Introduction

As I have a close relationship to Just Dance, that I’ll explain in detail later, I’ve been monitoring the job offers relating to the project. For this instance, my application was sent on December 1st of 2021. I’ve quickly had two interviews with the recruiter assigned to JD applications to demonstrate my experience as a designer, a dancer and a former Just Dance community member. A third interview with the HR partner, my Team Lead Brahim El Belqasmi and the former Associate Team Lead Pauline Alligier happened about a week later. As Brahim knew me from when I was a recurrent Playtest between 2015 and 2016, and as I’ve told them my various participations in tournaments and esport, they didn’t find the scoring test necessary. They announced me the following week that I got the job, and would start mid-January.

I joined a team composed of Brahim, my Team Lead, 3 other Score/Level Designers, and 2 QA Testers, dedicated to Maps testing. Pauline Alligier, who formerly was Associate Lead promoted to Assistant Producer. We were later joined by an intern who worked as Assistant Score Level Designer. My team belongs to a larger division of the Just Dance devteam: the Content team. This team focuses on developing Just Dance maps, also known as choreographies/routines. You can find Video Artists, Concept Artists, Choreo Directors, Costume Designers, Directors, and Producers, as well as us, Score/Level Designers.

Just Dance 2022

Pitch

Just Dance® 2022 , The ultimate dance game is back with 40 hot new tracks and gameplays from chart-topping hits to great classics! Looking for the perfect game to share with friends and family? Just Dance 2022 is for you!

Production

As I’ve joined Ubisoft Paris after the release of Just Dance 2022, I’ve only worked on Post-Launch maps that are released on the online catalog named Just Dance Unlimited. So far, there has been two Seasons bringing 16 new songs to JDU. Among these songs, I’ve worked on the following:

• Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners (Duet, Medium): Pictos, Remote Scoring, Support for Camera Scoring
• Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran (Solo, Hard): Pictos, Remote Scoring, Support for Camera Scoring
• Love Me Again – John Newman (Solo, Medium): Support for Remote and Camera Scoring
• Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton (Solo, Medium): Remote Scoring and Support for Camera Scoring

For these 4, three of them were back-catalog maps (released in previous Just Dance games) and Bad Habits was a brand new map in the Just Dance license. It has been praised by several content creators and was used to show case the Season 2: Surreal.

Just Dance 2023 Edition

Pitch

Welcome to a new era of dance with Just Dance 2023 edition! Now with online multiplayer, personalization, 3D immersive worlds and new songs and modes year-round, you can experience a never- ending dance party all year long!

Production

In parallel to the maps that were developed for Just Dance 2022, I’ve been mostly working on maps for the next Just Dance game. From January to late August, I’ve worked as Score Level Designer for the following maps:

Main Score/Level Designer (Rehearsals, Shooting, Remote Scoring, Pictos and Playtests)

• Sacrifice – The Weeknd (Solo, Medium)
• Telephone – Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé (Runaway Version) (Duet, Medium)
• More – K/DA ft. Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE, Lexie Liu, Jaira Burns & Seraphine (Seraphine Version) (Solo, Medium)
• Disco Inferno – The Trammps (Solo, Easy)
• Anything I Do – CLiQ, Ms Banks, Alika (Trio, Extreme)

Support Score/Level Designer (helped on specific tasks)

