Character and Narrative: Title Sequence and Backgrounds

Character and Narrative

Title Sequence and Backgrounds

• This week we had a lecture on Title Sequence design, which looked at a variety of title sequences and how we could incorporate them as part of the narrative itself. Here are my notes on title sequence design, which can be implemented into our work:

• As part of work on the background, we wanted to explore some colour schemes in our group, and also decide how we could use one image for panning, such as in the introduction. I used the book 'The Color of Pixar' again, for inspiration on this. Which can be found through a flip-through video here:

• From looking at the way Pixar had done this technique, we thought that using orange, warm tones for the background would help with mood. In addition to this, using cooler tones for the shadows and sky. This would be a part of the title sequence.

Context of Practise 2: Study Task 5

Context of Practise 2

Study Task 5 - Writing an Introduction

• After creating a prototype question, I created a brief research proposal and summary of the question and research I had done so far. Here is the initial summary and plan:

• The task was then to produce an introduction, using the summary and a series of questions, from Estudio. I decided that I would like to make the written work of my project in 3rd person, to make it simple and consistent throughout the essay. In addition to this, I added some triangulated sources in the introduction, to briefly explain the practical importance of the visuals and how it is used in concept art, setting up for my practical response. The introduction is as follows:

Proto-Question:

How important are aesthetics in creating atmosphere and effective narrative in 2D and 2.5D video games?

“Visuals have become far more important,” according to Concept Artist for 2D Platform game, Ori and the Blind Forest (2015), Simon Kopp (2015), when referring to the aesthetics and visual appeal of 2D video games. When creating atmosphere in 2D and 2.5D video games, Art Directors (those who have full control over the visuals and narrative of the project) have to not only explore visual style, but additionally understand the use of sound design and mechanics of the gameplay. The aesthetics of a game can be established in the concept art stage, where stylistic choices can be made to enhance and drive the narrative the director is trying to convey. Concept designer, Urschel, J (2017), who had previously worked for Ubisoft and LucasArts, states that concept art is, “understood as the visualisation of ideas which currently only exist as written words, or thoughts, in someone’s head.” When exploring the visual aesthetic for 2D Metroidvania game, Hollow Knight (2015), artist, Ari Gibson, created a series of images exploring the character ideas and produced promotional material for public-funded Kickstarter campaign (Figure 1 and 2). Therefore, the impression created of the initial thought process is transferred throughout the production of a game (or product), which then determines the overall style conveyed for the narrative process. A practical and analytical response to the process of creating atmosphere can be explored by a focus on specific atmospheric games and producing a practical outcome from the findings. Through the exploration and analysis of atmospheric video games, researching interviews, video processes and understanding psychological responses to certain aesthetics, would provide the information required to produce an immersive environment for players. This research will focus on 2D-Platform Adventure games, Hollow Knight (2017), Ori and the Blind Forest (2015) and Inside (2016).

Sources for the Concept Art:

Figure 1:

Gibson, A. (2015) Hollow Knight Concept Art. Available at: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/30/hollow-knight-concept-art/ (Accessed 28th October 2019)

Figure 2:

Gibson, A. (2015) Hollow Knight Promotional Art. Available at: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/30/hollow-knight-concept-art/ (Accessed 28th October 2019)

• I think that the introduction could be improved by re-phrasing a few of the sentences, so it flows a little better and makes more sense to someone reading it without previous knowledge.

Character and Narrative: Animatic

Character and Narrative

Animatic

• After Rachel produced the initial draft of the storyboard and worked on the refined storyboard, I then produced an animatic from this. Instead of using images from the storyboard, I redrew each shot, to then time key poses correctly. I had a bit of trouble with this, as Photoshop was having rendering issues and so I have to re-export the animatic several times, to get the timing right.

This is the drafted storyboard:

• This initial export was this:

Then, because the timing was too fast, I went back over the file and adjusted the timings of some shots in the middle and this was the version, without sound. Then, I sent this file to Afnan, who would be editing the sound for the animatic and the final animation.

