A trailer is such an important thing for any game! It should demonstrate the best features of the game, but not reveal too much. It also should attract and intrigue more players. No wonder it takes some time to figure out how to create the best trailer for your game. We're also experimenting. We came up with the idea that two trailers would show off the game better than one. Our first, "historical" trailer is finally out! Check it out on our YouTube channel While our second gameplay trailer is in progress, the creators of "historical" trailer will reveal how did they come up with the idea.

Ilya Terentyev, the original author, consultant and assistant:

Why does the trailer look like this? It's important to understand that our game is unique and unlike any other game. Of course, there are games with a similar gameplay, but the idea to introduce the history through a game, to teach the player about the history, culture, traditions and other aspects of life weren't implemented by anyone else before. Assassin's Creed came close enough by demonstrating all these things through an action game, but our game is of the strategy genre, closer to the reality, more scientific. The goal of a trailer is to intrigue the viewer by the idea of a game. He may look at the pictures, read the description, watch the gameplay trailer, and the first thing that should happen is that (s)he will be emotionally hooked by these things. "Wow! What's that? Interesting, let's find out more!" The first impression is very important. It's not necessary to watch the trailer until the end, but it should interest the viewer and impress him. Regarding "interest and impress" here is the secret. There are two approaches: the first one if rational and second one is emotional. With the rational approach, we would step by step explain everything about the game, what possibilities there are and so on. A constant narration about "how does this game works". This kind of approach is more suitable for a TV show when someone wants you to tell more about the game. But when you have a customer coming to your page, you must interest him immediately. Of course, there is no 100% guarantee, but lots of people purchase things impulsively, emotionally. Theis choice is based on their likes or dislikes. When you go to the store, your first impression is not based on how a certain clothing item is sewn, what kind of threads are used, what fabric. The first impression is always "I like it" or "I don't like it", and then some will also pay attention to details, but not everybody. So the main purpose of the trailer is to evoke the right reaction from the viewer, which is "Oh, I like it!" So what's the idea of our trailer? Our game is a historical one, there are no made-up events. The trailer should reflect this. We used the same idea as in our teaser: we didn't want to make up the scenario or the text, we wanted to find something that would position the mystery of Egypt, something unknown, intriguing, enigmatic. Something that would catch viewer's eyes and make him want to find out more. In short, the task was to visualize somehow the essence of Ancient Egypt for an average person. And the usual level of knowledge about Egypt for such person is a set of stereotypes - pyramids, pharaohs, Cleopatra, etc. We wanted our text to transfer the emotional message as well as consisted of something real because everything real is more attractive than made-up stuff. That's why in our first trailer we got the idea to use quotes from the real Egyptian texts which were found in pyramids and sarcophagus. These texts are deciphered by the Egyptologists and they are mostly of a religious, sacred and mythical character. They were used during burial ceremonies. According to one version, the priest entered the tomb and walked around, reading the necessary texts all the time. In both of our videos, we used the text from Unas' tomb. There is an official translation of it made by Egyptologists. We had to select the right sentences and to compose the scenario, to write a story which will convey a certain image, certain message. Eventually, after long hours of reading and selecting the right sentences, we composed the text we needed. In the trailer, pharaoh's counselor addressing the pharaoh, the god. The counselor introducing to the pharaoh his position, his land, and telling him how his power made other gods silent. He's showing to the pharaoh his land and telling him that he must cherish, protect and improve this land. This is the purpose of our game, where the player will understand what does it mean to be a pharaoh, to be the king of the great country. This trailer is addressing the viewer as if he is the pharaoh.

Maxim Yakovenko, the artist, director, and editor of the trailer:

We were getting closer to the release, and we had to make a trailer for Steam. Ilya was the creative force behind the video. He's not a member of the team, but he helps us a lot with various tasks. In the beginning, he wanted to direct and edit the video, but he had his own urgent matters. So he came to me and said: "Max, listen, I'm going to Japan now, but could you meanwhile make the scenario for the trailer?" The original plan was that I will be responsible for the scenario and graphics, and that's it. Then I figured out that the video will not show off the gameplay, but instead, it will be a short movie based on Ancient Egypt frescoes. We had a disagreement about it in the team, I thought such video will not impress rational people who don't want to spend their money in vain. Nobody is going to pay for a perfectly CGIed video not knowing what this game is about. In the end, I agreed there are people who might be impressed more by something emotional, rather than rational. That's how we decided we're going to make two videos: one for Egyptian myths, another one for gameplay, the record of the gaming process. It was decided. I started to work. I got the music and voiceover materials done by the professional actor. That's when it hit me how interesting this experience can be for me, and that the damn video might actually be really interesting and inspiring. I've never worked with the professional voiceover before. That's probably why I had difficulties with the scenario. I assembled the video complete with directing and editing part. Forgot to mention, in the scenario we used different parts of pyramid texts, but Ilya composed them in a way which gave us a comprehended story. When I read the text, listened to the music and the voiceover, I already had a complete video in my head and felt very inspired. All that's left to do was to start necessary programs and distribute the graphics across the timeline. In a couple days I assemble the first version of the video and sent it to Ilya. He praised me and told me I did such a good job that he doesn't have to do anything at all. I can't judge my own work objectively, so I'll leave it to the audience, to all of you. But I really hope you will like it.

Mikhail Vasilyev, leader and game designer of Clarus Victoria:

Just as theatre begins at the cloakroom*, the game begins with the trailer. That's why we decided to pay a special attention to the first impression of players. However simple this trailer may appear, around 50 people contributed to the creation of it. Out of these 50 people, 5 were direct creators, around 10 people were editors and translators, the rest were testers and consultant. So this video truly is a result of teamwork, and we want to thank them all. In the beginning, I turned for help to Ilya Terentyev. It wasn't the first trailer for him, he already has a considerable experience in trailer making. He came up with the idea of our trailer, created first storyboards. But the rest of the job was done by our artist Maxim Yakovenko, who directed and finalized the video. I was only helping by offering comments when needed. Other people whose help was essential for the video are another artist, Ivan Beshkarev who did all of the 2D drawings for the game and trailer, Nadezhda Gurskaya and her team who created the soundtrack. Josh Bloomberg did the voiceover. It seemed like everybody was inspired by the idea of the trailer and did their job exceptionally good. Since Max and Ilya already told you about the creative work behind the trailer, I only want to add one more thing. We wanted to make this trailer better than the one we did for Predynastic Egypt, but we know we can't please everybody. There will be another video revealing the gameplay for those people who don't like introducing videos and want to know more about the game.