Intro

Your game is built. Your brand is locked. Now you need to show it off—in 30 to 60 seconds.

A game trailer is a tight montage of your best moments: the coolest action, the funniest dialogue, the most stunning visuals. It's a teaser, not a walkthrough. The goal? Make someone want to play.

In this lesson, you'll capture footage from your game, edit it with your brand colors and fonts, add music and sound, and export a professional-looking video that lives on your portfolio page and gets shared on social media.

This is a team effort. Your Marketing Lead directs the vision. Everyone contributes gameplay clips.

Before You Start

You need:

• Your finished game from Lesson 3.3 (you need to record footage)
• Your Brand Kit from Lesson 3.4 (colors, fonts, logo, tone)
• Access to a screen recording tool (GDevelop built-in recorder, OBS, or Camtasia)
• Access to a video editor (DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere, iMovie, or Shotcut)
• Music and sound effects (free options: Freepik, Pixabay, YouTube Audio Library)
• A storyboard or shot list planned by your Marketing Lead

Keep in mind: 30–60 seconds is short. That's 8–15 shots at most. Every frame counts. Plan carefully.

Task 1: Record & Gather Footage 🟢

Goal: Capture the best moments from your game—clean, well-lit, and showing the core action.

Duration: 1–2 class periods

1. Plan your shots. With your Marketing Lead, list 8–15 key moments in your game:
   • Hook (0–3 sec): The coolest, most immediate action (explosion, jump, story reveal, puzzle solve)
   • Gameplay (5–15 sec): 3–4 short clips showing different mechanics or levels
   • Polish (15–25 sec): 2–3 shots showing art, UI, or story moments that make players care
   • Call-to-action (25–30 sec): Text reveal of the title and tagline, fade to logo

   Example storyboard: [Platformer] (0–2s) Player leaps over spikes → (2–5s) Player lands on enemy, bounces → (5–8s) Player collects jewel, HUD updates → (8–10s) Reaching the goal → (10–15s) Montage: Level 2 intro, boss fight, victory screen → (15–30s) Slow-motion replay of best moment with music swell → (30–35s) "TOWER ESCAPE" title appears → (35–40s) "Coming Soon to ICT 9" fades in

2. Set up recording. Choose your recording method:
   • GDevelop built-in: Preview → click "Record" if available. Simplest option.
   • OBS Studio (free): Open-source, professional, can record at any resolution and frame rate. Steeper learning curve, but powerful.
   • Camtasia (school license): Easier UI, built-in editing, good for simple recordings.

   Settings: Record at 1920×1080 (1080p) at 60 fps. This ensures clean, smooth footage.

3. Record each shot. For each clip:
   • Play through the moment in your game
   • Record only the moment (don't record your menu navigation or fumbling)
   • Aim for 3–5 seconds per clip (longer clips get trimmed in editing)
   • If the moment requires setup (reach a certain point, set difficulty), play it as many times as needed to get a clean take

   Pro tip: Record some shots twice. You might want different angles or speeds in editing.

4. Gather B-roll. Beyond gameplay footage:
   • Title screen or menu (3 seconds)
   • UI details (HUD, inventory, stat screen)
   • Character/environment close-ups (if relevant)
   • Any cinematic or story moment (dialogue, cutscene)
5. Organize your files. Create a folder structure:
   Game_Trailer/
   ├── Footage/
   │ ├── Hook_Shot.mp4
   │ ├── Gameplay_01.mp4
   │ ├── Gameplay_02.mp4
   │ ├── Polish_BattleScreen.mp4
   │ └── CTA_TitleScreen.mp4
   ├── Audio/
   │ ├── Music_Main.mp3
   │ └── SFX_Victory.mp3
   └── Storyboard.txt

   🟢 You have 8–15 clean clips organized and ready to edit.

Checkpoint: All footage is recorded at 1080p/60fps, organized, and matches your shot list.

Task 2: Edit the Trailer 🟢

Goal: Assemble your clips with music, titles, and transitions to create a compelling 30–60 second video.

Duration: 2–3 class periods

1. Set up your project. In your video editor (DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, iMovie):
   • Create a new 1920×1080 project
   • Set frame rate to 60 fps
   • Create a timeline (sequence/project)
2. Import your assets. Drag your video clips, music, and any graphics (logo, title card) into the editor's media library.
3. Build the rough cut. Place clips on the timeline in order, with audio below:
   • Video track: All your gameplay footage, end-to-end (rough, no trimming yet)
   • Audio track: Music and sound effects underneath

   Don't worry about timing yet—just get everything in.

4. Trim and time clips. Now edit each clip to fit the music and pacing:
   • Hook clip (0–3s): Grab the most attention-grabbing 2–3 seconds
   • Gameplay clips (3–20s): Trim each to show one complete action, 2–4 seconds each
   • Polish/story clips (20–25s): Slow down here, let moments breathe
   • CTA (25–30s): 5 seconds for title + tagline

   Pacing rule: Fast cuts (1–2 sec per clip) = exciting. Slower cuts (4–5 sec) = cinematic or emotional. Mix them.

5. Add music and sound.
   • Find royalty-free music that matches your tone (YouTube Audio Library is free and solid)
   • Lay the music track under all clips
   • Adjust volume: music loud at the start, dip under dialogue, swell at the title reveal
   • Add sound effects (jump, coin collect, victory chime) at key moments for impact

   Audio licensing: Always check the license. YouTube Audio Library, Freepik, and Pixabay are free for school projects. Never use copyrighted music without permission.

