I'm Gage Allen, and I make game trailers for a living! From Baldur's Gate 3 to Stellaris and more. Ask Me Anything!

Oh I've got a good one. How do you feel about game trailers that advertise their game but at the bottom say 'Not in-game footage'?

I think they can serve a purpose if done right. Whether it’s to tell the story of the world the game takes place in, or to have something to show/announce when the game isn’t quite ready to show direct gameplay, or to add a AAA polish to the marketing. A lot of times these trailers are outsourced so the studio can take more time to develop the game while hitting certain marketing and pr beats. Granted though this may be more a question to be answered by someone specializing in building those roadmaps.

I’ve been in video game marketing for 16+ years now, worked in brand marketing at Ubisoft and other publishers. Your answer is spot on. In order to create awareness for games in such a competitive industry, you usually need to start marketing well in advance of launch. Most times when a CGI or cinematic trailer is made, it’s because the development of the game is not at a stage where it can be captured for a trailer. The idea with these trailers is typically to communicate the vision of the game, not necessarily the actual gameplay.

^{^} bingo.

Where do you find the music? Do you prefer custom or licensed tracks?

The music can come from a lot of different sources. We’ve made our own custom scores several times. We have also licensed music from music companies. Other times we simply remix the score of the game itself.

Have you ever thought about how the same letter produces two different sounds in your first name?

I never really thought about it but now I can’t unsee that haha.

How did you get into gaming industry? What was your first paid job?

I got started by doing small indie game trailers. My first official trailer though was for a game called SCP Containment Breach. I had done fan trailers before that but that was my first official trailer!

So did they see your fan trailers and like them? Like what connection got you your first gig? And other early ones? Did other companies see your SCP trailer and contact you?

Yup! I built up a portfolio of spec trailers and fan work, then used that to get official projects. The SCP trailer was definitely a big step in helping get some other studios to bring me on board to help with their trailers.

Would you recommend this approach for getting into the industry? Focusing on a portfolio of fan work and using that to approach indie studios, then moving onto more AAA?

Its one of the ways you can do it, and if worked for me. But what may have worked for me may be different for someone else, as there are definitely other options. Internships at trailer agencies, becoming an in-house video producer at a game studio or publisher, etc... definitely weigh your options to see what feels like the best way forward for you.

Yooo that’s a sick game to start out on!

Haha it sure was.

Whenever a game trailer release, what is normally the percentage/progress of game that time? Is it more like 80% completion or what?

It depends. Sometimes the game is 95% complete, other times it’s probably closer to 70% complete. It really depends on the type of trailer you are making, sometimes announcement trailers can be done when a game is only half way done. Other time a trailer may come out 2 or 3 years before the game does. It really varies!

Why do so many trailers have slow covers of pop songs?

Some for licensing reasons, others for preference depending on the editor/director

Do you actually play the games you make a trailer for? (Like a closed alpha or something). Do you capture the clips for the trailer by yourself or you receive the footage from the company, or maybe something in the middle?

Yup! It helps me get a good understanding what the game is and how it feels. 98% of the time I capture the footage on our end.

What color is your toothbrush?

White and blue!

Curious what your thoughts on the Star Wars The Old Republic series of trailers?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nfjWANrhl5g

Absolutely amazing series of trailers!

What's your personal favorite trailer that you've made?

Tough one. I've always felt really proud of the trailer we made for Stellaris: Distant Stars. Custom music, gameplay capture, cinematic, art, animation, etc...

Another is the Nintendo TV commercial we worked on for the Nintendo Switch. Was so cool to have a chance to work with a brand I respect so much!

More recently a fun one was the trailer we did for The Sojourn. A really beautiful puzzle game.

Yassss for the Stellaris shoutout! Those are some of my all time favourite trailers. <3

Oh thank you!

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Thank you. I do yes. The most recent one we did was the Stellaris: Federations - Launch Trailer.

Have you ever declined to make a trailer for a certain game?

Yup. Usually it’s either because my team and I don’t have time, the pricing isn’t right, and whatnot.

how would you price something like a trailer? like is it length and the time it takes? or is it just based on difficulty?

