Environmental Game Assets

EARLY CONCEPTS

After a meeting with the group, we assigned different environmental assets for each of us to do. I was assigned:

- Burnt Flowers
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Smoke
- Lily pads

I explored different references before I began concepting, as I don't know how to draw burnt things! I also wanted to keep what I was drawing accurate to how it looks in real life.

The other references were for style, that I wanted to try and implement into the concepts.

FINAL CONCEPTS

After going through the concepts, I selected a butterfly design and a burnt log, as I wanted to create assets for the contrasting environment the character goes through.

For the butterfly, I had the idea of a flock of butterflies that could fly in the background of the game. I began to draw out the flock, and think how the butterflies could fly among each other, however, thinking of multiple things to have animated began to confuse me. I struggled and fussed over how each butterfly should travel in comparison to each other, and so I decided that instead of having a bunch of butterflies with a very simple design, I should create one that we can duplicate to our liking. ENDLESS BUTTERFLIES.

For the final concepts, I tried different colour schemes for the butterfly, and in the end I settled on blue tones. I felt that the blue hues had a more mystical or magical feel, that was suited to our game.

When it came to drawing the log, I really needed reference. I wasn't sure how to approach colouring it, let alone knowing how it was going to be animated. At first, the final concept was going to have a crispy burnt leaf, that would rattle from side to side. However, after seeing the concepts that the group had produced, I decided to make a change. Tea had made it so that the burnt bushes had glowing embers as animation. I felt that for unity in the environment, that I would change it so that the log also had glowing embers, to show that the surroundings had recently been burnt. FIREEEEEEEEEEEE!

I liked the result of this much more than that crispy leaf.

Creative Studio: Brief and Schedule

Production Schedule for Term 4 Experimental Animation.

Production: Interactive - TEAM SPROUT

This week we got into the teams we will be in for the rest of the year (scary!)

We went off straight away to brainstorm ideas, and was very much inspired about sprouts, and thus, our game is going to be about nature too. We decided that we didn't want the forefront focus to be about the conservation of nature, and rather about the journey and development of the main character we design for the game.

We each are going to produce a moodboard for environment, an environment concept and character concepts each for the presentation we have next week on tuesday.

For my moodboard, I tried to cover a range of colours for what we had discussed, although not all of them will be used in the level we design. In the meeting, we discussed that there may be multiple area in the game that will have different guardian characters, although we will only be building one. I wanted to think ahead though, to try and visualise how the stages would progress.

I decided to consider time of day in my environment, as the variation in colour would be appealing, as well as showing the passing of time.

When it came to character design, I wanted to explore variety in both plants and figure. My designs have both bipedal and quadruped variations, and different plants that the character could be based off and how they could bloom.

Production: Interactive - Tower

I did it

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Matte Painting Pt.1

This week I began matte painting, taking one of the layouts Michelle C did, and simplifying it a little to make it less cluttered in the shots, as a concern was that too many objects on the shelf may be distracting.

I simplified it down onto a list, and tweaked a few of the designs of the objects and placement.

Michelle C's Layout I referenced

I did a rough layout of how the shots could be composed, and ran it by the team, who agreed with my choices. I also got feedback from Keat, about the positioning of the grapes, as in a feedback session Dane mentioned his preference for the grapes being in the foreground of the shots.

Quick Layout I drew to use as reference for myself, and to show my group my intentions.

 I asked Jerwin and Michelle C if they could export an image of Butter and the plate for me to put into the matte painting shot, so I could keep the perspective consistent as well as the proportions of the objects in the fridge in relation to Butter. After this I began blocking in the objects, most importantly on different layers. I originally began to paint all on one layer, when I remembered Thaw's tutorial and that for composition the objects have to be individual!

These were originally all together, but with a quick fix they're correct now.

After completely blocking in the objects in this shot (Shot 5), I moved onto blocking the other three shots, getting the perspective changes as exact as possible. I started with Shot 8, as it was a simple zoom shot, with the slightest change in perspective, to the point it is hardly noticeable.

