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.