Monday, 14 March 2016
Thursday, 10 March 2016
Environment Research
For environment research, I looked at stills from comedy movies in order to see the shots they use, the lighting they use and the colour palette.
These are stills from Despicable Me (2010). The people who made this film used bright, vibrant colours to reflect the light and quirky tone of the genre. The environment is also well lit to match the light tone and the vibrant, quirky world of this animated film.
In Ratatouille (2007), they also used vibrant colours. They used saturated colours to make it look lively. And the colours intensify in key action moments such as the scene from the restaurant kitchen. We could use the fridge light to highlight the butter character to add a dramatic effect to his introduction.
These stills from the M&M ads use the same principle but it's also a good example of mixing 3D and live action.
In the film Inside Out (2015) Lighting can be used to suggest a change in mood
We could use this when the fridge closes after the butter gets rejected. It fades to black to reflect the pain of rejection.
We went to the set yesterday (Michelle Z and Mikayla's apartment). It's not a well lit place so we'll have to use some artificial lighting to light up the place. This could be an advantage because we could determine what colour the light will be to match a certain colour palette.
These are stills from Despicable Me (2010). The people who made this film used bright, vibrant colours to reflect the light and quirky tone of the genre. The environment is also well lit to match the light tone and the vibrant, quirky world of this animated film.
In Ratatouille (2007), they also used vibrant colours. They used saturated colours to make it look lively. And the colours intensify in key action moments such as the scene from the restaurant kitchen. We could use the fridge light to highlight the butter character to add a dramatic effect to his introduction.
These stills from the M&M ads use the same principle but it's also a good example of mixing 3D and live action.
In the film Inside Out (2015) Lighting can be used to suggest a change in mood
We could use this when the fridge closes after the butter gets rejected. It fades to black to reflect the pain of rejection.
We went to the set yesterday (Michelle Z and Mikayla's apartment). It's not a well lit place so we'll have to use some artificial lighting to light up the place. This could be an advantage because we could determine what colour the light will be to match a certain colour palette.
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
More Character Concept Sketches
I drew some silhouettes to try out different ideas, just to push it and experiment with it. We are dealing with a block of butter here and it is kind of limiting but I just tried out combining different shapes for the character. I experimented with shape language for the character. It can be kind of a cutesy character so I integrated a roundness to the block of butter. He's a really greasy dude and so I used curved yet pointed shapes for the "hair-do" to make him look kind of despicable. I also experimented with scale. I tried out different builds for the block. I made slender ones, buff ones, short ones and stout ones. I did these sketches while discussing ideas about the character with my teammates.
Mainly I just gave my teammates possible silhouettes and shapes to work with just to push the design of the character. They're the ones who are going to develop it. Now that Mikayla and Michelle Z. have finished the final script (Although there might be changes in the future) and have developed ideas for the storyboard, I am now working with them to research about the layout of the environment. What items to put, the kind of lighting we're going to use and how that relates to our chosen genre.
This is the Character Profile that we're working with.
Mainly I just gave my teammates possible silhouettes and shapes to work with just to push the design of the character. They're the ones who are going to develop it. Now that Mikayla and Michelle Z. have finished the final script (Although there might be changes in the future) and have developed ideas for the storyboard, I am now working with them to research about the layout of the environment. What items to put, the kind of lighting we're going to use and how that relates to our chosen genre.
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Interactive Narrative Week 3 Blog Entry 2
For this week's blog entry I played all of the games and one that I really really enjoyed is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It uses a linear model to tell its story. Because it is linear, I am aware that I am simply following the story created and embedded by its developers. Even though I can't impact the embedded story in any manner, I still find myself engaged on playing the game. It's almost like watching a movie but reliving the experience of the protagonist.
I was really engaged on playing the game because I wanted to know more about the story. As pointed out by Marie-Laure Ryan in her article StoryWorlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies (2009), immersion to the fiction is what makes playing a game meaningful. Epistemic immersion plays a big part on this because as a player, I want to uncover the mystery. It's my goal and I have struggled to come so far. In Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, part of that mystery is the Prince's narration. He is telling the story as if it has already happened. Also whenever I save the game, I get a glimpse of what's to come and it ties into that mystery of the narration. Of course finding out what the Vizier's actual plan is also a mystery you would want to solve.
