At ExoGenesis Studios, we believe that cutscenes are more than just visually impressive moments — they are a vital storytelling tool. They allow players to immerse themselves in the world, feel its atmosphere, and experience key moments of the story. We put as much care and passion into our cutscenes as we do into every other aspect of the game.
Storyboards, Layouts, and Animatics
The creation of a cutscene begins with a storyboard — a series of key frames that help define the composition and sequence of events.
Next comes the animatic, a rough version of the cutscene with basic timing for movements. This step lets us test the scene's rhythm, ensure that the animation feels natural, and make adjustments before moving on to detailed work.
The next step is layouts, which feature key character poses and detailed backgrounds. Layouts establish the scene’s composition and highlight visual focal points.
The Animation Process
Once the animatic is approved, our animators start working on the scene. Depending on the cutscene’s complexity, we use different animation techniques:
- Frame-by-frame animation – Each frame is drawn individually to achieve ultra-smooth motion. We use this method for key emotional scenes.
- A mix of frame-by-frame and cutout animation – This approach reduces workload without sacrificing quality. For example, Quillback was animated this way to ensure expressive movements without unnecessary complexity.
Polishing the Scene: Highlights, Shadows, and Effects
Once the core animation is complete, we move on to polishing. This stage involves adding highlights, shadows, effects, and texture refinements to make the scene feel more alive and realistic. Lighting accents help guide the player's focus, while special effects enhance the atmosphere.
If the cutscene involves camera movement, the animator separates the background into multiple layers to create a parallax effect, adding depth to the image.
Environments as a Storytelling Tool
Cutscene creation is often more challenging than standard animation because we animate not only characters but also the environment. Sometimes, background animation plays just as big a role in conveying emotions as character movements.
For complex cutscenes, like Drone, the assembly process happens in multiple stages. Each segment is crafted and edited to form a small but impactful story, where every frame carries meaning.
We’re continuing our developer blog series to give you a deeper look into INAYAH’s development. If you missed our previous post on VFX, you can check it out here:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3199390/view/785412209072145498
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