Double Fine Art Director Details the Work of a Video Game Artist

[@NoclipDocs]

It's been great getting our backlog of GDC videos out this month. We have a bunch more coming including an interview with Suda 51 and a look at the development of System Shock Remake. We also have a documentary about the remaster of Command & Conquer coming, along with our docs on Prey & Dishonored. Keeping busy during quarantine! www.patreon.com/noclip

[@nomercy8989]

Any chance you can give us an ETA on the Prey & Dishonored docs?

[@NoclipDocs]

@@nomercy8989 The latter half of July - they're big chonkers.

[@Vimes86]

What about the alien isolation doc? Keep up the great work guys, I love this

[@notoriousbmc1]

I love the interview style. Interviewees seem to be comfortable enough to talk about anything, compared to some other, more info dump interviewers' styles.

[@Unf0rget]

That quote on where the money goes in modern games is really insightful. I have been told that escalating hardware and expectations somehow makes it easier to develop games because things don't have to be scaled down. I didn't believe it as if more assets could be made in the same time having high fidelity facial and characters animations wouldn't leech resources from other areas of most games I look at in the AAA space. Having an actual expert in the field state it bluntly that yes, rising hardware means making a quality assets takes more labor finally gives me something concrete to point to. There's more than just surface scanning an actual object and slapping it on a model to mo-cap or games would be packed with breathtaking animation.

[@DUHRIZEO]

She also makes a good point about Double Fine having a talented team that can work efficiently together. From an art standpoint it makes 100% sense that costs and time would increase in that field. However, there are definitely other parts of the development process that have benefited from the increased hardware and streamlined software available. She mentions Double Fine as proof of what can be done by a smaller team when everyone is on the same page. Her comments make me think that a lot of AAA studios suffer from poor management and direction when trying to handle so many people.

[@thunbergmartin]

I was thinking the same thing, so nice to hear it clearly stated, I just hope people piked up on that. Its such a divergence, I feel like; to generalise, I see consumers lean into the argument of more hardware power must mean easier asset production, and seeing AAA games being pumped out left and right, the norm of what is accepted quality is exponentially increased. While in reality its almost always the other way around, The level of finess, precision and detail that goes into assets today are insane compared to just years before. I really hope this industry can find a way to deals with burnouts and mental health issues that follows. Stay safe!

[@Wolferey]

Ironically, stylized assets now can take even more work to get done than some realistic assets, because its the same amount of maps and work done to make it detailed but you also have to make sure it has the details in the right place to fit the stylized look of the rest of the game, while realistic asset can get away with the noise realism often has.

[@Daniel__Nobre]

I think a lot of it comes from having to give it that “AAA” kind of look/art direction where all the assets need to have maps for pretty much every calculation/effect and where content is blown out into huge proportions (albeit being mostly variations of the same assets). It’s a relationship between scale of content and “scale” of the art direction. In the future this may change though since more advanced systems can be used and integrated (procedural systems, animation tools based on machine learning, AI engines, etc..) A bit on the side talk, but btw the problem - in my opinion - is that today most games only get the spotlight if a) they look graphically very demanding and b) get marketing and hype budget/focus. This creates this fear, as a development studio, of having games that are laughed at and have people saying things like “that looks like it came out for PS2” (the only thing that escapes such criticism is pixel art because it’s seen as “retro”). I would prefer to have the area feeling so much more rewarded and profitable with releasing many more Okami, Sword and Sorcery, The Long Dark, Darkest Dungeon, etc style of games - and I mean being released today as they look exactly when released first time - with such approach to much more scalable art styles, than bland, repetitive and unimaginative and statistics and focus groups based development games like Farcry, Assassins Creed, FIFA, Call of Duty. I think the rise of indie development - specially with social based games (like Among Us and Fall Guys), platformers and “boomer” shooters - proves that there is a growing mainstream market that is becoming eager for core experiences that are really good (probably as a consequence of a smaller team with a clear unified vision) rather than shiny on the surface but bland below it experiences (usually a consequence of huge teams with huge budgets but consequently made by committee).

[@zydian_]

I love the relaxed tone in terms of editing and how the interviewee is getting the space to tell his/her story and everything in between. Also, Psychonauts 2 is a no brainer for me, instant buy.

[@cemawi]

More of this please! I love hearing stories about the people who make games!

[@williamthatsmyname]

I love that feeling of closeness to your stuff.

