EA LA talks risk and reward for using live actors, FMV in C&C: Red Alert 3

With CG modelling being all the rage these days for pre-rendered character models and cinematics, perhaps it's reassuring for Command & Conquer fans that developer Electronic Arts Los Angeles is keeping alive the tradition of filming actors on decorated sets for the RTS franchise's full-motion video cutscenes. This tradition remains intact with C&C: Red Alert 3, as seen in the preview trailers featuring talent like Tim Curry, Jenny McCarthy, J.K. Simmons, and George Takei. Speaking to Gamasutra, EA Los Angeles producers Amer Ajami and Greg Kasavin readily acknowledge the use of actors in FMV as a series staple, and the developer saw no reason to buck the trend in this regard for Red Alert 3. Kasavin promises that FMV will also enhance RA3 in ways outside of simply using them as intermission cutscenes.

So what does it take to get yourself into C&C? Ajami describes a "four-tiered filter", essentially a shopping list for what sort of talent is best suited for C&C FMV:

Big-name Hollywood talentActors with "geek cred" (Takei being in Star Trek and more recently Heroes is an obvious example)Actors with recognition outside of movies, and aren't necessarily on the Hollywood A-listAnd of course, hot chicks

Of course, the use of big-name talent also means the returns for Red Alert 3 will need to be that much higher, so marketing the game (and the actors) to the intended audience is important.