How do they make the just dance videos
The Science of Just Dance
Every Sunday, we pull something out of the Eurogamer archive that you may not have read at the time or may have forgotten about. Today's piece was published a couple of months prior to the release of Just Dance 2, on 6th August 2010, as Ubisoft's unlikely Wii title from the previous Christmas continued to rock the game sales charts, and offers an insight into how the French publisher reached such giddy heights.
A meeting room in the belly of a Parisian office block: Ubisoft producer Florian Granger stands to his feet to address a group of serious-looking, middle-aged men. These are some of the company's most experienced game designers, artists and coders, veterans of Ghost Recon and Red Steel campaigns, architects of solemn videogames about war and tactics, strategy and death.
Granger's job? To reveal the next assignment the assembled group will be working on. The project? A Wii game. A Wii party game. A Wii party game based almost entirely upon a mini-game that first featured in another Wii party game, months earlier. A Wii party game that, within 18 months of this meeting, will have gone on to sell three and a half million copies and knocked the record-breaking Modern Warfare 2 from its top spot in the sales charts. A Wii party game whose instruction manual also happens to also be its name: Just Dance.
"You'd think the team would have been cynical about the project," explains Granger. "There was a flood of casual games coming out for the Wii at the time, all offering the same-old experiences with no innovation or real attention paid to the player experience. But there was immediately a sense of excitement within the group. I think that was because the codebase for the game was already proven, and the games we were looking to learn from and build upon were respected titles like Dance Dance Revolution. Our reference points were authentic."
Caption
Attribution
Just Dance began life as a music mini-game in the Raving Rabbids series on Wii, in which the player used the Wii Remote and nunchuk to 'dance' in time with a piece of music.
Gregoire Spillmann, Just Dance's creative director, enjoyed the mini-game, but wanted to explore what would happen if you removed nunchuk and strict Rhythm Action gameplay and allowed the player to dance more freely.
"The term 'dancing game' is usually a misnomer," he says. "More often than not you're not being asked to dance so much as push buttons - either on a dance mat, plastic peripheral or controller - in time with the music. Our concept was to inspire people to overcome their inhibitions and encourage them to actually dance. If you look at a game like Dance Dance Revolution, advanced players will often adapt dance moves to fit gameplay. We wanted to come at the game from the opposite approach, and fit the gameplay to iconic moves, ones that can then be taken by the player, and used beyond the game.
The way in which the Just Dance team achieved this effect was in direct contrast to the prevailing trend in music games, which increasingly employ complicated, expensive and lifelike peripherals to act as a bridge between player and game.
"For what we wanted to achieve, peripherals were a distraction," explains Spillmann. "In order to encourage players to be free we had to reduce the amount of hardware the game required them to use to a bare minimum.
"We forced ourselves to achieve a meaningful level of rhythm and movement detection using the Wii Remote alone. We wanted complete freedom of arms and legs, so the idea of using nunchuks, elastic bands, leg straps or balance boards was thrown out at an early stage. We play-tested extremely hard right from the start, and this was the message coming back to us. The player is the best indicator; they know what they like and what they don't like so if you listen carefully, they'll guide you to make the right design choices."
In the case of Just Dance, the right design choice seemed to be the simplest design choice. I ask Granger how a team with so much experience was able to reconcile their ambition with the feedback they were receiving, to introduce fewer features and complexity.
"From the start the entire team believed in the simplicity of the game," he explains, "so there was no contradiction between Ubisoft's desire to make it a game for everyone and our designers' own personal ambitions. In truth, making 'simple' games should be the highest ambition of any game designer, if by 'simple' we mean stripping a game back to the pure essentials where any person from any walk of life can experience something fun and engaging.
"That brief hardly represents a compromise. Also, making a game simple and accessible doesn't mean forgoing making it rich and deep. Those factors can all coexist happily, and that's something we were aiming for in Just Dance, at every stage of development."