Character and Narrative: Researching Aesthetic

Character and Narrative

Researching Aesthetic and Style

• Alongside some of the concept work I had been producing, I needed to research aesthetic and visuals for childrens' animation, such as how the animated style used in the 1930s was developed and influenced.

• I made notes on my research and findings here:
• Using Animation: The Global History, by Maureen Furniss, I was able to make detailed notes to help with my concept work.

• The research helped to not only develop the initial narrative ideas to be then made into a storyboard, but it also helped for further research into the visual styles used in Disney, Fleischer Studios, Warner Bros. and the influences of physical and verbal comedy into animated shows.

Furniss, M. (2016). Animation: A Global History. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Context of Practise 2: Study Task 4

Context of Practise 2

Study Task 4: Images, Examples and Theories

• This week, in order to develop our research for our "proto-question", the task was to produce a research poster, triangulating everything that I had looked at so far and draw comparisons and conclusions from the information. This included comparing the research to how it relates to my question and understanding key concepts from the information I had found.
• The written analysis is here:

• I was looking at exploring aesthetics from a production standpoint, then explore it for the visual and narrative purpose in video games. This could then lead me to explore the process of creating mood in video games, through sound, game-play and interaction with other characters. This can link to creating immersive experiences, despite limitations with the media the production team decides to use.

Character and Narrative: Making Improvements

Character and Narrative

Making Improvements

• At the start of this week, I decided to try and develop more concepts for Teddy the Turtle, to try and loosen his design, to make the posing easier and easier to animate.
• I did this by looking at the concepts I had already created for the character and trying to apply a line of action to create more dynamic poses. I found that when I applied Teddy to a background, which is from the storyboard, I was able to pose him better and more fluidly than I had before. I thought of him more in shapes, rather than anatomically, which helped a lot.
• I think this would greatly help with my character drawing and I will try to adapt this more in the future.

Context of Practise 2: Study Task 3, Part 2

Context of Practise 2

Study Task 3, Part 2: Reading and Understanding Texts

• I created a visual research poster which refers to concepts referenced in the Simon Kopp interview and some other research ideas, combining the research together. The mind-map looks at possible areas I could explore in relation to my area of research. I also found that I could explore society and it's impact on visual art styles used in 2D and 2.5D Video Games.

• In order to further develop my research, I need to fully understand and finalise my research question, which I will try to do this week.

Context of Practise 2: Study Task 3, Part 1

Context of Practise 2

Study Task 3: Reading and Understanding Texts

• For Study Task 3, I found an article of an interview with one of the concept artists, Simon Kopp, who worked on the games Ori and the Blind Forest (2015), which is a game relevant to my research area. 
• My annotated analysis is displayed below:

• Some of the key concepts he is trying to communicate is how society has impacted the way developers visualise games. He also talks about using visual representation to help explain, explore ideas and additionally, enhance the gameplay, by making it visually easier to understand.
• Some key quotes are, "A visual representation can make a lot of things clear," "have a clear visual when you're working in a team," "Its really important to have a good colour key from the start," "Visuals have become way more important," and "Most indie developers stray away from 3D or at least realistic 3D, for a very stylized look," all closely related to how visuals in games have significantly change for audiences and that it is easier using a 2D, stylized aesthetic than a 3D, realistic one, which is favoured by a lot of the Video Games audience.
• Examples used by the Simon Kopp are 'Ori and the Blind Forest', 'Mooncrest', 'Albion Online' and 'Axculho' which are games he has worked on. He also mentions The Lord of the Rings as an example of world building and storytelling without the needed visuals.
• A lot of indie developers have used a 2D stylized approach, such as the developers Team Cherry, when working on Hollow Knight and Studio MDHR when working on Cuphead. Both of these games were also evidence of the visuals being important, but arguably for the games themself, as the style was part of the game-play. This is something I can triangulate and explore with Simon Kopps' opinion.
• Finally, this overall can be related to my theme because it explores how aesthetic in games have changed but not from a gameplay and visual standpoint, but also explores that visuals can offer more for the developers financially. Using certain aesthetics in a game doesn't have to be just for the storytelling aspects and this is something I can triangulate between in terms of a 'society vs. aesthetics' idea.