Various factors can account into pricing. The type of trailer. Type of work. Timeline. How long it is. Quality level. Etc...

When you need voice talent are they provided by the game developer or do you have to find it? Or does it vary. Happy Editing!

Most of the time we find them. We have a roster of VOs that we work with on the regular.

How does an new VOA slide into those DMs? 😉

We actually have an open application for VOs on our website! www.playeronetrailers.com/careers

What's your take on piracy and emulation?

I think emulation makes sense when it comes to old titles that aren't generally accessible anymore, or are simply hard to play due to the rarity of the hardware. I'm a big fan of the Jet Set Radio Future emulation that was done not too long ago. One of my favorite games!!

I think when it comes to piracy it's probably best to stay on the legal side of everything.

Hey Allen, I make nature documentaries in Monster Hunter World. I'm still relatively new at this so I'm curious to know, what is your background in cinematography? and what are some of the most important principles that you employ when making a trailer?

That's cool! Have any you can show me?

I'm self taught in cinematography. Just got better at it through years of doing live-action work, then years of capturing gameplay and cinematic sequences.

Sure! here's a playlist of the one's I've done. I'm mostly self taught as well borrowing from the likes of planet Earth.

These are great! What a cool thing to do within Monster Hunter: World. How long you been making these?

Oh hey, I checked it was exactly 13 month ago haha. The one on the great Jagras was the very first video on my channel. I've since made two more, and I'm currently working one one right now (thanks quarantine xD). It's gonna be a much longer one, like the one I did for Kulve Taroth.

Nice! I really like your framing in several of the shots. Beautiful game too! Keep making stuff like this.

Did you work on the Baldur's Gate opening cinematic as well? Since the world is based on concepts from Dungeons & Dragons, do you take a little bit of your inspiration for the world from there? There is a lot of lore to read on mind flayers and such if one wanted to. Or do you get everything from the game studio? Or does it come from somewhere else entirely?

I didn’t work on the opening cinematic, as I mostly did the official 8k screenshots. When it comes to trailers and dealing with lore within games in general, it tends to be a mix of grabbing it from sources within the game and sources from within whichever studio I am working with. The goal is to be as respectful and truthful to the lore in whatever game I’m working in.

To someone clueless about the industry could you give any hints about a general price range an Indie could expect for a full service trailer? Maybe short-gameplay only or other options to consider.

Also are there things clients do that makes it any harder or easier to work with them? Thanks!

Price range can vary depending on the type of trailer, amount of work involved, quality level, timeline, etc... if you wanted to discuss that in more detail feel free to email me using the contact form on [our website!](www.playeronetrailers.com).

In terms of things clients do that makes things easier. I’d say being able to give clear, honest, and precise feedback is a huge help for us.

What was the most difficult game to make a trailer for?

Hmm. That's a tough one since I've worked on so many games over the years.

I can say some of the more challenging trailers I've worked on were the ones I did for Conarium, Stellaris: Federations, Legends of Aria, Starship Corporation, the Stellaris: Console Edition - Launch Trailer, and whatnot.

what are your top 3 games of all time?

Fallout 3, Journey, Outer Wilds

Hey fallout 3 is my number 1 too! Im waiting for outer worlds on switch and ive never heard of journey lol

Well hello there vault dweller! Outer Worlds is a fantastic game as well. Definitely try out Journey and Outer Wilds if you can!

Favorite game trailer all time?

First one that comes to mind

Tough one, but first one that comes to mind is the announcement trailer for dead island.

Did you work on the Stellaris Apocalypse trailer? That's my all time favorite trailer.

I did the launch trailer for Stellaris Apocalypse. I really love the story trailer as well.

I knew the game, but never this trailer - i would call that art. How wonderful, in a sense.

It's definitely one of the best out there.

My personal favorite is hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. I havent played the game, and I probably never will because it doesn't seem to be my kind of game, but damn that trailer is good.

link

This trailer makes me feel more than 95% of movies do. Curious on your thoughts?

Absolutely incredible game and a great trailer!