Blocked in Shot 5

Blocked in Shot 5 with butter for size reference

Shot 8, without Butter

Shot 6 was harder to complete, as it was a reverse of Shot 5, and I had to flip the perspective. The angle in this shot is higher too, and it's important that the objects don't block Butter. I had to talk with the group on how we wanted to approach it. Considering Butter is left screen side for Shots 5, 8 and 10, when it is reversed for Shot 6, should it remain on the left or move to the right? The issue with placing Butter on the right is that the rules of screen side is being broken.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Title Cards

This week I began concepts for title cards, taking into account the opinions of the group. Jerwin and Jonathan pointed out that it would be better if there wasn't too much of a reveal about the butter and his character.

From this, I took examples from my moodboard, and tried to implement it whilst thinking of the mood.

I tried to keep the colour scheme in the warmer palette, but I wanted to experiment within this, having some cards be pinkish hues, while others were darker purples. I also tried to look at the styles on the moodboard I had made. I felt that the simpler styles were more  appropriate, so I tried to work that into most of the titles, trying to hint at what the animatic is about without revealing anything.

After feedback on the very first title card I produced, I played around with how I could add what was maybe missing from it! I thought about smog and mist, like when cold objects are exposed to warm air, and made a moodboard of smoke in spotlights to reference.

I ended up using this research as well to look into how the light could pool out of the fridge door too. And so, the title card I gave to Michelle Z as a placeholder, was this.

The final title card is not yet decided, as they await feedback due to loss of work (through my own foolish mistake). This should be implemented this week.

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK SEVEN: Never Alone

One of Never Alones strongest assets is it characters and its narrative, Nuna and the fox spirit, and how the two unlock a new world of culture in video games. The story and gameplay follows Nuna, a young Inuit girl who is accompanied by a helpful fox spirit, as they try to find the source of the "eternal blizzard". I think what makes her so strong as a character, beyond her design, is the stories that are told through her. She opens up the player to receive more than just the in-game narrative, but it feels like it is a retelling of a traditional Inupiaq myth or legend, which leads to a door that can be opened about a new culture. Nuna's story and development is actually based off a Inuit narrative known as The Story of Kunuuksaayuka, about a young boy who's home was plagued by an everlasting blizzard and he went out to find it's source. This traditional narrative has been implemented into the game through Nuna, who we follow through her trial in her icy landscaped world.

The culture and its belief systems shine through in the cutscenes, which both take on a traditional Inupiat artform as well as a narrated voice over in the traditional Inupiaq language of the Alaskan people, which not only aids the immersion of the player, but the cultural context. Everything put into the game is not only fitting to the narrative, but also to the culture that is being explored. As stated in the reading by Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca,  "characters in games are not just the people that the game is about, but also the people who are making action happen and thus

producing different stories.", which I think is an apt description of how Nuna, the fox, and other characters found in Never Alone play a significant role. Nuna and the fox spirit are more than just a vessel for game play, they are a tool in revealing a story to the player, through a series of mini puzzles that befit the narrative. In example, the mission that involves the Owl Man, and retrieving his stolen drum. The ones who stole it are The Little People, and Nuna and the Fox must work to get it back, in which they receive a bola for their success. All the elements within this small section of gameplay are not simply there to create a crisis, but hold a place in the Inupiaq society. The Owl Man is a shamanistic representation, relating to the beliefs within the culture, furthermore so are The Little People, which is relevant as well to the believe that a lot of spiritual forces were against human beings. The bola and drum are instruments to be found within the society, for hunting and shaman practices. This is how the characters are important and a main driving force in what makes the game unique, and turn what could be a simple game into a learning experience. As the narrative progresses, we not only learn more about Nuna's story, but about the people who helped make the game, and why the design of certain characters and objects are the way they are.

Reference: Egenfeldt-Neilsen, S., Smith, J., & Tosca, S. (Author) (2008) Understanding Video Games [Book] Retrieved from: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2710/mod_resource/content/0/Egenfeldt-Nielsen%2C%20Smith%20and%20Tosca%2C%202008%20-%20The%20fictional%20world%20settings%20and%20actors.pdf

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Feedback & Progress

Last week in the progress meeting with Dane and Keat, I presented the moodboard I had compiled for feedback. Overall, they said that what I had collected was good, and I should now explore these in relation to the butter.