If Ubisoft's ambition was to create a universally accessible experience, its success is near unrivalled, certainly in raw terms of last year's videogame sales. I ask Granger whether he puts the success of the game down to its soundtrack, supermarket-happy price point, or something else.
"I think there are loads of reasons why the game has been so well received. It might sound like a cliché, but it really does offer a unique dancing experience in it promotes communal, authentic dancing, rather than merely stepping in time. The tone of the game is fun too. We don't take the presentation too seriously, and I think players respond to that well, especially when we're asking them to do something as extroverted as dancing.
"Everyone remembers going to a nightclub or school disco where it takes a couple of hours before anyone has the bottle to get up and dance. Most guys do the fix-placed-beer-bottle dance or neck-shake to the beat. Everything in Just Dance is designed to sidestep those natural inhibitions. That's achieved partly by having the focal point of the screen for people to focus on, so they don't feel like they're being watched, but also in giving players a constant stream of new moves to learn, we're building up a vocabulary for people, and by having a dancer on screen to follow, giving them permission to try out that language in a safe context.
"After a few goes, when you've learned the basics, you get a little more adventurous and start to move around the room and checking at your fellow dancers. But by then, you're at ease and just enjoying the fun of dancing. Dancing with someone has this weird effect: it's like you know him or her in an intimate way or share a secret together somehow. People respond to that feeling too, as it's a unique thing in videogames."
In the light of this impassioned defense, I ask Granger how much is really going on in the Just Dance's code. Does the game really track player movements? Or is the scoring all smoke and mirrors, designed to give the player the illusion that the game is monitoring more that it really is able to?
Just Dance gameplay footage."We have built in a certain amount of leniency into the rhythm and precision detection, but to say that it's smoke and mirrors simply isn't true. We have constructed symmetrical movements using natural body dynamics to identify how well someone is playing even with just one controller.
We look at the Wii remote as an extension of the players' hands and body.
"At first we used the nunchuk as well, but found that the wire would hit you in the face and that you lost that sense of freedom you want when dancing. The system we use takes into account the way you move, dance and handle the Wii Remote to offer more precision in the detection frames. This is seamless for the player, but it takes a lot of work to enable the proper detection through a single input device."
The game features a DDR-esque scoring system, measuring the player's performance on a wide variety of factors. I ask Granger whether a better player will always beat a poorer player, or whether the machine can be duped by flailing arms and raw energy. "No way. If you pick up the moves and hit the beat, your performance will be scored accordingly. A better dancer will always beat a poorer player. If you want to be in time and accurate, you have a much higher chance if you follow both arm movements and keep the rhythm with both your lower and upper body.
So essentially, you're better off doing what the dancer is doing... Otherwise you will find the transitions difficult to match."
Neither man was willing to discuss the budget for Just Dance, nor how that might have ballooned for its forthcoming sequel, nor the royalty arrangements that the team members may or may not have enjoyed. But it's clear that, having tapped into something so popular, Ubisoft is keen to invest and build a franchise, especially in the face of a slew of me-too copycat titles from rival publishers.
As such, the team size for Just Dance 2 has been increased from 34 to 58, and a slew of new features have made it into the game, with downloadable content compatibility, new game modes and more accurate detection expanding the game in ways beyond its track list.
But despite the promise of these new features, Just Dance continues to have a hard time convincing hobbyist gamers of its worth, typically being dismissed as a lightweight, throwaway party game, a subject unworthy of serious discourse.
"That always makes me laugh," says Granger. "The entire videogame industry was founded on games made by lovable nerds that were, initially at least, enjoyed by everyone. I remember my friend's dad spending hours with us on 'Pong', refusing to give up the controller even when he lost.
"Of course, I appreciate where critics are coming from but it can be easy just to dismiss this type of Wii game out of hand. In truth, no player, no matter how inexperienced they are, is duped by poor design. Good game design is good game design whether you've been playing games all your life, or just for the last 20 minutes.