How much guidance do you get from the game developers? Or is it mainly from a games marketing team? Do you ever show a company a trailer you really believe in and they shoot it down?

It tends to vary by studio. Some studios the developers are really involved with every step. Others it’s mostly the marketing team.

There’s definitely been times I’ve had drafts get feedback that requires revamping certain elements of it. But that’s a good thing because it ensures that it’s what the client wants. And it’s their game. They spent years pouring their hearts and souls into this thing, they absolutely deserve to have a say on whether they like the direction it’s going in or not

1.Do you get a free copy of the game you make trailers for or do you just get money? 2. What is your favorite game to play that you made a trailer for?

I do get the game for free sometimes! In terms of favorite game to play that I've worked on, I really enjoy The Long Dark, as I love survival games in general. Stellaris is always fun too, same with DOS2.

That’s awesome you worked the trailer for r/thelongdark - gotta link to your work??

It’s a amazing game. I was a Alpha/Beta tester from the r/kickstarter days but haven’t played lately.

Thank you! I made the Errant Pilgrim Update Trailer

The game has come a long ways and continually gets better and better. It was a lot of fun to work on with Raphael and the team.

Rest of the work is here: www.playeronetrailers.com

Do you very often find yourself asking for the stereotypical "in a world" guy voiceover for trailer, or do you prefer a different style of voice?

It all comes down to the approach. My writing style is very different than the cliche "in a world" stuff, but someone with really strong vocal range and tonal diversity is always great to have if they fit the project, whether their voice sounds like the "in the world" guy or not.

How are you during the quarantine man? Has it gotten to you? Sorry if this was asked before.

I’m doing okay. It’s strange being at home so much as I’m used to going to our office a lot but I’m slowly adapting. How about you?

Thank you for asking! Quarantine has let me reflect on my own thoughts alot, as bad or good as it is. Also lots of WoW and some studying here and there lul.

I can understand that. How’s WoW?

What’s your take on the recently shown Dark Alliance trailer?

Interesting take on it. Curious to see what they release next!

Are you primarily a PC, Xbox or PS4 player? What are you playing right now?

I play on all 3 plus the switch, and I do so pretty evenly. Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Death Stranding, Forza Horizon, and GT Sport. I’ve also been gunning through Quake, and Quake II RTX!

As your a short film maker, any chance you're hiring actors after these strange times come to an end?

​

Here's my showreel, just in case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v7RG-A7lmY&t=2s

I'll definitely be looking for actors for some of my upcoming films! Thanks for submitting this. Feel free to send this via the contact form on our site: www.playeronetrailers.com

How much crossover is there between making film trailers and game trailers? Do you guys have a bit more flexibility because everything is digital (and less dependent on a film schedule)?

I'd definitely say there's probably more flexibility when it comes to game trailers, and also a bit more open-ended creativity since we have to create the footage ourselves most of the time. However I don't really do film trailers so someone else that specialized in that could maybe clarify a bit more.

Which length has the perfect trailer ?

Depends on the type of trailer. Rockstar releases 6 minute trailers, other companies do 30 second ones. Really just depends on what your goals are and what kind of trailer you are making! Generally you see 90 seconds or so as the average, in my experience.

How do you decided what to put in a trailer?

Do you usually get footage and then get asked "do something with this" or do they let you play games to get the feeling what the game is supposed to be about?

What is the hardest thing you deal with when it comes to making a game trailer?

How does making a game trailer differ from a movie trailer or a short film when trying to represent what the thing is supposed to be about? Basically how do you tell the story differently, because I've heard someone say that they can be a great writer and sell many books, but when they have to write a story for a game they can flunk really badly. I hope you understand kinda what I mean, it's hard to put into words.

Sorry if thats too many questions, I'm just really curious about this kind of world.

Thanks for doing this ama!

Most of the time I play the game to get a feeling of what the soul of the game is, then take time to speak with the developers and truly understand their goals with the game, and what they want to show in the trailer. That's basically where it all stems from.