Aftewards I helped Michelle work on the lighting for the fridge, such as clear it out, and test different angles. I also have begun testing out palettes that I feel would be appropriate for the title cards.

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK SIX: Grim Fandango

How is the narrative developed through character interactions?

I played the game Grim Fandango, where I played as Manny, a reaper of the afterlife. For this game, I really felt that character interactions were important, as I found that I actually didn't know what to do without conversing with the NPCs. Other times, interacting with the characters triggered events, so that the story progressed and I moved forward in the game. An example would be breaking the delivery system, where after acquiring the right parts (balloons etc), Manny can steal a client, and thus the narrative can be developed. However, to acquire the objects that is needed, the player has to talk to a clown. Therefore the clown - though a side character - plays an integral role in the narrative development. Without talking to the clown, the player is effectively suspended in game play, unable to move on with the story.As described in one of the readings, characters can be defined by their role in a game. Labelled as Cast Characters by the reading The fictional world setting and characters, it describes, "...they are characters with a particular function in the game related to the story.", which is very apparent in Grim Fandango. The characters that Manny interacts with reveals hints as to what needs to be done, as the reading describes, characters "...that will react to us and do things to us that we can respond to. Characters in games are not just the people that the game is about, but also the people who are making action happen and thus producing different stories."However, in Grim Fandango, the interaction wasn't straight forward; the player simply can't speak to anyone at any time, it has to be completed in a certain order. This further exemplifies how the characters in the game are important to moving the narrative forward, as you can't ignore them or simply talk to them in any order or skip other characters. As Mark J. P. Wolf states, "characters as the driving force of narrative development in video games.", so the completion of the interaction is vital, as you have to talk to one character to understand your next move in game. There are some things only one character can tell you or give you, so interaction to develop the narrative in Grim Fandango is imperative for the continuation of the plot.

LucasArts. (Developer). (1998) Grim Fandango [videogame]. United States: LucasArts
Egenfeldt-Nielson, S., Smith, J., & Tosca, S. (Authors) (2008) Understanding Video Games [Book]. Retrieved from: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2710/mod_resource/content/0/Egenfeldt-Nielsen%2C%20Smith%20and%20Tosca%2C%202008%20-%20The%20fictional%20world%20settings%20and%20actors.pdf

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Title Card Moodboard

Title Screen Moodboard

Because this week was a shorter week, and filming didn't go to schedule, so I began to work on the title concepts, which are scheduled to be started later.

I took influence from both older and new animated cartoons, such as Tom & Jerry, to Adventure Time. I like the simplicity in the Tom & Jerry title cards, such as silhouettes, and simplicity. I have two title cards on their from the animated Batman, for the simple use of two-tone contrast.

I like the Adventure Time titles for their style, being painted with more detail and stylized, which I feel could fit the genre. More so, I think it will fit the colour scheme of the butter, as the darker tones of the older animation titles do not fit with the comedic mood of the narrative.

The final set of images, are references for both mood, setting and style. The warm in tones is fitting of the butter, the kitchen setting, and the comedy/romance. I like the different styles, some with sketchy, pencil like lines, others simple blocks of colour.

The colour scheme on the side is the butters colour scheme.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Film Preparation

We had Dan come in to introduce us to the cameras we will be using for filming, and the principles within the field of photography so we understand why we have these settings and how they effect things.

I enjoyed the chance to get to learn about filming, and wrote notes to look back at when filming begins for us, as Zack and I are the ones to be working with the camera while filming takes place.

This will be really handy to refer to, especially due to the limited lighting we have in our set, which hopefully the knowledge of what the camera settings are capable of will aid in.

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK FIVE: The Wolf Among Us

How does morality influence the choices you make in the game?