6. Add titles and graphics. Using your Brand Kit:
   • Title card (at 25–30s): Your game's name in your headline font, in your primary color, on a contrasting background (use a second color or gradient)
   • Tagline card (at 30–35s): Your one-line pitch below the title
   • Logo (at 35–40s or end): Your logo fades in or pops on screen
   • CTA text (at 40–50s): "Coming to ICT 9 Studio," "Play Now," or your launch date

   Use simple text overlays or create a graphic in Figma and import it as an image.

7. Add transitions (sparingly). Most cuts can be straight cuts (instant change). Use transitions only for emotional beats:
   • Fade to black for scene changes
   • Dissolve between slow-motion moments
   • Wipe or zoom for comedic moments (if your tone allows)

   Rule: Transitions should be fast (0.3–0.5 seconds) and subtle. Avoid spinning cubes or explosions; they date your video.

8. Color and audio balance.
   • Check that all clips have consistent brightness and color temperature (use color grading if needed)
   • Balance audio levels: music at -12dB to -6dB, speech at -3dB, sound effects as accents
   • Add a gentle fade-in at the start and fade-out at the end
9. Check the length. Your timeline should be 30–60 seconds. Time it. If too long, cut clips or speed them up (1.2x–1.5x speed keeps it smooth). If too short, add a longer music outro or extend the CTA. 🟢 Trailer is 30–60 seconds, polished, and ready to export.

Checkpoint: The trailer is edited, has music/sound, titles, and smooth pacing. Total length: 30–60 seconds.

Task 3: Export & Deliver 🟢

Goal: Export your trailer at broadcast quality and prepare it for sharing.

Duration: 30 minutes–1 hour

1. Export settings. In your editor, export with these specs:
   • Format: MP4 (H.264 codec)
   • Resolution: 1920×1080 (1080p)
   • Frame rate: 60 fps
   • Bitrate: 8–12 Mbps (high quality, but reasonably sized)
   • Audio: AAC, 128 kbps stereo
2. Quality check. Download the MP4 and play it:
   • Does it play smoothly on your computer? (No stuttering or audio sync issues)
   • Can you read all text clearly?
   • Does the music sync with the visuals?
   • No obvious artifacts or dropped frames?

   If there are issues, go back to editing and re-export.

3. Create a thumbnail. (For when the trailer is posted online)
   • Extract one striking frame from your trailer (the coolest action moment)
   • Add your game's title and logo in a corner
   • Use your Brand Kit colors for contrast
   • Export as a 1280×720 PNG or JPG

   This thumbnail will represent your video on YouTube, social media, and your portfolio page.

4. Save to your team's folder. Upload to Teams or Google Drive in a shared "Assets" or "Marketing" folder:
   Game_Trailer_Final/
   ├── YourGame_Trailer_720p.mp4
   ├── YourGame_Trailer_360p.mp4 (optional, for social media)
   ├── YourGame_Trailer_Thumbnail.png
   └── Project_Files/ (DaVinci, Premiere, or iMovie project for future edits)
   
5. Share with the team. Post the trailer in your team channel:
   • Link to the video file
   • One sentence about what you loved in the final cut
   • Any feedback or "next time we'd..."

   🟢 Trailer is exported, uploaded, and shared with the team.

Checkpoint: MP4 is 1080p@60fps, plays smoothly, and is saved in your team folder. Thumbnail created.

Blue Tasks: Deeper Learning

• Multi-platform edits. Create three versions: 60s (cinematic), 30s (quick grab), and 15s (social media teaser). Each has a different pace and focus.
• Color grading. Use your editor's color tools to match the mood of each clip. Warm tones (oranges, yellows) for action; cool tones (blues, purples) for mystery. Consistent look = professional video.
• Motion graphics intro. Animate your title card: letters fly in, logo spins, or bars sweep across. Keeps it dynamic. (Use After Effects, Figma, or your editor's built-in animation tools.)
• Subtitles or captions. Add text for key dialogue or story moments. Helps viewers who can't hear audio and makes clips more engaging on mute (social media best practice).
• Behind-the-scenes footage. Film 30 seconds of your team playing, reacting, or celebrating. Include it as a credits roll at the end.

Reflection

• What was your "hook"—the first 3 seconds? Did you choose it because it's the coolest moment, the most action-packed, or something else? Why?
• Describe the pacing of your trailer. Are cuts fast, slow, or mixed? How does that match your game's tone (from your Brand Kit)?
• If someone muted the video and watched only the visuals, would they still understand what your game is about? Why or why not?
• What was the hardest part of editing? (Recording, syncing audio, fitting the time limit, color grading?) How did you solve it?

Hand It In

Submit to Teams under "Lesson 3.5 — Trailer."

• Trailer (MP4) — 1080p@60fps, 30–60 seconds long, exported and tested
• Thumbnail image — 1280×720 PNG or JPG with your game's title/logo
• Link to all project files — (DaVinci project, Premiere file, iMovie library, etc.) so edits can be made later
• List of music/sound sources — Include links and licenses (e.g., "Victory_Chime.mp3 from YouTube Audio Library, free for education")
• Your reflection — (the four prompts answered)