Devlog: Cutscenes

Hello! I’m Zach Alff, and I’m a programmer for Club Crash. I’ve been working on adding some fun and cinematic polish to the game! In this blog post I will be discussing my work on the cutscenes for Club Crash that help elevate the gameplay experience and show off the work of our talented team.

I started my work in this area back in October. For a prototype level intro sequence, I created a cutscene that focused on several points in a map, accompanied by camera shake to mimic a handheld camera. The camera shakes worked to build a diegetic feeling that helps to engage the player with the world that we have built. Additionally, I added a fun twist to the end that had the camera fall on its side, a comedic addition that adds some life and humor to the cutscene. This sequence would be one that I would reference throughout the rest of my work on cinematics for Club Crash. 

Once beyond the prototyping phase, I began implementing the level intro sequences that made it into the final game. A key design goal was to add character to the start of each match and show off the levels designed and brought to life by our artists. The final implementations of these intro sequences use the Unreal Engine level sequence system, consisting of several cinematic cameras that are animated using systems with real world analogues, like cameras on rails and crane rigs. Through the use of these, I was able to create some concise and appealing cinematics. 

Another cutscene I worked on is our credits sequence.  For this, I used a camera on a rail navigating through the street on our level, with names fading in and out, to create a visually interesting way of crediting everyone who made Club Crash possible. I hope you’ll give it a watch!

Working on this game has taught me a lot about the process of using Unreal Engine and its cinematic systems. I was able to develop several types of cutscenes that each make the game feel a lot more polished and professional, and I’m proud of that work. I hope you’ll enjoy my cutscenes as you play our game!