How to Capture Gameplay Quickly and Efficiently (Guest: Steve Lejeune) | Video Game Trailer Academy

[@quantumsno]

I would love love love a video talking about what tools you expect when coming in on a project. Or what tools you found very useful but you wish more developers added

[@DerekLieu]

My first GDC talk was on this topic! You can watch it and look at the accompanying blog post here (plus a couple other posts I made): www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2018/5/1/the-best-debug-tools-for-game-trailer-capture www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2021/11/1/debug-tools-for-recapturing-shots www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2022/11/19/how-to-make-a-freecam-or-marketing-camera-for-game-trailers

[@ITR]

Also possible to use a keyboard with autohotkey or a similar software if people don't want to spend money on a stream deck. I can't remember what it was called, but there was one that let you use a separate keyboard not bound to anything only for hotkeys. Though devices with screens on the buttons like the Streamdeck definitely can lower the cognitive load

[@DerekLieu]

Thanks for the tip! But yeah, I think the buttons and the ability to have sub menus makes a huge difference.

[@garykings5723]

I use a Steam Deck (the handheld console) for quite a few things. Using the stream function, then using the device as a controller only allows me a lot of freedoms that'd be a little fiddlier with just my desktop setup. For a start, Valve has created an incredibly robust set of tools for dialling in controls for very very specific needs that they couldn't foresee. For example, if I need a slow panning backwards shot, I can set the left stick to only actuate a specific amount (number between 1-100) to keep the the shot slow, and I can even disable the other axis to stop my wiggling thumb from accidentally pushing it left or right during the backwards pan. Also any button (but particularly the back buttons) can be programmed to do basically anything, like actuate a macro command, or whatever, for cheats. A more common use of it: I regularly set one of those buttons to reload so that I don't have to take my thumb away from the right stick to do that, and my movement stays smooth. While a Stream Deck (like Steve uses) certainly has room for more functions, I feel like the Steam Deck's tools are uniquely geared towards solving problems before we even encounter them, and so it often bypasses the need for me to ask for extra things from the developer to get started. Clickable-only debugs continue to be a roadblock, though.

[@DerekLieu]

I think we need to make a video together so you can show me all of this 👀

[@garykings5723]

@@DerekLieu I don't know if it's enough for a video, but I can certainly look into how I'd like to capture it (as most of this is happening on the Steam Deck screen), and what tips I'd like to give. So yeah, let's chat about that sometime soon!

[@Igtgygy]

thank you

[@vhalenn7616]

Awesome video ! Thank you for taking time to explain all of this !

[@DerekLieu]

Thanks for watching!

[@darenn-keller]

That setup is so neat! Now I feel bad about the poor debug options I provided to my trailer maker. 😅

[@DerekLieu]

FIX IT. Hahaha just kidding, but ask your trailer maker what they need and it might be something relatively easy to add!

[@darenn-keller]

​@@DerekLieu I WILL! Actually I did tell them to not hesitate asking for stuff. But as you mentioned in your video, they really did not want to bother me, especially since I'm a solo developer. Thanks to your videos I have a better idea of what they might need, so next time I'll come up with tons of things before they even ask! Thanks again for sharing.

[@DeliciousOrange]

I added the ability for a second controller to manually adjust the player's camera beyond what the player can regularly do (basically like a no-clip mode). It's good for getting glamour shots, but I don't think it would be feasible to use for a trailer without two people operating them both with good coordination. Slow-mo toggle has been really useful though, since I can capture gameplay in slow motion and then return it to normal speed in the video editing software.

[@DerekLieu]

I’ve worked on some games that let me record a camera motion, and then play it back as I’m controlling the character 😮

[@DeliciousOrange]

@@DerekLieu You're right. I hate that you're right; because now I know what I'll be working on this week, but you're right.

[@PoorLittleRobots]

I like hands-free, but I'm an automation nerd. I use voice to text, convert that text to a limited set of commands and words (tokens), and finally use the converted text with a "remote controller" program that interfaces with the game or other program. Now you look like a crazy person talking to a computer, but a highly functional one! There is probably a solution you can buy, but these days with AI you can make your own pretty easily. Just be ready to prepare saying each word like 30 times with various inflections and tones so you have plenty of good training data.

[@DerekLieu]

Haha wow that sounds super cool! What sort of commands are you shouting out?

[@PoorLittleRobots]

@@DerekLieu go to level 3, kill all, pause time, spawn XYZ at relative vector x = 5 and z =30, create revert point ABC, enable record new video on revert, revert to ABC, (realize it is not understanding ABC so you choose a new name), create revert point Dog 3, revert to Dog 3 (scene reloads properly and starts), revert to Dog 3, revert to Dog 3... (Then you realize maybe I should just bind this to a hotkey. So....) Bind voice command "revert to Dog 3" to spacebar. Then you forget you have it running and try to type an email and wonder why you hear the sound of XYZ every single time you hit the spacebar...

[@DerekLieu]

@@PoorLittleRobots holy crap that's intense O_O

[@watercat1248]

Derek wean do you think it's the right time for indie developer like myself to make game trailer ? For example right now I'm working pvp multiplayer fps that have public testing version, However this game don't have most the important mekanic implement yet, I know that now it's not the right time, However how i will able to know wean the right time is.

[@DerekLieu]

The earlier the better to launch your store page. Make sure the art is pretty locked down and of course you want your main hook to be functioning.

[@watercat1248]

@@DerekLieu okay What did you mean with store page you mean the itch io That I published the game or wean I'm going to selling this game because right It's free for anyone to try? This game right now it's only for playing testing yes it's possible to play the game with 1 friend and have fun. However the only option to play the game is with split screen 😔 at this time. Also I don't have killed count and I have only 1 weapon at this point. Wail the Player movement and kill respond ECT work's the are still multiple bug, And the are not yet version to play with network. The only way to play is with same device. This the reason my game is not ready yet, The other reason I believe it's not ready for trailer yet is because on the state this game now It probably have updated very frequently seen the are so much mekanics bugs to fixed ECT even if make trailer right now I will probably have to make another one wean something drastic changed. Maby wean I implement all the besic mekanics it will be the best time for trailer. As for how party the art my is pretty looking already, I mean as long people like low poly art style.

[@watercat1248]

I have different question how to fix the image quality on OBS For some reason wean I do screen record ⏺️ with OBS and move camera It have image quality lost can eny one know how to fix that ?

[@DerekLieu]

In short, you're probably capturing with a low video bitrate which is creating pixelation. This video is a good guide about settings, but the most important one is using CQP, with a setting of between 18-25. This setting makes OBS change the bitrate based on how complicated the shot is. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l33bdX6ZgtiFptU

[@watercat1248]

@@DerekLieu thank i already fix the quality record lost thank to video you send my i was very annoying before that i was recorded forgets for my game and have worsh image quality for the true quality on my game for now on i my i will have better quality.