"'Casual' gamers, if we have to call them that, are much more educated and demanding of what they are want to play than 'hardcore' gamers give them credit for. And, it might sound obvious, but it's worth repeating: graphical fidelity, and the power of hardware itself is not what makes a game fun or not. The number of polygons is not what makes you laugh or cry: it's the substance and creativity behind a game that holds its worth.
"
Just Dance Now on the App Store
Description
Enjoy Just Dance's greatest songs and moves on the go!
Dance to a free song every day! Get ready to dance to over 700+ top global hits from around the world, including the best tunes from the Just Dance 2022 console game!
Experience the best music from all over the world with awesome choreography and gameplay! Featuring the hottest tracks from your favorite chart-topping artists:
• BOOMBAYAH by BLACKPINK
• Ice Cream by BLACKPINK x Selena Gomez
• I Am The Best (내가 제일 잘 나가) by 2NE1
• Bangarang by Skrillex Ft. Sirah
• Don't Go Yet by Camila Cabello
• Levitating by Dua Lipa
• Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish
• Mood by 24kGoldn Ft. iann dior
• Run The World (Girls) by Beyoncé
• Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake
• Judas by Lady Gaga
• Sua Cara by Major Lazer Ft. Anitta & Pabllo Vittar
• China by Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G Ft.
Ozuna, J Balvin
• Chandelier by Sia
• SaveYourTears by The Weeknd & Ariana Grande
• Believer by Imagine Dragons
Enjoy the Just Dance experience:
• Instant: Dance to your favorite songs in just a few taps!
• Social: Show-off your dance moves and skills to the world and share your personalized Dancer Card with your friends!
• Fresh: New songs and exclusive content are added every month!
• Customize: Create your own playlist with your favorite songs!
• Apple HealthKit: Track calories burned in Just Dance Now directly on your Apple HealthKit dashboard!
• Compete: Dance your way to the top of the charts to be named Dancer of the Week, and get featured in the game!
Enjoy the features you know and love from consoles:
• Immersive: Immerse yourself in the music and show off your cool dance moves to the entire world! The ultimate dancing experience on your smartphone!
• Genres: Enjoy a wide variety of music across all genres such as EDM, KPop, Pop, Rock, and Latin, along with timeless classics!
• Content: Dance to over 700+ of the best songs from around the world with fresh content added regularly!
• Quality: Only the best chart-topping hits, all licensed, choreographed and optimized for your personal dancefloor! Quality playlists and collections added every week!
• Innovative: Stay fit, have fun, and enjoy the rhythm with an arcade like experience!
• Party: Play casually or join the online competitive game where you compete to become Dancer of the Week and get featured on the app! Casual or competitive, it’s your call!
• Original: Stay fit without the need for any gym membership or equipment!
Enjoy the best dance and workout app! A music app like no other! Take your dancefloor with you in your back pocket.
Work out, stay fit and party to your favorite beats! Learn, dance, work out and become the star that you are!
Just Dance Now is a product of Ubisoft Entertainment, one of the best developers and publishers in the world with a variety of critically acclaimed and AAA titles under their belt. With Ubisoft behind it, you're guaranteed a polished and optimized game that is both unique and innovative in the smartphone market! Jive and groove to over 700+ licensed top hits from around the world with new tracks being added regularly!
Are you ready to Just Dance?
Legal - https://legal.ubi.com/en-INTL
End User License Agreement - https://legal.ubi.com/eula/en-INTL
Terms of Use - https://legal.ubi.com/termsofuse/en-INTL
Privacy Policy - https://legal.ubi.com/privacypolicy/en-INTL
Version 5.7.1
• Dance to exclusive, all-new Just Dance 2022 songs in Just Dance Now!
• Performance tweaks and bug fixes
Ratings and Reviews
56.
