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Author: Lauren Brady

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5: Who will come out on top?

It’s the gaming showdown of the year; possibly even the decade. With lockdown in full swing, many have taken solace in their consoles, which leaves us all wondering about the soon-to-be-released Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. 

Many are torn between which to get. Both Microsoft and Sony have taken some flack for the boxy and strange look of their consoles, but both have also received praise for their innovation. So, with less than a month to go until their big release, how do the Xbox Series X and PS5 measure up against each other?

 

Graphics

When Microsoft dropped their Xbox Series X gameplay showcase, some were… less than impressed. The video showed games that we’re all excited to play, but many were hoping to see some more real-time gameplay. Some were hoping for more from the graphics, which ultimately led to Halo: Infinite’s delay. 

PlayStation, however, had an impressive Unreal Engine 5 demo. The video was a great showcase of what the next generation is capable of and excited audiences with its sublime graphics with hyper-realistic lighting and intricate details. While Sony might have snagged the reveal, Unreal Engine 5 will be available on the Series X too, so as impressive as this demo video was, we can expect the same for the Xbox Series X’s graphics.

“But the Series X boasts 12 teraflops to the PS5’s 10.28, so surely it’s better?” Not quite. Many think higher teraflops are equal to better graphics, yet teraflops are only really a measurement of the console’s power. The PS5 has a higher maximum clock speed, which lets it work harder than the Series X, but will likely generate more heat. So it’s a bit six of one, half a dozen of the other.

 

Games

While both consoles will have their jewels in the crown, Xbox is putting a lot of weight behind Game Pass. This monthly subscription will give players access to new games on the day they drop, but also access to over 100 legacy titles already live and streamable to your phone

Sony has responded with the PlayStation Plus Collection, though its collection isn’t quite as expansive. Similar to Game Pass in quite a few ways, the Plus Collection lets you download games to your console but doesn’t match with Xbox’s day of release feature. Their list of games is limited, with titles such as God of War and Detroit: Become Human, but it is a huge boost for anyone who never invested in a PS4. It’s also a new idea that has the potential to expand in the future, not to mention PlayStation Plus’s general feature of giving you free games every month. Any newcomer’s library will grow very quickly.

Both consoles will be banking on a strong library of cross-gen multi-platform games to bolster their launch line-up. But both have taken a bit of a punch in the gut with Cyberpunk 2077’s very recent delay. Why this has happened is unknown, but some speculate the pressures of developing for both current- and next-gen consoles have had an impact. Indeed, there are several cross-gen games – even those touted as huge launch games, such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, both of which are on PS4. Will this stop them from reaching the heights of what can be achieved with the new hardware? That’s something we’ll only know in time.

 

Acquisitions

Xbox has been very busy over these last few years, acquiring studio after studio. In the past, this has included big names like Obsidian, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory. But we doubt anyone was expecting their latest purchase: Bethesda. 

This monumental purchase is the epitome of Microsoft’s current strategy. Does this mean Bethesda games will be exclusive to the Xbox? Not necessarily; Minecraft is available on every platform going, many of their titles are also available on PC, and they have been known to strike deals with Nintendo. But it does mean they hold a lot of cards in this fight.

Sony, on the other hand, takes a different tactic. Their biggest announcement was the console exclusivity of Final Fantasy 16. But their approach is to go smaller by locking down exclusive content for multi-platform games. For example, Spider-Man will only be available for PlayStation players of Marvel’s Avengers. From the latest Call of Duty to Destiny 2, this has been Sony’s MO for some time and is likely not going anywhere.

 

The looks

Let’s not kid ourselves – how it looks next to our TV is just as important. But it seems like the internet hasn’t been too kind to these poor consoles.

In recent reveals, the PS5 is definitely the biggest boy this generation. And people can’t help but notice it kind of looks like a router.

The Xbox Series X doesn’t get away from the mockery. Plenty of people think it looks like a fridge. They even went and made one and gave it to Snoop Dogg. Why? Well, why not? And the Series X S has been compared to everything from a washing machine to one of those tannoys you use to order your McDonald’s.

 

The future

So which will come out on top? Both Sony and Microsoft have taken a leap forward with their consoles, and both will no doubt have their usual die-hard fans. But with Microsoft putting their eggs in the Game Pass basket and Sony opting for an all-digital SKU, it’s hard to tell which undecided consumers will be more drawn to.