Character and Narrative: Gantt Sheets and Environment Concepts

Character and Narrative

Gantt Sheets and Environment Concepts

• This week we created a Gantt Sheet, as a group, to organise the process of creating our final animation. We worked together to develop the sheet, in Google Sheets, so we were all able to edit and collaborate on this. 

• Furthermore, we worked together to help develop the storyboard and script. This consisted of utilising the Rule of Three in comedy, through slapstick. This is similar to Charlie Chaplin, in the 1930s and 40s. We decided to improve the story this way, by having one comedy joke, then a second and third, with the final one being the most funny.

• I also created a series of environment concepts, from multiple times of day and different locations of the beach. The group chose the fourth image, therefore I will produce more concepts from this time of day, experimenting with colour and styles to develop this idea. I was inspired by the work of Laura Price (www.luludraws.com), who is a background and concept artist for Disney's Tangled TV Series and by the work of Gina Garavalia, whom produces background art. Both are heavily stylised and colourful, which is suitable for the younger target audience.
• A book I looked as was called The Noble Approach, by Maurice Noble, which looks at Layout and Background design, which helped with my creativity of the reference images. from the Research and Inspiration section.

Character and Narrative: Storytelling in Cinematography and Maya Notes

Character and Narrative

Storytelling in Cinematography Seminar and Maya Notes

• This morning we had a seminar on understanding cinematography for our animation work. This consisted of learning about camera shot choices and framing of characters in the shot. In addition to this, we were taught about use of colour and light in film and how this could be used in our own work to convey certain emotion and ideas. The seminar notes are here:

• In the afternoon, we had a lecture on Maya, which we were taught how to Render Layers and Composite in both Maya and After Effects to create a piece of CG Animation on a real-life background. I made notes on the process, as it was something I could use in future projects, despite that I found the process complex.
• The Maya notes I took are here:

And the final clip:

Character and Narrative: Animated Tests

Character and Narrative

Animated Tests

• This Week:
• I created some animated walk cycle tests for Teddy the Turtle, to go alongside the concept development for him. This walk cycle can be additionally used for reference for the other turtles entering the water.
• What Went Well:
• I was able to get this test done pretty quickly, with the help of The Animators Survival Kit, by Richard Williams, looking at how four-legged animals could move. Unfortunately, the section doesn't consist of turtles, so I had to use reference footage online to help.
• I tried to exaggerate the movement a lot, to make it feel life-like and a bit less realistic to go with the idea that Teddy isn't a normal turtle. It matches his personality, rather than using a slow walk.
• What Could Be Better:
• Line consistency is something I need to improve on and additionally, the head-bobbing movement could've been further exaggerated and smoother, like his leg movement is.
• His head also needs to be bigger, as it's slightly larger on the turnaround. I will take note of this when animating him.
• Next Week:
• I'll be creating more concept work, such as for environments.

Teddy Walk Cycle Test:

Context of Practise 2: Sonorous Soundscapes

Context of Practise 2

Sonorous Soundscapes

• After the information on soundscapes and how they are used in animation, I decided to try recording some of my own sounds for the short loop animation. I produced some ambient noises and paper crumple sounds. The electronic sounds were found on FreeSound.org and edited to change in pitch and speed.
• I think I could be a bit more adventurous with sounds, especially in future animations, however this was good practise for that.

Context of Practise 2: Writing a Research Question

Context of Practise 2

Study Task 2 - Writing a Research Question

• After choosing to focus on aesthetics, I initially found it difficult to develop a question for research, therefore I decided to focus on a specific area of my interests and develop a question from there.
• When we worked in small groups to develop a question or research area, despite a few people suggesting for me to explore aesthetics, they also suggested a few games to look at and areas of aesthetics I can explore.

• I researched 2D Video Games online and explored some of the games I am interested in already. I found that I could explore assets and aesthetic by focusing on concept work and simple animation tests. In addition to this, I found the book "The Ultimate Concept Art Career Guide" published by 3Dtotal, which includes a variety of artist workflows and how they are able to achieve a certain aesthetic in concepts they make. I think that if I were to focus on 2D Video Games, it would be a variety of 2D games, to compare and contrast them in how they use aesthetics to reflect narrative.