[@music4my4]

She helped design the look of Dante's Inferno.... a game i very much enjoyed.... i salute this woman!

[@Ploobie86]

I want that game on PC. Why the hell hasn't EA made a PC port yet?

[@ForeverMasterless]

A very mediocre god of war like elevated immensely by its environmental art design. That game was a joy to play simply to see new areas, which in many cases were more visually stunning and interesting to look at than the actual god of war games.

[@ForeverMasterless]

Double Fine's art has always been the strongest aspect of their games, so it's not at all surprising that they have a crazy talented art team that "punches above their weight."

[@AZEREuu]

Putting it out there. That woman looks cool and chill.

[@broshmosh]

Nice to meet one of the people whose work I have enjoyed numerous times. It means so much more than a simple credit, but also gives a lot of context to a credit sequence!

[@yusofplayed]

I love to see a black woman featured in an industry with very little representation, her work is amazing 🙏🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@francesco3772]

Mandatory american comment about things that shouldn't matter

[@jacobisranch]

@@francesco3772 You upset?lmao

[@Inari_the_Fox]

@@francesco3772 it matters to them at least. Seeing people like you makes you feel less alone.

[@wtrflsh]

What about fighting side by side with a friend?

[@makingitwork2]

@@francesco3772 Pretending things don't matter doesn't make them not matter.

[@dgvpereira]

Such a nice person to hear :)

[@kumatorahaltmanndreemurr]

The way she talks just makes her seem so friendly and chill

[@the77th]

As a Black Indie Game Developer, No Clip, you don’t know how GREAT this video is for me! Ofcourse i’m inspired by EVERYONE who makes games but it’s just that extra push you get when you see someone like yourself in these seats. And then it’s a Lady.... 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Respect .... now I understand why people make such a big deal about “representation” Please don’t attack me for this comment, if it irritates you, because “why are you making this about race?” just ignore me and move on! Thanks No Clip, I NEED to become a contributor ASAP ! You are CHANGING THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER the best YOU can ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@nithssh]

Another solid short. Wish i could support the patreon

[@NoclipDocs]

We appreciate your comments and likes just as much!

[@Jawhosimawhatsit]

@@NoclipDocs i dont know about you, but i cant buy beer with comments and likes :(

[@melonheadthecherrybomb5886]

@@Jawhosimawhatsit engagment helps boosts their channel, the algorithm sees how active the engagement is, it promotes the channel more, and it repeats. It's a giant snowball.

[@daveid9271]

It's really cool to see the development of the game and artwork. I realllllly want to get my hands on a psychonauts concept art book. They have such an amazing unique style!

[@Social_Pugatory]

Same I love the dark whimsical style they have. It’s like Claymation Tim Burton meets an early 2000s 3D kids show like Jimmy Neutron

[@daniel-zh9nj6yn6y]

The GOG version has artwork included, but I don't know what that means. The Steam version might have artwork too.

[@glass7923]

I already can't wait for 80-episode Cyberpunk 2077 documentary.

[@MerelyMarcos]

Love to see such an inside baseball perspective. Lisette and the people at double fine seem so honed in on their crafts! This video is gonna make me play psychonauts for the first time.

[@Volker_A4]

This is amazing, she's amazing. The amount of love going into ghis project is phenomenal

[@Yalden_]

It's so bizarre watching this after Psychodyssey. She feels like this person I know so many details of, what her tribulations in the project were, etc. Double Fine and game dev as a whole will never be the same in my eyes after the doc.

[@ThisIsNeccessary]

OMG YES I love the Jeremy from Pure Pwnage icon cameo at 2:49 There will truly never be another web series quite like it, especially when new episodes were being released. Every single one felt like a huge event. Gamer Army ID 2549!

[@NoclipDocs]

Hah, nice spot!

[@Resopheed]

I'd love to see a Noclip mini-doc on those dudes. Pure Pwnage is such a big part of internet history, and I'd love to see more people exposed to it.

[@just1it1moko]

i love this! i'm a environment artist and i've worked with very tiny indie studios (none of them you've ever heard of) and its awesome to see what its like in the semi big leagues like this!

[@JoJo-xp6wr]

Double fine?! So she worked on "The Cave"?! Salute this woman!

