As the creative director at Sierra On-Line, Davis significantly advanced video game design by incorporating Hollywood production techniques. He introduced storyboarding, hand-drawn animations, and advanced animation methods, and he established the role of art director to enhance the coherence and artistic quality of PC games.
Davis was a lead graphic designer for NBC and received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences for his animated title and segue films on NBC, The First 50Years: A Closer Look in 1978.[2] He created over 200 "More to Come" on-air slides for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and he designed the logo for The Gong Show.[3] Later, Davis worked as an animation director and designer for Kurtz & Friends.[citation needed]
Sierra On-Line
The Spring 1991 edition of Sierra Magazine featured Jones in the Fast Lane illustrated by Bill Davis. This game showcased the rotoscoping and storyboarding techniques that Davis introduced.
Bill Davis was appointed vice-president of development and the first creative director of Sierra On-Line in July 1989.[4] Davis influenced Sierra's game design and contributed to setting new standards in the gaming industry, especially in the areas of game art and animation.[5]
By the late 1980s, Sierra On-Line, led by Ken Williams, adopted emerging technologies such as CD-ROMs, sound cards, and VGA displays. These technologies allowed Sierra to elevate the theatrical quality of their games, making them more similar to animated or live-action films. Davis, recruited from Hollywood, was brought in to adapt the company's creative approach and production techniques to these new capabilities.[5]
During his tenure, Davis introduced storyboarding—a method adapted from film production—into Sierra's game development process. This technique enhanced the planning and execution of game production, leading to more consistent and visually engaging games. It also facilitated the expansion of production teams without proportionately extending project timelines.[5]
Davis brought traditional media such as painting and sculpting into Sierra's game design, moving away from the prevalent low-resolution digital creation methods. Under his direction, artists drew backgrounds and animations by hand before scanning them into games, achieving sharper, more realistic visuals. Davis also introduced advanced animation techniques, such as rotoscoping and squash and stretch, to improve the realism and expressiveness of character movements.[5]
Recognizing the need for structured visual oversight, Davis established the role of art director at Sierra to unify the visual components of games. He also initiated the outsourcing of animation work to international studios—a practice borrowed from the traditional animation industry but relatively new to video games at the time.[5]
Davis proposed cubist influences and a cartoonish style for Leisure Suit Larry's transition to VGA graphics.
Davis advocated for maintaining a consistent art style across Sierra's game series, a shift from earlier practices where each title had a distinct look. This visual consistency aimed to reinforce Sierra's brand identity. He also encouraged aligning artistic styles with the thematic tone of individual games.[5] For example, Davis explored cubism for Leisure Suit Larry to reflect its quirky tone, persuading creator Al Lowe to adopt a cartoonish style that emphasized the game's wild visual humor.[6]
Other pursuits
In 1996, Davis left Sierra to become vice-president of development and creative director for Rocket Science Games.[7]
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