8K Ratings
An idea for this very game
So I have an idea for this game, I think you should add a feature so that we can use our phone cameras to dance. It works just like a PlayStation camera or a Kinect sensor, expect when you load your phone into the game you can choose to use your phones camera to dance. So basically it’s like when you go into a dance room you have two options: 1. Your phone (obviously) and 2. Your phone camera, now this is very simple. Your go ahead and let your phone camera access to jdn. Then, you go get into your phones camera and once you do that then it will verify your face and then take you to the main menu to choose your song. Then once you choose your song it says on your phone “Get into the camera!“ and then dance! It may not accurately get your moves based on your phone camera and phone version (like for example a very old iPhone and then a iPhone 12 or an iPod touch or sumthing) and then play! I think this may be a bit hard for coding and adding and stuff considering the fact that updates take so long sometimes and it could slow down the game servers but I think after a day or two it will get back together.
Thank you for reading this review. Sincerely - som the bomb
A Few Flaws
I’ve had this app for about a month now, and it’s honestly a lot of fun, especially from having to be stuck inside all day because of quarantine. It’s nice how the Just Dance franchise is sticking around by going mobile since the wii and other older gaming systems are going away. Everything on here is pretty good, updated songs, easy pairing access, just...the coin system. I agree with all these other reviews; the coin system is flawed. When you first join you start off with 200 complementary coins, but you can technically only do two rounds a day since all the dances are 100 coins each, and you have to wait 24 hours to regain 200 coins again. Also, why are all the songs the same price? Maybe make some songs 25 or 50 coins to add some price diversity? Also, it’s annoying how the coin limit is 200 and you can’t gain anything above that number, so when you spend all of them, it’s like the developers are basically forcing you to hand them your money and pay with a card to reload your coins faster, or just sit through the 24 hour wait time.
Overall, this app is great fun for all ages. It has a wide range of difficulty levels, which makes it more enjoyable. I’ve played tons of times with my family on the weekends and they enjoy it just as much as I do, but they also agree that the coin system should either be changed or cut off. But besides that, I recommend! Have fun dancing! 💃🕺
Disappointed
At first when I download this app it was so worthy I loved it I love dancing I had gotten many stars but you could only do 2 song when you first start and you have to wait for another 24 hours just for 100 coins and it don’t go higher than 200 and each song cost 100 coins to dance so two song only. I paid for this game a few times cause I love dancing I had fun even with my family and 2 days later the 2nd time I paid for it I couldn’t dance to it keeps telling me that my wifi isn’t connected which I refresh so many times and it still doesn’t work and I wasted that payment.
Now the 3rd time I paid for it which is very stupid it’s still the same nothing changed I deleted this app thinking if I reinstall it’ll work again but nope if you delete and reinstall it won’t let you get back to your old account which gets me more upset it will just start you all over to level 1 and the payment I made won’t expire until tomorrow and i’m very upset and disappointed the waste of my payment I made 2 times. I don’t write any reviews but this the first review i’m going to write because i’m starting to think all they want us to do is pay so they give us only 2 songs to dance too and when you pay it start off good then it gets messy before your payment gets expire so be very alert before you start buying it. FYI I deleted this game cause I got very disappointed I couldn’t get my old account back and what’s the point of starting all over again at lv1?
Hello. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.
I kindly ask you to open a new support ticket at https://support.ubi.com/Cases/New and give your, DCID and full details of the issue. Our support agents will be more than happy to provide you with assistance for your issue.
The developer, Ubisoft, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
- Purchases
- Location
- User Content
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Purchases
- Location
- User Content
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Health & Fitness
- Diagnostics
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age.
Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Ubisoft
- Size
- 201.4 MB
- Category
- Games
- Age Rating
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.
- Price
- Free
- Developer Website
- App Support
- Privacy Policy
Supports
More By This Developer
You Might Also Like
8 tips on how to make a decent dance video yourself.
Today I want to give some advice on how to make yourself a decent dance video. Why is it important? Dance is a visual art form, which means that you must and must be able to do it well. Many dancers have become famous only thanks to their videos on YouTube. Isn't it time to join their ranks?
Listed below are 8 top tips for making your own dance video.
1. Musical composition. The track determines what and how you will dance. Based on it, you create your image, look for a suitable location for shooting. A couple of tips for choosing music. It should motivate and inspire you. This is the main thing. By duration. Dance videos are best done within 2-2.5 minutes. Then the viewer will watch to the end and like.
