Task - 2 Be able to prepare pre-production documentation for a specific media production

Procedures in video games
Video game production is an extensive process full of procedures financial, legal, ethical and personnel alike. Although even the best game developers and publishers can misunderstand these procedures. For example:

Atari (1972) was the main video game developer and publisher in the 70’s it capitalized on the modern arcade machine. Creating and releasing over one hundred video games, popular titles were Asteroids (1979) and Centipede (1980). The company’s movement to video game consoles might have been its downfall as company's ownership changed several times. After release of the ET. The video game (1982), plummeted the company’s success as they mass produced too many copies of the game which was poorly felt by critics and gamers. Losing millions each year a final console in 2008 was released, the companies last hope of success failed, and in 2013 Atari filed for bankruptcy protection. Overall the company investing in the video game consoles market brought pressure on its personnel, treating them badly as they couldn’t keep up with competitors. The developers retired or left to join other companies. Atari now makes online casino games.

Howard Scott Warshaw is the developer who made ET. The video game. Howard was offered £200,000 US dollars as well as a all expenses paid holiday to Hawaii. Howard had just under two weeks to make the game so its release could match the film for Christmas. Howard was ailed and pressured by the Atari publishers although a very talented programmer at the time but on the games release it was broken.

Documentation Production
Documentation is a set of documents provided on paper, although it is less common to use paper documentation because of digital form which is easier for email. Documentation can be used for swift reference and is distributed through software products and online applications.
There are multiple procedures of documentation. This involves an interactive process of drafting, formatting, submitting, studying, approving and allocating which then is tracked. Documentation shouldn’t be too extensive or use too many sophisticated wording as it may be misinterpreted. It can involve numbering like sectioning points and evidence. A document should always be edited throughout production to ensure a superb document is produced.
An example of documentation used in the video game industry is:

A Game Design Document or GDD will begin in the pre-production of a video games development. Not before the pitch but after when the project has been approved. This is an ever-changing document because of the enterprising environment of the games design industry which is very fluid in direction of starting, changing or aborting a project. This document can be even changed daily which is why it is also given the name of "Living Document". It will start off with the basics of explaining stages of the project development but by the end it will be expanded, this is encasing the game is a huge success and the developers want to rediscover the winning formula, or it is not a success helping them understand what went wrong. This document will have the context of text, images, hand drawn diagrams and even concept art. Although this document sounds professional it is not an industry standard it is very useful for most game designers and developers. It would be useful to record story, characters, art, level and environment design, sound and music, game controls and game play. Overall I describe this document as a bible for a video game and is useful in teams to find their advantages and disadvantages.

 Another is a Recce Report, here is a photo of my recce report:


An example of documentation used in the film industry is:

Risk assessments are documents about the risk towards health and safety while filming in location. Risk Assessments are organised documents used to find potential risks while filming in a studio or outside location and prevent them using an action plan to resolve any damages that might happen. I used a risk assessment myself when filming my own documentary, it included that I have many wires in my room so when recording game play, I taped the wires to the ground to prevent trips and falls. It also included that drinks wouldn't be drank to prevent damage to my equipment encase of slips. Here is a photo of my risk assessment below:

SWOT analysis is a document that strives to reveal a organisations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is similar to a contingency plan but SWOT analysis will seek and subdue any threats or problems before they have the opportunity to evolve into dangerous predicaments for a company. For example, monitors are faulty from previous use seriously effecting the productivity of the creative process. The faulty monitors could also damage the eyes of personnel working meaning the company must flush out money from the budget to pay for work leave and Ophthalmologists exams. SWOT analysis specialists will work to find these problems and reduce their risks before production. As well as finding problems they also find a companies strengths, this is great for superiors especially managers who want the best performance from their employee's. A SWOT analysis procedure that can identify strengths in a company could for example, set up meetings between manager and employee's to exchange feedback which will benefit the company as relationships will improve further advancing a products potential. (a cake made with good understanding and love is going to be a good cake)
A SWOT analysis can help a companies financial issues too. For example, the New York Stock Exchange will contently use a SWOT analysis documents to identify problems with a stocks value, like a beverage companies drinks are causing illness with its customers. The New York Stock Exchange will have a procedure to identify and sell their stocks in this or any business so they can earn a profit. This is why the New York Stock Exchange trades 1.46 billion in shares each day. 
             

Another example used in both the video game industry and film industry is:

 Storyboard’s are pre-production documentation used to plan every frame that will be in a scene, they are set out a grid of rectangles and each scene is normally eight rectangles like a page in a comic. In the picture below, it shows a storyboard of a scene in Spider-Man 2 (2004, Dir. Sam Raimi). The storyboard shows notes of sounds and signatures, although this storyboard is very detailed they don’t have to be if the director understands it.

The storyboard below by Yori Mochizuki, is for Assassins Creed (2008, Ubisoft). Like film video game storyboards show a characters’ actions in a scene, but storyboards also give inspiration to level designers and who can also use storyboards to plan levels.   





Overall storyboards are useful documentations for video game and film production as they make it easier to visualise a project and give evidence of a scene used. This can be useful to help defend a project in case of copyright issues.

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