A game trailer is different from a movie trailer in that you have to create all the footage yourself. A movie trailer is a set number of scenes, even less than the final film because only a handful are finished by the time you are editing the movie trailer, and you have to create something out of that. A game trailer you create the footage from nothing, where you have to go into the game and capture cinematic moments in real-time with a 3D camera, direct gameplay, etc... while writing a VO and whatnot. Movie trailers can reach that level depending on the type of marketing (several movie trailers will shoot sequences specifically for the trailer).

The other thing is that game trailers have to showcase the story, type of game, the fact it is interactive, and much much more. So there's a longer checklist of things you have to hit in a game trailer.

Granted, I have not done a lot of work in the movie trailer industry, so maybe someone who specialized in that realm can clarify some more!

While I understand it is a creative field, thus standards may vary, but do you have any trailers as examples that you think is below a good "game trailer"-standard quality?

Probably my really early stuff haha

hey what's your favorite engine to work on when you're making trailers or short films ? any plans for making non short films in the future ?

That's a tough one! Probably Frostbite is among my favorites for short films, like when I made This Is Battlefield. For trailers, Unreal is always fun, Unity can be as well, and some of the proprietary engines from different studios have their strengths and weaknesses.

By non short films do you mean like full-length movies? If so, yes I have written several feature film scripts, but it may be a while before I get a chance to execute them :)

Would you happen to have a good story of a trailer that was just a nightmare beginning to end OR, even better, a project you refused/quit?

I've only ever quit a project way back in my early days years ago (with a clause in our contract that allowed that), as it was due to a company that refused to stop scope-creeping after numerous times of bringing it up.

Are you still working on Containment Breach: Run?

YES!!!

How did your parents come up with your first name? I share it with you, and am named after a ranch in the desert of West Texas.

I'll have to ask! Don't find other people with my first name very often haha.

Sorry if this was asked already I haven’t looked through this yet.

How would one get a job doing what you do?

There are a lot of ways into the industry. The way I got in is by teaching myself the skills in video production and gameplay capture, and just continuously making stuff. Making fan trailers, re-edit existing trailers for fun, creating machinimas within games and game engines, etc... I built up a portfolio doing this, then began offering my work to small indie studios and developers, essentially building up my portfolio of official work. Then just keep climbing the ladder as a freelancer, or use that experience to get hired as an in-house trailer creator for a game developer or publisher, or join a trailer agency like ours.

Others will suggest getting an internship at a trailer agency from the get go, or going to college and getting a job that way. It's totally up to you in what way you feel works. Just remember the greatest calamity of all is not to have failed, but to have failed to try!

Do you have a process reel? Or do you mind sharing your typical process when creating a trailer? I'm wondering how a studio shares assets with you and if/how you animate/make fx/light etc.

I do not have a process reel unfortunately. Each project can change depending on the type of game it is and the type of trailer/cinematic we're making. Usually though we will take care of a lot of things on a project, from gameplay capture, sound design, motion graphics, video editing, writing, VO, music, etc... Collaborating with the studio on the style and approach to make sure we're making stuff they like!

I love The Long Dark! How was it to work Hinterland, and do you enjoy the game?

They were great to work with. Raphael is a pleasure. And yes I definitely enjoy the game!

Hello, thanks for doing this AMA. How do the trailers where music is synced with the action on screen work? Does the music come first or the trailer? And what's your opinion on those sort of trailers?

I really like those trailers! Generally when we do it we remix the music track first, then edit to it, then iterate on both elements and let them play off each other until it feels good. Sometimes it just takes a bit experimentation to get it feeling right based on the needs of the project.

hi, i really love your animated short. It was so cool. but i wanted to ask a couple questions.

1. how do you not suffer from creative block?
2. what are some ways you optimise workflows?
3. How do you interpret a brief?
4. How stable is the games industry in terms of available positions, and how often are people laid off in it.
5. Who is the chillest game director you’ve met.
6. what are your opinions on blender?

thank you for doing this AMA.

Thanks for watching! I'd be happy to answer some of your questions:

1.- I definitely suffer from creative block. Everyone who does creative work has suffered from it. I tend to take a step away if I feel like I'm beating my head against a wall and sleep on it, many times to my surprise I'll come back with inspiration or an idea that makes it all click. Other times I seek out inspiration.