[@aqsw57]

I loved the cave so much, I've been hoping for a sequel for so long

[@pommefrites]

No, I think she came to DF for Psychonauts 2, so in the last couple of years. According to Moby Games, the art director for The Cave was Andrew Wood, who has since moved on to other studios.

[@rampagingarsonist8381]

"i dont know what that is, but i want to do that" literally everybody

[@fliptopjim]

Again, a fantastic piece. She's so calmly inspiring. Talent and control.

[@thedudeabides3138]

Yet another exceptional video, thank you very much D & J. It’s so obvious that she is really good at her job, but humble enough to recognise that she’s working among peers who are equally gifted...I can only dream of how satisfying that must be.

[@cyncynshop]

Concept art really breathes into a world with Doublefine games

[@gaurd3]

So Doublefine's artist are the Navy Seals of the industry. Got it.

[@1anre]

And Xbox owns them. Isn’t that double cool

[@takkun169]

It's nice to hear some positivity about game development, for a change.

[@novikovPrinciple]

I like hearing your voice as you ask the questions, instead of using transition cards (white text on black background) to segment which question is currently being answered. It makes this all feel more personal.

[@punkdrunkmonk824]

Still hope Double fine makes another brutal legend.

[@AndrewThomasSpecialEffects]

Agreed! Brütal Legend is more than a game, it's the history of Metal

[@1anre]

So cool seeing a black woman at such a high level in the technical side of the game industry, leading the creative vision of some of the best video games we’d ever get to experience. She infuses her life experiences & her perspective on this Psychonaut guy & that’s duper super cool.

[@Amanojaku8]

DF sounds like a really chilled (but talented) studio and she sounds like a cool boss to have.

[@r0flcopter]

Watching this again a year later- I want to work at DoubleFine.

[@r0flcopter]

Supremely underrated mini-doc. Loved everything about it

[@sharinganrose]

This is so cool, Seeing a black woman in video games! She's living one of my dreams of doing some kind of character design/art director! Psychonauts is one of my favorite games of all time and to see her working on this game is so awesome!!. Been a fan of the channel since The Outer Worlds mini series! keep up the good work!💖

[@DavidNomNom]

Absolutely loving the character models and environments!

[@Jaooda]

Makes me even more excited for Psychonauts 2... Cannot wait !

[@Dan_213]

Im so hyped for pychonauts 2, I hope it´s not delayed again

[@soyunbonus]

This was great! Love to hear from lesser known developers about what they actually work in the games. Watching interviews with superstars like Schafer or Kojima is fine, but they don't talk much about the development process itself.

[@PocketVinyl]

Excellent video. Thanks for the continued great work, Noclip.

[@ReynaldoRoman]

Could listen to her talk in a podcast for a few hours and enjoy her just talking about anything.

[@thunbergmartin]

What a great insightful interview! Really well edited with the timeline, good questions and what a lovely person Lisette seams to be!

[@jayrex690]

Can't wait for Psychonauts 2!!! Just got the first one as a bargain on PSN so will be giving that a playthrough to get myself prepped, the design on 2 looks really fucking cool. Also really liked the setup of this interview, nice to get a quick snapshot of someone's experiences working in the industry, especially someone so talented with that variation of work on their resume.

[@surrealdynamics4077]

Watching this now, after experiencing the game, is so wonderful! Psychonauts is such an awesome game, and the second one is soo full of thought and care

[@audiolatte]

WOW!! This was an amazing watch. Such a great insight into what actually happens in a studio and how they organise the creative chaos that must sure happen.

[@IRWPD]

Enjoying theses quick one on one interviews.

[@8BitRip]

I bet she’s pretty good with this work from home stuff. She already has the skills to direct a team remotely. Good shit

[@cesarreyes809]

I'm still playing the first game and it's amazing. So excited for the second

[@urbanscholar]

This is now one of my favorite no clip videos

[@zubayrbhyat8077]

Awesome, awesome interview. I love these little videos that talk about insights into development.

[@tekgeekster]

She did freak style!? That game was so cool!

[@funkouttamyface680]

Can’t wait for Psychonauts 2 !!! Hopefully it come out soon :D

[@heyoyo10gaming4]

Unfortunately, due to a certain thing, Double Fine have likely been prohibited from communicating telepathically from more than a metre away.

[@manny655321]

@Upsidedown Toilet how did your comment age?

