An art director is the person in a game production pipeline that gives birth to the visions created on paper by the game designer. They are the person who is in charge of the overall look of the game. They work closely with the game designer in bringing the vision of the game to life. The look of the world is very important therefore the Art director’s role is a very big responsibility. They must work with a diverse team of other artists, overseeing their work and communicating closely with them so that the game may be developed in the atmosphere the game is to be set. Art direction for games is an extremely crucial part of their development. Everything from the environment to the characters must be thought and planned out. They must be designed precisely to fit in with the design document, which puts a lot of pressure on the artist, especially if the game designer doesn't allow room for maneuver. Certain levels have to have certain moods, and these can be created by carefully deciding on things like colors lighting, sounds, textures etc. Will it be a scary moment in the game? What can we do to make the player feel scared? Make it dark; make odd shapes and colors stand out in specific ways to lead their attention. Everything must be thought of and carefully tweaked to get the desired aesthetics of the game.
Art direction in games and films are quite similar. For example, the environments can be designed for a specific purpose, for enhancing the story or setting the stage for a particular event.
'Fallout 3' vs 'I am legend'
One difference between them however, is the amount of control the art directors have on the viewers point of view. In films, you can control everything, if you want them to look at a certain building, and make the building look important by changing the camera angle, you can do this in a film. You lead the audience where ever you want, and they have only to watch. Also, there is technically less thinking involved when watching a film. In games however, the art director has to think about how the world is viewed from almost every angle. Of course, some games can have fixed camera angles, Resident Evil for example, which holds traits in films, fixing the camera in clever ways that make rooms look bigger, and corridors more imposing. In games the main difference is that the player has a little more freedom to see what they want to see. Therefore, the art director has to make sure that the mood and settings within the world stay the same no matter where the viewer is looking. Obviously in different areas, it can change for effect.
To be an art director, I think the key skills are communication, leadership, organisational skills. Also, the ability to evaluate others work, and give constructive criticism. I think they would be important since being the art director, you will be leading the other artists, communicating and collaborating with them to achieve the overall goal. I think you would have to have these skills, and have a strong team management skill to bestow to the project, respecting each of those on the team, and working together in an organised manner. Personally I think my communication skills may need to be developed a little further, as i am not confident at pitching ideas or presenting to a crowd. I am working on those skills at the minute. I do have good organisational skills, and I think I would be able to confidently set up tasks and deadlines for each person involved in the production team.
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