• If You Wanna Party – The Just Dancers (Solo, Medium) : Rehearsals, Shooting, Support for Remote Scoring
• Sweet But Psycho – Ava Max (Solo, Medium) : Support for Remote Scoring
• Love Me Land – Zara Larsson (Solo, Hard) : Shooting
• WANNABE – ITZY (Trio, Extreme) : Playtests
• I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift (Solo, Medium) : Playtests
• Dynamite – BTS (Quatro, Extreme) : Rehearsals, Support for Shooting
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys (Duet, Medium) : Rehearsals, Shooting, Support for Remote Scoring and Pictos, Playtest
• Danger! High Voltage – Electric Six (16-BIT Version) (Solo, Hard) : Rehearsals, Shooting, Playtest
• WANNABE – ITZY (Classic Version) (Solo, Medium) : Support for Remote Scoring
• Dynamite – BTS (Classic Version) (Solo, Medium) : Rehearsals, Shooting
• Woman – Doja Cat (All-Mother Version) (Solo, Medium) : Support for Remote Scoring
• Good Ones – Charli XCX (Solo, Easy) : Support for Remote Scoring
• Majesty – Apashe, Wasiu (Duet, Hard) : Rehearsals, Playtest
• Heat Waves – Glass Animals (Solo, Easy) : Rehearsal

I believe these maps will impress players and make them better dancers, as they’re diverse, original and push them to their limits.

Working on a Just Dance map usually takes 3-6 weeks, depending on the number of dancers and the map’s difficulty.
It starts with the rehearsals, where the Choreography Director, Choreographer and Dancers exchange and practice the routine. The Level Designers are also part of the rehearsals, as they give feedbacks regarding the routine’s difficulty, readability, and structure. We also ensure that the glove, worn on the right hand, is always visible.
Once the rehearsals are completed (and they might go from 3 to 6 depending on the map), a shooting is planned. As for the shootings, the assigned Level Designer is present and must give feedbacks on each take, verifying the same factors as for the rehearsal. We don’t have an impact on the dancers’ interpretation per se, we simply ensure the routine is always reproduced as precise and clear as it has been decided in rehearsals.
After the shooting is complete, our Level Design work starts: we cut the final video in dance moves, each scorable, and we put placeholders pictos with instructions. Once this part is done, I can start the score balancing. Usually, for the following weeks, I keep in touch with the Picto Artist in order to make adjustments on their work. After all of that is finished, I make sure that the chosen difficulty setting is updated in-game, and I move onto the next map. For confidentiality reasons, I won’t give more details about the Level Design and Score Design tools on Just Dance.

I wouldn’t say that I have typical days on Just Dance, as my tasks evolve from day to day. Most of the time it starts with a stand-up meeting during which I explain where I’m standing with the map.s I’m working on. Whether it’s still in the conception process, I may have a rehearsal, a playtest or a shooting planned. If the map has been shot already, I’m more focused on usual Score Level Design tasks, such as pictograms designing/reviewing, score balancing, cutting a map in dance moves, setting difficulties, etc. If at the moment, I don’t have anything planned, I may update some of our Score LD documents, start learning Extreme maps, or simply checking on my teammates and see where I can help them.

Overall Gained Experience

The simple fact that this experience was my first post-graduation job in the video games industry makes it special to me. As I’ve grown as a designer, Just Dance became an itch that wouldn’t leave until I’d join the project. I can say that I’ve fulfilled this objective, and it feels honorable. Just Dance 2022 became a fan-favorite opus for the new technologies and visions used in maps. I hope that the maps that I’ve worked on, that are yet to be announced, will have the same impact on players.

One of my personal achievements from this experience was quickly gaining trust from industry and JD veterans, who respected my opinions and advices. While being the youngest and least experienced in the Content team, I’ve still played my part and been listened to. I’ve also been congratulated by my team for being autonomous and a fast-learner, which allowed me to take care of a considerable number of different maps, even a few rated as Hard or Extreme.

As for now, I wish to continue working as a designer, before eventually turning to a Lead or a Production position. I’ve enjoyed leading designers at school, I appreciate dispatching the responsibilities and workload and offer the best conditions for others to fully express their potential and creativity. But before I get to do that, I must first express my own.

About Ubisoft Paris

FIRST UBISOFT IN-HOUSE STUDIO, WE’RE MORE 700 CREATIVE MINDS WORKING ON ICONIC GAMES SINCE 1992, SUCH AS TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON, JUST DANCE, THE RABBIDS, WATCH DOGS OR BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL 2.

Ubisoft Paris Official Website