You never really think about all that goes into the development of game trailers for iOS. I can understand big game developers like EA having access to superb materials, and I never considered that solo or small-team developers would spend too much on camera and video equipment. Leave it to RazorianFly and the folks from Majic Jungle Software Blog to give us some insight.

So first up, the camera is very important. Chopper 2 uses a Canon 7D digital SLR. Previously I had used consumer level video cameras, with the DuckDuckDuck 2.0 trailer as well as the Chopper 2 bluetooth video being shot with a Sony HDR-SR11. This was OK, though I just wasn’t quite happy enough with the quality I was getting.

Whatever camera you choose, make sure you have manual control over white balance, focus, and exposure. Without any one of these features your video quality will suffer greatly.

Moving from a consumer level device to a professional camera will certainly yield greater results, but it’s the environment you have to control as well.

Lighting is the next important thing. You need to have well lit hands (none of that silhouette rubbish) and some kind of lit background as well, but without causing reflections on the screen. I have found that the best way to achieve this is to have lights on either side just a bit above the device level, and a lot of black fabric around and above to prevent any reflections from walls or the ceiling. You also have to constantly monitor for reflections of yourself or the camera, which is just one reason why you need two people to do the job.

Check out the results of the trailer below, then hit up the source links below for more detailed information about the process. Majic Jungle Software will take you behind the scenes of the trailer at their blog.

[Majic Jungle Software Blog via RazorianFly]