This week I played The Wolf Among Us, and interactive narrative story based around fairytales and fables, such as Little Red Riding Hood, most notably as the playable character is Bigby Wolf, aka the 'Big Bad Wolf'. We follow his story as the town sheriff, doing his best to turn over a new leaf from his less than amiable past. The theme of morality plays a big part in The Wolf Among Us, where the character Bigby can take different routes to achieve his goals. Options such as, do choose to spare a character, or kill them, and what repercussion this might have.

A sample from the game involves a bar fight between Grendal and Bigby. It is established that most of Fabletown is wary of Bigby due to his infamous past, and his rough demeanor he presents, with it makes it easy for the player to make decisions that might be grittier than they would personally in real society. Bigby had the option to make Grendal's beating more severe if the player choose to, breaking his arm being an option, which brings morality into the players decision making. It isn't necessary to break his arm, and it would be taking the morally good path if the player chooses to ignore this choice. It still presents the break arm option, and if the player doesn't care for Grendal, or the moral compass they could very easily select the option to do so.

The player has quick-time cut-scenes for quick decision making, suitably matching the intensity of the events, and in these events, sometimes morality takes a back seat from the pressure. If you have the choice to kill or be killed, one is likely to kill the other, as the fastest solution, where if more time was given, one can reflect what their actions will heed.
When playing games, the player isn't actively going by their own moral code; it is very easily to disconnect yourself and act upon the character's moral code. Furthermore, in-game actions and consequences are just that - in-game - so the options can feel as rebellion without real life after effects.  Therefore, in some situations, the player can stop can think what will benefit them and their character more. Examples would be what can one gain from acting on one end of the moral compass to the other. If reactivity is prominent in a game, where NPCs will react to the playable character, will being "bad" reap more benefits through intimidation, or will being "good" result in compliance out of kindness?  As mentioned in the reading by Perdue, "There is plenty of reason to try to quantify a player's moral choices somehow in the game system. It allows rewards for certain kinds of activity. Non­player characters can react according to a player's reputation.".

I don't think the moral route you chose necessarily changes much of the end outcome of the game, though it does determine the responses from other characters in game that you approach. I personally tried to play as "good" of a moral route as possible; good for Bigby and I are a little different, but nonetheless suitable for his character.

Perdue, B. (2011) Ethical Dilemmas and Dominant Moral Strategies in Games [Book] Retrieved From: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2510/mod_resource/content/0/Perdue%2C%202011%20-%20Ethical%20dilemmas%20and%20dominant%20moral%20strategies%20in%20games.pdf

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Early Sound (Voice Recording)

Early Sound

Yesterday Michelle Z, Jerwin, Jonathan and I recorded early sound. This consisted of recording early dialogue to place to our animatic. Michelle and Jonathan first focused on the butter, with Jerwin and I there for feedback and input.

Then it was Michelle and I working together for her dialogue, with Jerwin and Jonathan giving input. We're happy with what we produced, and had a good time figuring out how it should go.

Us working on sound, ft, Michelle, Jerwin, Jonathan and I (from right to left)

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK FOUR: Fahrenheit 

Do the choices made in the game result in branching narrative paths? If so, how? If not, how are the choices meaningful?

This week I played the game Fahrenheit, and spent a good few hours on it. Two things really intrigued me; the murder-mystery aspect, and the multiple character approach. I was interested to know how the characters narratives would interact, and relate to one another, and how that would limit the options within gameplay.The games opening really pulled me in - partially because this is a genre I really like - but also because we are thrown into the thick of the plot, watching a man being murdered in a bathroom, to find that we are to play as this murderer. While I didn't originally feel apathetically towards the character, suddenly finding I was him made my opinion for his outcome shift. The revelation that it wasn't him, rather it was a murder achieved vicariously through some form of magic left me wanting to help him survive. My choices now felt more meaningful, and despite the crime he committed, I didn't want him to be caught. This happened anyway, as I failed to complete the mission, but it gave me clues as to the importance of different actions. I didn't play through all the options, but I deduced what I thought would most logically happen. Things such as do I go back and pay for the bill I forgot, or do I just run out the restaurant? I felt if I ran, the cop would chase me, and it would heed some negative result such as being arrested. I would fail.