But there’s no doubt both Sony and Microsoft will do what they can to corner more of the market. Even now, you can see them racing for exclusivity deals with brands. KFC is partnering with the Series X to give one away every day for a month, along with an “interesting” custom KFC controller for it. PS5, meanwhile, is partnering with Doritos. Though there’s no work on a customer Doritos controller – what a shame.

So will consumers be intrigued by PlayStation’s strong list of exclusives? Or is Game Pass’s netflix-ification of game streaming the way forward for the industry? Only time will tell; let the battle begin.

At REALTIME, we’re excited to see what this next generation brings. If you have a next-generation game and are looking for experts who can bring it to life, get in touch with me at [email protected].

TV VFX for dummies – Budgeting for your VFX (part 2)

Here we are again, another part of our ‘TV VFX for dummies’ series. And part 2 of our discussion on budgeting for your VFX. In part 1, we talked about the difficulty in assessing the final costs and the importance of staying on top of the ever-changing budget.

In this part, we will look at how everyone involved in the production – from the producer and director to the director of photography (DOP) and any commissioning execs – can provide the information needed to finesse the budget details. Let’s start by looking at the importance of making sure you have all the information you need.

 

The more information, the better

Although getting a fast turnaround ballpark is always going to be something clients require, what can we do to provide our clients with more accurate ballpark bids?

Here, the onus goes back to the client – whether they be the producer, line producer, or on-set VFX producer/supervisor. The more information they can give to the VFX vendor, the better. Ideally full scripts are the best starting point, but sometimes – for security reasons – only excerpts are available. If a project is at an early stage, only outlines or treatments may be possible. In this instance, all that clients can reasonably expect is a topline average cost per hour for that genre of TV, and even then this may not be accurate

But, on a more positive note, the following can be really helpful when ballparking costs on a series:

  • VFX breakdown or list – If the client can provide their own list of what they think is required, this is a great starting point. The VFX vendor can then add to this and/or query any VFX they think is missing from the client list.
  • Location stills – Seeing the locations being used helps improve the accuracy of any bids for set extensions, crowd replication, and clean up.
  • Production design concept work – For environments, characters, and sets.
  • Storyboards – These help understand the shot count for key sequences.
  • Reference artwork – Be they mood boards or other visuals that give an indication of tone, style, or design for the series.

 

Shot count

A key consideration when bidding on any series is the shot count. Usually, a VFX vendor can estimate the potential number of shots from the scene description in the script.

If there is a scene involving complex VFX – for example, a riot or a hero engaging a dragon in combat – then storyboards are likely to be available, which will give a clear indication of the shot count for that scene.

The overall number of shots in a series will undoubtedly have a big impact on the overall cost, particularly if the shot count is high in sequences with heavy VFX. It is therefore crucial to establish what the shot count is – at least for key sequences of the series

 

Meeting key team members

One way of ensuring the VFX vendor is fully briefed of the creative vision for a series is for them to meet the key creatives involved. This includes the showrunners, executive producers (EP’s), producers, directors, DOPs, and designers. Between them, these people will know what the creative ambition and style for the series is. For key sequences, the director, DOP, and designer will be able to provide crucial information on the shots and design that will inform the VFX methodology for the series, which will influence the budget.

Pre-production is a very busy time on any production. But ensuring there is at least one key meeting with the VFX vendor and the key creatives will help to make sure the vendor has more information to create a more accurate bid.

 

Planning – previs, postvis, and storyboarding

We’ve already talked about the importance of understanding the shot count, especially for scenes involving 3D animation. If storyboards aren’t available for these key sequences, we would strongly recommend that the production company commissions them or, if that isn’t an option, VFX vendors do sometimes commission their own.

Storyboards are a great visualisation tool, and storyboarding is cheaper than doing previsualisation (previs) or animation blockouts. On a TV series, there isn’t usually time or budget to do previs, although for key sequences it can help to communicate how a sequence will work to both the HODs and the commissioning execs.

More often than not in TV production, post-visualisation is the tool used to communicate how a CGI character or vehicle might look and move in a scene. Postvis is a very useful tool when doing animation or VFX work of any kind.  You can show how a character or piece of VFX will look in an actual plate from the series and get agreement from key creatives and commissioning execs before you start the animation or VFX work. 

By budgeting for postvis, you ensure you can get approval for your clients ahead of starting the more expensive animation and FX work.