2.- I've spent the last few years optimizing a lot of our workflows here at Player One, and I won't be able to talk about a lot of that, but generally we try to get things running as smooth as possible be removing as many road blocks and barriers in the process. The less friction between one point and another, the more efficiency you are able to achiever with a certain process. That's generally how I approach it.

3.- When it comes to briefs, I make sure I spend plenty of time discussing with the studios/developer to make sure I understand exactly what they want. I play the game, understand the concept and goals they are trying to achieve with it, and deep dive into the potential directions. Every studio is different but clear and concise communication is pertinent.

4.- The games industry is definitely tumultuous. A lot of layoffs happen all over, a lot of places shut down unexpectedly. When it comes to the game trailer industry with agencies like ours, it can be pretty stable, but it depends which studio you join.

5.- Swen from Larian is awesome. So is Raphael from Hinterland.

6.- Blender is definitely an awesome software that is very powerful!

Ah! This is the first time I’ve seen a reference to the BG series on Reddit! That’s hella cool! Why’d you decide to get into this line of work?

Because I had a passion for filmmaking and a passion for games. I did film work first before I got into working on games. Then when Fallout 3 came out, and the 2008 gameplay trailer was released, it made me realize I could combine my passions for both into making video game films and trailers. Fast forward to now and here we are :)

Thanks for doing this! What is with the current trend of any trailer - video game, movie, etc. - showing us the whole story before we play it? Seems like a disincentive!

I can't really comment on that since my work doesn't tend to do that, but what I can assume is that they do so in an attempt to keep the project interesting and further try to stand out from the crowd. But I do see why it almost has the opposite effect. Maybe someone else in the field has a more accurate reason?

How much work hours do you put into a trailer until its finished and how much money can you earn with game trailers? :)

Depends on the trailer, but it can be a ton of hours. I've spent 18 hour days from start to finish in creating certain trailers, but lately I've been able to take a more normal schedule.

Does the game studios give you a copy of the game to play before making the trailer? If so, have you ever declined making them a trailer after you have tested their game?

Depends on the studio, but most of the game we do get builds of the games to make the trailer.

There were a couple times I declined to make a trailer due to the game itself.

I imagine you're not making game trailers each day, so how well does it pay?

On the contrary I am making trailers pretty much every day.

Hey you were really great on the H.A.M. Radio podcast a few weeks back. Listening to it really expanded the way I think about the game industry. I hope you get to make the next Fallout game trailer. My only question is where to you want the next Fallout to be set?

Oh thanks for tuning in to that! It was an absolute blast to talk with Matty and Karak about the world of game trailers. Also very kind of you to say that about Fallout. It would definitely be a dream come true haha.

I would love for a Fallout to be set in New York City or the Pacific Northwest like Seattle or Portland. What about you?

Sweet, I remember that battlefield video. It was one of the reasons I wanted to give it a try at making my own cinematic battlefield edits, haha. Thank you for doing this ama!

One of my biggest hurdles when creating an edit is always choosing music or sound. I always have to spend ages for finding something to accompany the action. How's that handled in a professional studio? Do you get a track to work with from the game studio or is it something you have to find or create yourself? Is music decided upon at the end or at the start of the process etc?
Good selected music always stick hardest when I remember a trailer, so I'm curious how the thought process behind that part is!

Thanks for watching the Battlefield video! It was a lot of fun to make.

For music, it can vary. Sometimes we use the game's original score, and remix a track to then edit to. Other times we license out stuff from music companies. And a few times we've made the music ourselves from scratch! In terms of when it's decided upon, I tend to pick a track fairly early, but sometimes we may jump back and forth between multiple tracks throughout the edit before hitting on a concrete decision. The sound in general for a trailer is incredibly important.

Whats the most you have ever seen charged for making a trailer? And least expensive?

Millions of dollars are the more expensive ones. Least expensive are the ones people have done for free.

Do you think multi level marketing is bad, and people who sell MLM products suck?

I'm definitely not a fan of pyramid schemes if that's what you are getting at.

how hard is it to get into the industry?