The game sets a straight path for the player to follow its linear story. Apart from the puzzles that the player has to solve, not much of exploration can be done. But it's not really off putting. The game environment suits the linear storytelling of the game. There aren't any side missions to do so exploration wouldn't really mean much. Even though I can't wander off and discover the landscape, the game has amazing set pieces that fleshes out the world of the story. Spatial immersion makes this game exciting, especially because the game environment has a vital role on the gameplay itself. The environment design completes the lore, it gives the player a taste of what it feels like to live in the world of Persian myth. The destroyed and ruined parts of the castle also give the player a sense of danger at every corner. Some of which fall off whenever the player approaches. It supports the dangerous situation the protagonist is facing. It creates an illusion that I'm part of this world; that I am involved (even if it's only by proxy) and that makes me feel immersed to the fiction.
The linear storytelling of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time doesn't offer me any meaningful choice to change the story. But being immersed to the fiction makes playing it meaningful and that's what makes it engaging and exciting to play. Continuing to progress the story in order to uncover the mystery is a choice by itself and maybe that's good enough. :)
References:
Ubisoft Montreal (Developer). (2003). Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time [Video Game]. France: Ubisoft
Ryan, M.L. (Author). (2009). StoryWorld: A Journal of Narrative Studies [Article]. United States: University of Nebraska Press
I was really engaged on playing the game because I wanted to know more about the story. As pointed out by Marie-Laure Ryan in her article StoryWorlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies (2009), immersion to the fiction is what makes playing a game meaningful. Epistemic immersion plays a big part on this because as a player, I want to uncover the mystery. It's my goal and I have struggled to come so far. In Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, part of that mystery is the Prince's narration. He is telling the story as if it has already happened. Also whenever I save the game, I get a glimpse of what's to come and it ties into that mystery of the narration. Of course finding out what the Vizier's actual plan is also a mystery you would want to solve.
The game sets a straight path for the player to follow its linear story. Apart from the puzzles that the player has to solve, not much of exploration can be done. But it's not really off putting. The game environment suits the linear storytelling of the game. There aren't any side missions to do so exploration wouldn't really mean much. Even though I can't wander off and discover the landscape, the game has amazing set pieces that fleshes out the world of the story. Spatial immersion makes this game exciting, especially because the game environment has a vital role on the gameplay itself. The environment design completes the lore, it gives the player a taste of what it feels like to live in the world of Persian myth. The destroyed and ruined parts of the castle also give the player a sense of danger at every corner. Some of which fall off whenever the player approaches. It supports the dangerous situation the protagonist is facing. It creates an illusion that I'm part of this world; that I am involved (even if it's only by proxy) and that makes me feel immersed to the fiction.
The linear storytelling of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time doesn't offer me any meaningful choice to change the story. But being immersed to the fiction makes playing it meaningful and that's what makes it engaging and exciting to play. Continuing to progress the story in order to uncover the mystery is a choice by itself and maybe that's good enough. :)
References:
Ubisoft Montreal (Developer). (2003). Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time [Video Game]. France: Ubisoft
Ryan, M.L. (Author). (2009). StoryWorld: A Journal of Narrative Studies [Article]. United States: University of Nebraska Press
Thursday, 3 March 2016
Character Moodboard
Here is the character mood board that I did for our project. The mood board that I made is mostly about the personality of the character for gestures and facial expressions. I also included objects/food as characters.
Michelle C. also made another mood board for the art style of the character.
I also did some concept sketches and ideas for character design exploration.
Group Story Concept
03/03/2016
Our group received feedback for the story that we're going to make an animated sequence for. The tutors told us that it would be better if the puns relate to the butter rather than be puns about random food items.
Our group received feedback for the story that we're going to make an animated sequence for. The tutors told us that it would be better if the puns relate to the butter rather than be puns about random food items.
They also told us to find out how butter acts when bent, twist and melted to have a clear idea of how butter works for research. Me, Jonathan and Michelle C. borrowed some clay and planned out how the character could work. Our group still has to design the character but we do have initial ideas/concepts to work with just to work out how the character would work. I came up with different concepts and also ideas on how to explore the design for the character. We also have a character profile to work with provided by Mikayla.
