Interview with CJ Cowan Halo 3 Director of Cinematics at Bun

[Music]

[Music] now I’m really really happy to be joined

now I’m really really happy to be joined

now I’m really really happy to be joined today by CJ Cohen CJ is the director of

today by CJ Cohen CJ is the director of

today by CJ Cohen CJ is the director of cinematics for Halo 3 just so I know

cinematics for Halo 3 just so I know

cinematics for Halo 3 just so I know exactly where you stand what exactly do

exactly where you stand what exactly do

exactly where you stand what exactly do you do with respect to cinematics what

you do with respect to cinematics what

you do with respect to cinematics what is what is your job I’m responsible for

is what is your job I’m responsible for

is what is your job I’m responsible for all of the story channels what we call

all of the story channels what we call

all of the story channels what we call internally which is all the methods of

internally which is all the methods of

internally which is all the methods of telling the story in the game obviously

telling the story in the game obviously

telling the story in the game obviously the biggest part of that is our

the biggest part of that is our

the biggest part of that is our letterbox cinematics and so I direct all

letterbox cinematics and so I direct all

letterbox cinematics and so I direct all the animators and all the camerawork and

the animators and all the camerawork and

the animators and all the camerawork and all the animation and the lighting and

all the animation and the lighting and

all the animation and the lighting and effects and all of that on the letterbox

effects and all of that on the letterbox

effects and all of that on the letterbox cinematics but then I’m also responsible

cinematics but then I’m also responsible

cinematics but then I’m also responsible for making sure that the story across

for making sure that the story across

for making sure that the story across the gameplay is being told coherently

the gameplay is being told coherently

the gameplay is being told coherently with the story arc of the entire game

with the story arc of the entire game

with the story arc of the entire game and so the dialogue is coming in over

and so the dialogue is coming in over

and so the dialogue is coming in over the radio the little vignette animations

the radio the little vignette animations

the radio the little vignette animations of routes torturing humans all of that

of routes torturing humans all of that

of routes torturing humans all of that kind of falls under under my prevail

kind of falls under under my prevail

kind of falls under under my prevail although the team is actually you know

although the team is actually you know

although the team is actually you know pretty big and I and I steal people from

pretty big and I and I steal people from

pretty big and I and I steal people from other disciplines to make sure the story

other disciplines to make sure the story

other disciplines to make sure the story is being told no you guys obviously have

is being told no you guys obviously have

is being told no you guys obviously have a very close relationship with Microsoft

a very close relationship with Microsoft

a very close relationship with Microsoft and I’d like to know a bit about what

and I’d like to know a bit about what

and I’d like to know a bit about what your impressions now working with

your impressions now working with

your impressions now working with cinematics on the xbox 360 most of the

cinematics on the xbox 360 most of the

cinematics on the xbox 360 most of the challenges was men there’s all this new

challenges was men there’s all this new

challenges was men there’s all this new power that we have how do we best use

power that we have how do we best use

power that we have how do we best use our time to utilize it we need higher

our time to utilize it we need higher

our time to utilize it we need higher res characters we need higher res

res characters we need higher res

res characters we need higher res textures we need to do more with our

textures we need to do more with our

textures we need to do more with our facial animation because we’re getting

facial animation because we’re getting

facial animation because we’re getting closer to our characters and the

closer to our characters and the

closer to our characters and the animation on the face from Halo 2 would

animation on the face from Halo 2 would

animation on the face from Halo 2 would just not hold up at this level of detail

just not hold up at this level of detail

just not hold up at this level of detail all of the lipstick is happening in real

all of the lipstick is happening in real

all of the lipstick is happening in real time and so if you put in a Japanese

time and so if you put in a Japanese

time and so if you put in a Japanese copy of halo 3 from here up it’s all

copy of halo 3 from here up it’s all

copy of halo 3 from here up it’s all custom animated by our animators but the

custom animated by our animators but the

custom animated by our animators but the lip sync is completely running in

lip sync is completely running in

lip sync is completely running in real-time programmatically off of the

real-time programmatically off of the

real-time programmatically off of the engine and so the lipstick matches every

engine and so the lipstick matches every

engine and so the lipstick matches every language that we ship in if halo 3 is a

language that we ship in if halo 3 is a

language that we ship in if halo 3 is a resounding success which almost goes

resounding success which almost goes

resounding success which almost goes without saying I mean are you guys gonna

without saying I mean are you guys gonna

without saying I mean are you guys gonna leave us hanging when you get to the end

leave us hanging when you get to the end

leave us hanging when you get to the end of Halo 3 you’ll realize that we’ve

of Halo 3 you’ll realize that we’ve

of Halo 3 you’ll realize that we’ve spent a lot of time make

spent a lot of time make

spent a lot of time make that these three games as a trilogy feel

that these three games as a trilogy feel

that these three games as a trilogy feel really solid from start to finish the

really solid from start to finish the

really solid from start to finish the character arcs of all the major

character arcs of all the major

character arcs of all the major characters involved come to a satisfying

characters involved come to a satisfying

characters involved come to a satisfying conclusion we’re really happy with the

conclusion we’re really happy with the

conclusion we’re really happy with the trilogy as a whole we’re really happy

trilogy as a whole we’re really happy

trilogy as a whole we’re really happy with this story I doubt this will be the

with this story I doubt this will be the

with this story I doubt this will be the last game in a Halo universe