Depends on how you go about it, but it can definitely be hard. I worked my ass off for years to get to where I am now, but the work paid off. One thing I learned is that the greatest calamity of all is not to have failed, but to have failed to try.

you just made me realize that theres actually a studio like this that does exactly what i wanna do. thank you very much.

for the question, what, in your opinion, are very important skills, characteristics when working for a studio like this?

Great! Glad I could bring some awareness to this job.

The skills depend on the specific job and whatnot, but in general you need to be able to collaborate with a team, be able to receive feedback, leave your ego at home, always be willing to improve, hit the required level of quality and then maintain that quality consistently, learn from your mistakes, good character, and honesty.

So A lot of modern game trailers actively turn me off of a game. Stuff like Doom 2016 and some of the Assassin's creed games. Some of these trailers tend to make games out to be far more cinematic in terms of game-play or high-light a game-play feature that makes the game seem far more "passive" then I'd like. Or not represent the final product in a reasonably accurate way.

So My question to you is how much of this is the marketing-team vs creative freedom on the trailer makers part? and how hard is it to work with a marketing-team, any highlights on particular issues raised by them both negative and positive?

That is a really hard question to answer since so much of that can be subjective. What I do know is that trailers are super collaborative, and although it depends on the studio that you work with, there tends to be a hand from the marketing team and the trailer people involved.

Each game has it's own goals it's attempting to accomplish with the marketing, which is decided by people like brand managers, marketing producers, publishers, etc... These are the people that basically work with the in-house video team or the outsourced video team and together everyone creates a direction for the trailer to go in. Some studios give a lot of creative freedom to trailer agencies and directors, only stepping in when they need a few things changed, while other companies are more specific about what they want and exactly where they want it.

Might be a little late, but I have a question for you!

I've wanted to get into editing for a while. I was lucky enough to catch a freebie for ACDSee 3 editing software, and now I'm wondering: where do I start?

Do I record footage and set it to music, like the wild West of YouTube used to be? Do I take clips and mash them together? Where does this footage even come from? Who do I show it to? Where do I learn?

It's extremely broad, but in the end, I guess I'm asking: how does one even begin to dip their toes into this line of work?

There's a ton of directions you could go with this. Some of the ones I did in the past:

-Download some already existing trailers/marketing materials and re-edit them! Create a new style or tone with the footage. This will help teach you some of the principles of editing with trailer footage, and allow you to explore and create something new.

-Use certain games that give you access to camera tools openly so you can record footage and practice capturing gameplay. Battlefield is one of those games. You could also try jumping in and simply capturing direct gameplay, recording footage from it, and try and edit them together into a fan project.

Just start making things. Because the greatest calamity of all is not to have failed, but to have failed to try.

What has been your favorite game trailer to make, thus far? Also, what do you feel like is your best trailer?

Hmm. There's a ton that I really enjoyed making. Probably the absolute most fun wasn't even for an official trailer, but for my film This Is Battlefield.

Specifically for trailers though, I really liked making the launch trailer for Stellaris: Ancient Relics, the launch trailer for Stellaris; Distant Stars, the accolades trailer for Conarium, the trailer for The Long Dark, as well as the trailer for The Sojourn.

I think some of my best work is with Distant Stars, The Sojourn, and Conarium, among a few!

When assigned to a trailer, how closely do you work with the dev team? Do they give you general outlines? Plot points? Suggestions? Or do they just let you do your own thing?

All of the above. Every studio is different, and every trailer can be different as well. Some decide to give us total freedom, others want to be more involved. Both are great!

From your perspective as a professional, what's the best game trailer you've seen over the years?

Back in the day I remember being particularly impressed by the cinematic trailers for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and the original Dead Island.

The dead island trailer is by far my favorite, but many of the trailers/music videos for Riot Games are incredible. Fallout trailers are a blast as well.

Have you heard of any rumors if there will be another Baldur’s Gate in the future?

I hear they are doing a third one in the series.

Have you been playing DND during this quarentine?

Not as much as I want to! Been mostly working, but I’ve been able to make time for some really fun board games and rpg titles.