 dialogue | 7

MD

Custom creature | 35 MD

Custom bossfight | 80 MD

Level design | 8 MD

Secondary character | 28 MD

P2 cutscene | 11 MD

BACKLOGCREATION

Location | 22 MD

Secondary character | 28 MD8x custom bandit | 16 MD

P1 dialogue | 7 MD

Custom creature | 35 MD

Custom bossfight | 80 MD

Level design | 8 MD

Secondary character | 28 MD

P2 cutscene | 11 MDCINEMATICS | 18 MD

ENVIRONMENT | 30 MD

CHARACTERS | 107 MD

GAMEPLAY | 27 MD

ANIMATIONS | 53 MD

Buffered workload

Estimated absences

Amount of people available during the project

Estimated LANDING

DATE

LANDINGDATES

Department Landing DateEnvironment 13/02/2016Characters 24/02/2016Gameplay 15/01/2016Animations 28/01/2016Cinematics 15/04/2016!

Requires mitigation!

LANDINGDATES

Characters 13/03/2016!

Item name Initial Estimate [MD]

Remaining Estimate [MD]

Actual Cost [MD]

P1 dialogue 5 0 12P2 cutscene 10 9 1P5 dialogue 2 0 4P5 dialogue B 2 0 1P5 dialogue C 2 2 0P5 dialogue D 2 2 0P4 dialogue 3 3 0

Daily update!

Requires mitigation!

RESULTS

6 MLN COPIES SOLD IN 6 WEEKS

T H A N K YOU