[@archivehans]

A Women of color being in so many huge games is amazing

[@rakku4004]

I didnt know psyconauts was on steam but I was watching some older double fine prod vids and he said they put it on steam in like 2015 and I got it and its so much fun

[@TetraTheThief]

Love these :)

[@stillbald5827]

I really enjoyed that. I would be more than happy to hear more from her!

[@MrSteezy]

I read double-fine art director and was ohhh thats a ballsy title LOL she definitely is double fine!

[@cynthia-op8rx]

great stuff as always, I love seeing career profiles like this

[@AllThatJuice-]

Lisette is a breath of fresh air

[@a.spirit8408]

Great insights into the art process

[@TheKyotoEffect]

Such cool interviews. I watch Edmund McMillen's interview the other night and I think I've watched 1-2 of these every day since then. Very cool. :) I'm sorry to see your brick and mortar studio close down as well because of the pandemic :(

[@RVAlien]

Very inspirational, thank you for your work Ms. Montgomery !

[@HomeFrogGames]

A great woman with some insightful comments on her work! Thank you for uploading this :)

[@Battlehungry]

I wanna work for Double Fine. Gonna give myself a year to build a new portfolio. I'm getting old gotta shoot my shot. Seeing black people like Lisette working in the industry inspires me to want to do the same.

[@ntonio9]

How old are you

[@ErenTheWarcriminal]

She’s double fine indeed!

[@redjohniii8665]

Really enjoyed a look behind the scenes

[@IGotTheFlag]

Great video. Can't wait to see what comes next! This Sligo man is wishing ye only the best 👍

[@peppage]

Fun hearing a new perspective!

[@petervector11]

Great video and great interview!!!!! Keep up the great work!!!

[@Adsmak]

This is what I want to do. I want to do concept art and character design for a video game studio that is passionate about their games. I want to work with a team to make cool stuff. I don’t want to be a detriment but rather a key component to a talented art team

[@ChaseBethea]

I very much enjoyed this, the story, the background, everything.

[@darthkurama784513]

duuuuuuuuuuuuuude amazing workkk

[@liamwong]

Truly inspiring!

[@TheEldanu79]

Great video, I love hearing stories about the people who make games. I would love to ask her a few questions about developing a video game.

[@jjju3]

1:16 yoo unironically the simpsons game had really good art direction its cool to hear she worked on it!!

[@CORKALOT]

The guy who pops his head in at 6:16 looks SO much like Jonathan Coulton...

[@JV-ll1cu]

Dante's Inferno. Nice! One of my all time favorite games

[@coralunasoleil5265]

I am SO beyond excited for Psychonauts 2!!! If you haven't played the first one, definitely play it, it's SOO much fun.

[@LeviathanDesigner]

Good interview. She´s amazing at explaining how things work.

[@onepurpose315]

Love this lady

[@Made4metal]

@ 7:38 Tim Schafer in a Death Angel Shirt. I like Tim even more now haha.

[@BucklingSwashes]

Please tell me you're going to do a series on the making of Psychonauts 2!

[@petersilktube]

Double Fine still have the documentary crew, they're going to release a making of documentary series themselves!

[@BucklingSwashes]

I guess that's a good point, I've been watching all of those! That said, I kinda would like to see an outside perspective, too.

[@jasmine-ruff-puff9951]

When I was a kid, what Lisette does was my dream job, but I never chased it.

[@rocstarang5747]

Thanks for this!

[@MrGreyWolfAlpha]

Great insight into the industry

[@abasasas]

She's amazing

[@carrefamily01]

i think i bought this game already on fig but can't remember because it's been so long. great business model btw.

[@whiitehead]

Love these short videos

[@oscarmike1131]

She’s very dope

[@chrisandbagel]

Awesome video!

[@amaraleksandr2645]

Awsome interview

[@jroaduri]

This was great

[@JSOWNMC]

You should do a doc on bungie's art team

[@tiotito31]

Do more of these.

[@maxneale3328]

FREEKSTYLE Oh man I played that so much! Havent thought about that in forever awesome!

[@luiscc2884]

Nice interview.

[@DjinnandTonik]

[@LuksFrikiMaster]

awesome video like always !!!!

[@SquareNoggin]

I thought Psychonauts 2 was pretty hype. This woman and her people know what they're doing if they did art on that gorgeous and wonder-filled game.

[@mecharobots]

Freakstlye I have that on gamecube what a game

[@mutsavo6016]

Played Freekstyle on GC as well. That game was awesome!