2. The main character of in the frame is you. And that means you have to take your appearance seriously. Choose clothes that look beautiful on the one hand, and are comfortable to dance in on the other.
If you have an idea in your video, then the costume can emphasize it. The same applies to hair, make-up (if you are a girl), shaving / unshaven (if you are a guy). Be smart and in style.
3. Choosing a location for filming . The location should reflect the general idea and reinforce it. For example, you decided to make a downhole hip-hop video to the “rocking track”. Suitable city, busy streets, underground courtyards, graffiti, etc. This will create the right atmosphere. Now imagine that you, so cool and pretentious, shoot your video against the backdrop of a dull village courtyard, where a cow grazes in the background and the wind sways the nettles. Feel the difference?
4. Scenario . Every good film has a premise, a plot, and a climax. It's the same with your dance. He must develop. Otherwise, the video will turn out to be monotonous and the viewer will become bored. As a rule, I do not prepare all the movements for filming, but simply outline that here I dance with a small amplitude, then I start to diverge, then I pause, and here I burn, and so on.
Videos are greatly enhanced by original ideas, tricks, etc.
5. Camera and light. Now it's easier to make a high-quality picture on video than before. Even shooting on the phone, you can get a very decent quality. The main thing is more light in the video. It can be natural light on the street, light from windows if you are indoors, special light from spotlights, etc. The main thing is that it should be, then the picture will come out bright, with rich colors.
6. Operator. If possible, call the operator. Hire or find a free one. Now enough people are addicted to video shooting, so it will be great practice for them to work with you. If there is no one at all, then use a tripod. The main thing is to pre-build the frame so that you look beautiful in it and there is nothing superfluous. And click on record.
7. Shoot more. The more practice you have, the better the result will be. You will begin to “see the frame”, understand how to fully reveal the dance on the video.
More practice, more success.
8. Something always goes wrong . I have shot about 500 dance lessons and videos. And almost always something went wrong. Either people walk in the background, then the rain starts to drizzle, then the operator is late, then you forgot to do something, and so on. This is normal, be prepared for jambs, without them there is no filming. Therefore, if something deviates from the planned plan, react and adapt to the situation. I ran through the "tops" and gave basic advice.
Recently I had to shoot my own dance for "Dances on TNT". Yesterday I posted a video on YouTube. What worked and what didn't is up to you to judge. Here is the video:
By the way, if you are looking for a dance school, try the Dragon School. 1 lesson as a gift.
How crooked editing spoils the impression of dance — Movies and series on DTF
I don't dance myself, but I like to watch others dance.
And I noticed that I prefer it when the camera calmly watches the dancer, and does not rush around the stage. I'll show you with examples what I mean.
10,732 views
How we watch dances live
When someone dances live, you see EVERYTHING. Especially if you are standing in front of the dancers, and not from the top side at the end of the hall. In any case, the overall picture is clear: the dancers in the right order perform the necessary movements synchronously.
When I watch a video, I also want to be in the front row and see everything. But the specialists who edit videos of people dancing often turn on the show off mode: they add effects, close-ups, change and cut frames, circle the dancers with the camera - this makes it difficult to perceive the dance as a whole number, it makes it difficult to consider the idea of the dance.
More examples to follow
Bad example
Chose a random number from the "Dancing on TNT" program.
The jury admires how the participant dances. So put the camera like we're on the jury too. But no.
The cameras are flying around the hall like pierced balls, for some reason they focus on parts of the body, show the audience, show the SHOCKED Miguel, approach, move away. Just chaos. And so with all the dances from this show. I tried to watch it, but I can't.
Damn, I understand that this is a TV show and it's important for the audience to see how Miguel is pretending to be shocked. But dancing ... where is the dancing?!
There is also such a shitty example from the same show, but it's on Rutube... If you take the risk and go over, you'll see how Miguel was brought to tears! Who brought it? Yes, some guys, whose dance is cool, but because of the editing, all the magic is lost...
