Credits: Written by Corvus Belli and copied over from thier website. www.corvusbelli.com
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF CREATING A MINIATURE?
Today we bring you a different kind of article, which may be of interest to some of our more curious readers, to help understand our working strategy.
At Corvus Belli, we like to keep the game alive. That’s why every month we add between 3 and 10 new products to the Infinity catalog. Do you know where they come from and how they get to you?
1. PROFILE SELECTION
The miniatures or packs of miniatures can be a result of 3 types of needs:
- Background development. The advance of the storyline of the Infinity Universe makes it necessary to change a troop and /or its profile that we already knew.
- New profile. That is a new character or type of troop that did not have a profile before.
- Renewal of a miniature. A popular miniature that has become outdated in terms of design and we see possibilities for improvement. In this case, the sculpture is adapted to the most recent aesthetics of the game.
2. DEVELOPMENT
Once this need has been identified, the development department produces a prototype of the profile, which is sent to the testing groups (groups of external players who try the troop in the game). The testing time may vary since the ideal result is not always achieved the first time.
Once the profile is approved, we write its background and create a distinctive logo.
Here enters the art department, which is responsible for developing a concept. This concept will be colored, and then digitally sculpted in 3D. This part of the process is quite long and usually lasts between 1 and 7 weeks.
3. DESIGN AND SCULPTURE
We take the model out of the 3D printer and we make the first resin impression in the mold section. When we get a model that meets the desired quality standards, we manufacture the molds that will be used for production.
The first final miniature is then sent to one of our freelance painters who will give color and highlight all the details of the design. A great painting job really brings the model to life!
While this is happening, our design department is laying out the packaging of the miniatures, the booklet, and all the printed material that comes inside it… In many of these cases, the boxes include illustrations made by some of our freelance artists, such as Bagus Hutomo or Francisco Rico.
4. PUBLICATION
The prices are still in need of adjustment. The Sales department oversees this task. The price is obtained after the product has been filed (since the cost of the product is given by the type of material used, the quantity of the same, and the complexity of the design).
This same department communicates the new products in advance to distributors and stores so that they can prepare their orders and have them on time to your LGS.
And now it’s time for the communication department to get the message out there to the rest of Infinity players! Although we often go overboard ???? and end up releasing a preview or two before the process is finished… This is when we prepare content for our social networks and for the web (photos, product videos, dossiers, background articles…), we also upload the products to our store, make the necessary changes to the Army, answer your questions, and bombard you with newsletters so that you do not miss a single new feature!
5. PRODUCTION AND LOGISTICS
The last 7 weeks before launching the monthly releases, we are dedicated to production and transportation.Â
Production plans and prepares the shipments for the store. In the meantime, everything is prepared for online orders.
Once the end of the month arrives and the product goes on sale, our players from all over the globe place their orders in the physical store or online, and voilà – there is a new troop on your tables!
Of course, there are exceptions, such as the big campaigns of the year, special Christmas releases, crowdfunding campaigns… but this, roughly speaking, is the journey that a miniature makes from our minds to your hands month after month.