Here is the revised script by Mikayla and Michelle Z. It's not yet finished but it's close being finalized.
Here is the revised script by Mikayla and Michelle Z. It's not yet finished but it's close being finalized.
SCRIPT
SERIES OF SHOTS OF A POT BOILING, A FRIDGE, AND HANDS CHOPPING FOOD.
EST. SHOT OF APARTMENT KITCHEN; A YOUNG LADY IS BUSY PREPARING A MEAL.
CLOSE UP ON HER EXPRESSION AS SHE CHOPS, WHERE SHE PAUSES TO GRAB SOMETHING - AN INGREDIENT - ONLY TO REALISE IT’S NOT THERE.
P.O.V. SHOT AS SHE LOOKS AROUND THE BENCH. SWITCHES TO A MID SHOT AS SHE SIGHS, LOOKING TO THE FRIDGE.
YOUNG LADY:
“Here we go…”
SHOT OF HER CROUCHING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE FRIDGE; SHE REACHES AND OPENS THE DOOR. SHOT CHANGES TO SHOW THE FRIDGES INTERIOR.
BUTTER:
“Oh, hello~!”
CLOSE UP ON HER EXPRESSION - A MIX OF EXHAUSTION AND DREAD, AS SHE TURNS TO LOOK IN THE FRIDGE DOOR. SWITCHES TO OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT.
BUTTER:
“We meet again.”
A SMOOTH VOICE SPEAKS, WITH A PANNING VIEW OVER THE SHOULDER, WE SEE A STICK OF BUTTER COME INTO VIEW.
ZOOM IN TO SEE THE BUTTER WAVING AND SMILING.
THE LADY STARES AT HIM UNIMPRESSED.
YOUNG LADY:
“Not by choice…”
THE BUTTER FEIGNS HURT, HOLDING HIS HAND TO HIS HEART.
BUTTER:
“Oh, you’re almost colder than this fridge. But - is that cooking I smell?”
BUTTER SNIFFS.
BUTTER:
“Hm, wouldn’t it taste better with me?”
BUTTER GESTURES AT HIMSELF.
BUTTER:
“Or should I say… butter?”
CLOSE UP OF LADY GOING TO PROTEST. SHOT RETURNS TO BUTTER.
BUTTER:
“I’m bready for you.”
WOMAN LOOKS BACK AT BENCH TO HER MEAL WHERE BUTTER CLEARLY IS NOT NEEDED.
SLIGHTLY PANICKED, HE WATCHES AS SHE SIGHS AND GOES TO GRAB MORE INGREDIENTS FROM THE FRIDGE.
YOUNG LADY:
“Well…”
BUTTER:
“…”
YOUNG LADY SIGHS, SIDE ON SHOT OF HER AND BUTTER.
YOUNG LADY:
“Look, I’m flattered, but…”
BUTTER:
“B-But you can’t churn me down; I’m high-end creamy blend!”
YOUNG LADY SMILES, IN A CONDESCENDING WAY.
YOUNG LADY:
“And I’m lactose intolerant.”
FADE TO BLACK WITH SHOT OF BUTTER, LOOKING HEARTBROKEN, AS THE FRIDGE CLOSES.
END
Roles and Schedule
Our group decided on which roles we should take. Mikayla is the director because it's her story that we chose to produce. Michelle Z. is our producer and is in charge of keeping us in line. We chose her because she can shoulder the responsibility which no ones seems to be keen to take on, including myself. Mikayla and Michelle Z. would be in charge of editing and compositing.I am the head of 3D because I'm super keen on using 3D. Most of the people wanted to do 2D as they feel more comfortable on animating in 2D. That's where we got the idea of combining 3D and 2D animation for the character. Michelle C. would be helping me with the 3D stuff including the props we need. Jonathan is in charge of the 2D animation and sound design. Him and Zach are in charge of designing the character.
This is the initial production schedule that we made.
Update: Michelle C. is now the director. Basically she has the say in creative disputes. This is logical because Mikayla may have too much control over the story/decisions and making Michelle C. the director means that we have a say. She's the mediator.
And this is our final production schedule.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)