This goes to show just how intertwined the budget is at every stage of production. In a way, the puzzle never ends and you need to constantly reassess your needs in relation to the budget. But as complex as it sounds, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Not if you focus on communication and building productive working relationships.

For a VFX vendor you can rely on, contact REALTIME. Our experience and expertise mean we know how to get the job done to budget and to a high quality. To find out more, you can get in touch with me at [email protected].

Getting back on track

The last few months have been a tumultuous and unprecedented time for all. No one will have gone unaffected, and we are all recovering at our own pace. Businesses have to navigate a world of lockdowns, which makes projects difficult if it requires an international effort, or even any kind of logistical effort. It’s what some are calling the ‘new normal’ and it likely isn’t going anywhere.

It means we all have new challenges to contend with, unlike anything we’ve had to face before. Along with the usual quirks of a project, now there are social distancing requirements and stringent cleaning rotas. And the automotive industry has its own unique issues that we’re all adjusting to. 

It’s a stark difference from this time in any year gone by. We would usually be preparing for winter shoots, but it isn’t an option anymore. So, with a few months of working with these restrictions under our belt, how can we manage our operations while still weathering this storm?

 

New restrictions

Depending on where you are in the world, your country will have its own rules and regulations around how you should handle the pandemic. Here in the UK, that means a three-tier system that affects regions differently and changing government regulations. And these pervade every aspect of our working lives.

If you’re currently working in an office, this might mean desks are spaced apart and only some of the staff are present. Even if you’re working from home, this means there’s a digital wall between staff that might not have been there before.

In the auto market, we face many of the same restrictions. At a dealership, you’ll see desks taped off and perspex screens separating sales associate and customer. In manufacturing facilities, workers have to navigate working with the equipment while avoiding any potential outbreak. And for anyone trying to organise a physical shoot, how do you approach having multiple people on set? Those in TV and film have been isolating their entire staff and working in bubbles, something REALTIME’s own TV and film department has discussed at length.

What we can do is remain optimistic and make the most of the situation. We’ve had to adapt to working from home and learn how to collaborate in a changed world. But most of us have experience of working across borders, so we were more than capable of stepping up to the challenge. For on-set shoots, it gets more complicated, as we mentioned above. It requires some creative thinking to navigate these restrictions and find ways to accomplish your tasks in a digital way rather than a physical one.

 

Working differently

There are some areas where it’s hard to avoid the changes. Going back to manufacturing facilities, they were definitely affected – UK car manufacturing fell by 99.7% in April. As they opened up, they had to work within the restrictions laid out by the government. It’s all essential but equally slows us down.

We know of many auto brands that have had to cancel live-action shoots as their very feasibility is now in question. Take Mumbai-based photographer Kunal Kelkar, for example, who had to cancel his trip to Tuscany with Lamborghini.

Indeed, spending fell across the board in the advertising industry. Across Europe, it fell by 9% and three of this year’s quarters are expected to feel the brunt even harder than in the 2008 financial crash. 

But there is more optimism now than there was only a few months ago. In a recent email to its members, Steve Davies, chief executive of the Advertising Producers Association (APA), spoke of their latest COVID-19 shooting guidelines: “These guidelines are about two things. First and foremost, safety. But secondly, and importantly, demonstrating to clients and agencies that we can manage productions in a way that minimises coronavirus risks and therefore gives them confidence that they can commission productions.”

“[They] will be an important step in giving agencies and their clients confidence that sound guidelines are in place and that with the commitment of APA members to implement them, they can work with APA members to make films.”

While many productions are now showing it can be done, it is deeply complicated and makes you consider whether it is worth it. But it has inspired people to take a novel approach and do what they can from their own home offices. Such as this ad from SKODA made using toy cars. Or this genius one from Dacia.

This situation has shown there really is no limit to our creativity and we can create stunning work under the most dire of circumstances. Other simple alternatives might include touching up old pictures? Or giving them new backgrounds to give them fresh life? You could even focus on shorter, 3-second sweep movies (or other digital services) that can give you some new assets to work with.

The last few months have been hard and they will no doubt continue to challenge us. But we can still stand up to the problem and make the most of it in whatever way we can. Now that we’re back to full-steam (or as close as we can be), we have the skills to improve what we do even more. The stories above, and from other industries, show us there are solutions available. We just have to be willing to find them.

REALTIME is here for all of our clients right now. If you want to share the lessons we’ve both learnt during these last few months, get in touch at [email protected].