The quote from the reading about motivation in relation to choice felt very relevant, where the person playing is "...invested with some form of motivation , that is: the player will be interested in the outcome of the choice and will expect one outcome to be better than another..." [Domsch, 2013], as I was invested in this characters outcome, and I wanted it to be good for him. The knowledge of his innocence, being that it was manslaughter over homicide, motivated me to want him to escape, so he can find answers.

What interested me more was when I learned who the other playable character were. I was now playing as the detectives who were trying to solve the very murder I helped Lucas escape from. This created conflict, as I didn't want him to be caught, as it wasn't quite his fault, but the detectives might help reveal this, and I had nothing against them. I wanted both parties to do well, so I try to make the best options. Through playing as the detectives, I realised there were more options for my escape as Lucas; the back door. In the panic of the scene, and how tense I was, I didn't even register it was a choice. Seeing it investigated in the detective gameplay, I realised that perhaps even though it was another choice, it may have not had a huge different result. Lucas wouldn't have gone undetected, as there was a homeless man in the alleyway, and he may have revealed details about Lucas anyway. From this I gathered that the narratives paths don't really branch as much as they give you a different path to the same node. I still was conscious of my choices, as the characters had a wellbeing I had to take care of, although I wasn't obligated. I didn't want to hinder my story though. However, at the same time, I was sometimes presented with choices, such as to cut ties with Marcus, Lucas's brother, and that may have a great effect on the narrative in future, though as I didn't play as far, and I chose to keep them intact (as I felt that was more beneficial), I don't know for sure the result. On the contrary, the different branches may be in more relevance to gameplay, and the ease in which you advance, such as gaining extra lives.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Photoshoot

Photoshoot of Butter

Last week, I took to buying some butter, and on the Thursday, Jerwin, Michelle Z and I began to "research" it.

We had Jerwin as the sculptor, Michelle on lighting, and I was photographer/note taker.

At first we just took of the wrapper and looked at what its texture is like, especially fresh from the fridge, as that correlates to the storyboard - the butter is in the fridge. We noticed the indents that had formed, a mix of air bubbles and from the wrapper.

Next we had Jerwin begin trying to sculpt it. I took notes on what we observed as we progressed, for things such as the marks that the knife left on the butter, and how that changed as it softened.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Storyboard

Storyboard

Michelle and I worked together on the storyboard, trying to suss out timing and shots for the animatic. After producing an almost final version, we had the team give their in put on what they thought, which mainly concerned shots and placement of the butter.

The discussion was helpful for the storyboard, and I think it really strengthened it. As the others had developed the character I lot more I got to sketch in the most recent design which really helped with visualising.

Michelle Z and I now just need to complete transferring it to the animatic.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Final Script

Final Script

After feedback again from the lecturers, we revised the dialogue that was in the script, as it still wasn't quite there. We shortened some of the lines from the butter, as time is a concern at the moment for the animation. As well as this, Michelle Z, Michelle C and I thought over the weekend for more puns for the "three part act", needing the "first act".

After whittling it down "I'm so slick." and "I am the cream of the crop." we presented them to Dane, asking for his final opinion. We went with "cream of the crop", completing our script.

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK THREE: Prince of Persia

Did linear storytelling in your chosen game(s) engage and excite you as a player? Explain why or why not.

The narrative for Prince of Persia felt very linear, beginning with a cut-scene, where you as the main character, are being regaled by the Prince's story, and it is revealed that the gameplay is you "reliving" his life. The cutscenes that appeared in game gave me the narrative points that gave me motive and understanding to what I was doing and why. Furthermore the cut-scenes gave clues as to where I had to go, and the path I had to take. What I liked is that it didn't tell me how, I had ot figure that out through trial and error, which is something I found satisfying, so when I made it to the next cut-scene I found it worth while.
The story however I felt was almost too linear, which for a narrative  game is really good, and Prince of Persia. But when I got stuck in game, in a room where I couldn't solve how to get out, the linearity was very annoying, and reminded of the ludus quote, that it was "strictly controlled by pre-existing rules" and there was no way for me to progress, as I had accepted it was linear. So the game was successful, to a fault. I did give up.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Revised Script & Character Profile

Final Submitted Script

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Schedule

Schedule Changes

Minor changes to the schedule, where Michelle C is now the Director, and Michelle Z and I have switched a few roles. Otherwise it remains unchanged.