A cool example
Jungle video clip. This is a "live" one-piece number, in which the generous and wise camera allows us to see EVERYTHING, and does not fly like crazy.
Thanks to the smooth movement, I enjoy staging.
Jungle has dance accents in almost all videos. If you like music, then you can safely google and shove
Another cool example
Pay attention to how the guy behind Serge Ginsburg's back is rocking. If you pile on editing and effects, then the magic will disappear.
Dancing Jean-Pierre Cassel - the father of Vincent Cassel
Bad example
I love footwork. Under 160 bpm, guys and ladies do magic with their feet. It is strictly forbidden to show this dance from different sides, and even more so cut or slow down. But some "craftsmen" did it...
The dance is spoiled at the beginning of the video and from 3:35
Cool example
Here's how to show the footwork. Footwork dad dances - KING CHARLES. Dancing clearly and clearly. The camera does not twitch, but I look at my feet, I see breakneck speed, complex movements and skill.
A variant with a moving camera also has a place to be, but without fanaticism. Here again is the footwork and the camera, which “floats” a little, but still takes the position of the viewer in the front row - this spoils the impression of the dance.
Floating camera reception is coolly used by dance schools. Dances by students of different dance schools and choreographers are a separate genre on YouTube. I advise you to watch the channels: Kyle Hanagami, 1MILLION Dance Studio, Matt Steffanina.
Show one number. The camera is smooth, as if a sharpened knife slides through solid butter - a baldness. And there is no editing and other visual husks. But you could show a close-up of his hand on her belt, or the wet eyes of the audience, or her fingers sinking into his hair! NO!
Direct commercial. Want also? Go to our school!
In fact, you don’t even need professional confusing shooting and a super camera in 4k.
A cool dance will look cool anyway. For example, someone just took a photo of my favorite HIRO. Everything is perfectly visible.
I don't know what this type of dance is called. Who will tell?
Or here's an even more shitty version, which does not interfere with enjoying the dance. Video from the training, filmed on the phone, hands are shaking, people are yelling. You don't need fakes and whistles to show the idea of the Les Twins.
Well, the last pop and super illustrative example of staging a dance number. It’s difficult to shoot like that, because you can’t hide flaws with the help of editing, but even a rare specimen of a stinky snob should get high from the result.
How are things in the movies?
In films, the presentation of dance numbers works differently. It is still important to see the faces of the characters, their experiences, the environment. But still, in the cinema, I prefer solid scenes where you can fully see the dancers without any sharp camera throws.
Bad example
You can see that the dude is dancing really cool, well, why spoil everything with an “attentive” camera, which will show your ass, then arms, then legs. I don't care about his body parts, I want to watch him rock out to his full height! Until the 48th second, everything is fine, but then the dance loses its dynamics due to editing.
Dance starts at 00:29
Cool example
Step Up 3. A character named Elk is having fun with his girlfriend. The camera does not twitch, but only watches the dance, getting up at the right time in the right place. And that's great.
This number is also a tribute to scenes from classic Hollywood musicals
Final scene from Singing in the Rain. There are mounting glues, but they do not interfere. The camera does not dance over the body of Gene Kelly, does not spoil the overall picture.
The actor had a fever and a temperature of 39.
4 °C during the filming of this scene
Illustrative example from the movie "Foxtrot"
According to the script, a bored soldier dances at a checkpoint. The frame for the entire dance scene changes only three times: we are shown the dance from the side, in front and from the back in the general plan - these three cuts and changes in the shot do not interfere with enjoying the soldier's dance.
The original music is different, but it seems much more dynamic with this one
But for clarity, I randomly mixed the frames, cutting the same scene from the film. It's not quite right anymore.
The last cool example, honestly, honestly
I can't help but show an excerpt from my favorite "La La Land". The cameraman points the camera at Gosling's beautiful face - no! The operator admires Emma's cute legs - no! The camera pans around the dancers, looping over hands or smiles—no, no, no! There are always two characters in the frame and one beautifully choreographed dance number.