Original Schedule

Revised Schedule

 

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK TWO: Never Alone

How does your chosen game(s) tell it's story? Is it successful?

Never Alone is a game that you seem to complete in "chapters". After a while of playing, I realised that each chapter begins with a narration paired with a traditional Inuit art animation. The purpose is to advance the story and explain what is happening, such as Nuna - the main character - discovering her tribe has been destroyed by a mysterious villain.

These scenes were nice, and provided a break between gameplay, which I preferred to the mid-game cut scenes, which I found was a little disruptive. 

I did however enjoy the "insight" videos that were presented at different intervals. As it is a game that is deeply rooted in Alaskan indigenous culture and folklore, the insights aided my understanding of the game, and what the significance was of certain objects and context within the game. An example is the bola, which I only thought was a Incan tool, though after watching the insight, I then saw why the weapon was used by Nuna.

I think it is successful to an extent in its story-telling, though there are some areas that I think were lacking. I personally found the main goal unclear for the game, and not strong. I knew I had to find the source of the "eternal blizzard", but not so much why. I think perhaps it was lost in the mini puzzles that are presented in the game, which I spent more time trying to solve then think about why.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Script, Schedule & Feedback

Story Selection

On Monday we got into our teams and discussed our individual scripts and ideas, and there were lots of cool ideas that had been produced among us. It was a hard decision, but we slowly narrowed it down by giving our feedback and then voting for three of the scripts.

The voting narrowed it down to Jerwin, Michelle, and my own ideas. We discussed further what we think would be the easiest to produce as well as what we could make well. We went with my script of 'Butter Up'.

With Jerwin feeling confident in 3D and Jonathan with 2D, we felt the hybrid option of both would be suited to our strengths. The proposed idea is for the character  - a stick of butter - to be a 3D model, while his expressions will be 2D.

Schedule

After selecting the script we wanted to run with, we moved onto the Production Schedule. We kept it a collaborative effort, so we could assign roles we are both interested in and feel we can perform best in. The three major roles were assigned first, resulting in:

Producer: Michelle Z

Director: Mikayla

Head of 3D: Jerwin

Michelle C is helping Jerwin with the 3D while Zack is helping Jonathan. We all agreed that we will help each other where it is needed, particularly Michelle Z and I as we're taking on the most flexible rolls. It will be subjected to change as we progress, but we have tried to divide the rolls as best fit.

Feedback

Today we presented our script to Dane, Zak, and Keat, who gave us feedback on our story and intentions. The first thing mention was that the puns should be more butter centered. The involvement of other food makes it somewhat confusing and unclear, and it could make the animation too long. Tonight I will type out the revised script to send to the team, including the character profile so they have it available to them during design process.

The next big piece of feedback was more focused on the character itself, and the research we should undergo. We have to design it to be able to make the expressions and body language comprehensive and read well. Also his design came in question with what was essential to his character and what isn't. Overall the feedback was helpful and will give us a lot to consider.

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Script

Story Concepts

We started off last week being introduced to the Assignment for the semester - a group animation. 

The first step was to begin brainstorming different story concepts, remembering that the requirements within the short 30-40 second animation we had to include one animated character and one live action character, to create an interaction within a hybrid dramatic scene.

Michelle Z and I worked together to bounce ideas of each other and give feedback on what we came up with. It sped up the process and we covered a lot of potential ideas.

I drew up some minor storyboarding to help us visualise the animatic we imagined, and how the narrative would develop.

Following this, came scripting. My initial feedback from Dane and Keat was that I needed to develop the main character more, completing a character chart, and to think how to make my current idea less "commercial". It was hard, and I feel more can be done to strengthen it, though this will be better solved in a group.

Rough Storyboard

Script Pt 1

Script Pt 2

Character Info