Character and Narrative: Model Sheet 1

Character and Narrative

Teddy the Turtle Model Sheet 1

• After developing a finalised turnaround, I created the first model sheet for him, with colour and the textured line work.
• The colouring and line work is consistent between poses and with the turnaround, however I think that the consistency of the poses and weight could be better improved. This is in addition to improving the range of dynamic poses Teddy can use, which can be then reciprocated in the animation itself.

Character and Narrative: Acting and Reference Notes and Maya

Character and Narrative

Acting and Reference Notes and Maya

• Alongside the work that we are doing in our groups, we had also a lecture on acting and reference, which emphasised the use of referencing for animation. This can be using our own references or the work of others and covered the 7 Essential Acting Concepts by Ed Hooks.
• The notes I took are here:

• I have greatly improved in my Maya modelling work and I found the re-cap lesson fun and easy to follow. I learnt more short-cuts in creating models and was able to create a chair, along with the rest of the class.

Character and Narrative: Finalised Turnaround

Character and Narrative

Finalised Turnaround

• This week I produced a finalised turnaround sheet for Teddy, the turtle character who will be the focus of our short animation. We decided to change the line style to a graphite pencil, so it would appear textured and provide more of a hand-drawn aesthetic. In order to help improve on my turnaround, I used the book Creative Character Design by Bryan Tillman to assist with this process, as in Chapter 9, "Putting it all Together", explains mistakes and how to keep a turnaround consistent.
• I think this could be further improved with more detailing in the line work, to balance with the simple colours, or adding textures to the turtles' design. 
• We chose these as it fit well with our younger (3+) target audience and from a storytelling perspective, allowed the turtle to stand out from it's siblings, whom will be green and orange.

Character and Narrative: Further Development

Character and Narrative

Further Character Development

• This week I produced more concepts for the turtle design. As a group, we decided to  name him Teddy and we wanted his features to be simple and round.
• Although my designs were fluid and simple, they felt too realistic and needed more exaggerated proportions to fit with the theme we were going for. Therefore, I produced another concept sheet playing around with face shapes. I also pushed some of the designs further, by making the eyes bigger and the cheeks wider. I incorporated all design elements from the other models produced by the group and we mutually decided to have a blue body, white-shell design, with large eyes and freckles on the cheeks.
• Therefore, I will take this design to produce a finalised turnaround and model sheet.

Context of Practise 2: Sentient Spaces

Context of Practise 2

Sentient Spaces

This week for COP2, we looked at sentient spaces, as part of the lecture. I produced a series of notes on this and additionally created a sentient curtain, within a background, for last weeks' animism animation to sit on top of.

My notes are here:

I produced a short animation, using Photoshop, of a curtain curling up and then blowing in a breeze from the open window. I think I could improve the movement more with this, to illustrate the wind more, coming in from the window.

Here are the two combined:

Context of Practise 2: Study Task 1

Context of Practise 2

Study Task 1: Forming Ideas

After changing my mind several times about what I could explore for Studio Brief 1, I created a series of mind-maps in my sketchbook to help develop my ideas. I previously wanted to focus on 3D Modelling, however after exploring this over the summer, I decided to focus on my strengths in 2D Animation and Concept Art.

I made a series of mind-maps exploring possible ideas and eventually I decided to draw my attention towards 2D aesthetics in indie games.

Character and Narrative: Character and Narrative Seminar

Character and Narrative

Character and Narrative Lecture Notes

• As an introduction to the module we had a brief and lecture on Character creation and developing a narrative. I made notes during this, to refer back to when going through our own process in our group work!

Character and Narrative: Character Development

Character and Narrative

Character Development

This week we were assigned our groups and the class voted for us to develop and produce an animation for Rachels' story. I was assigned the producer of the group and made a brief schedule and roles sheet, until we are all together to talk about the pre-production process.

Here is the brief scheduling:

This week I produced a possible model sheet for our protagonist character, a turtle. A name and background information still hasn't been agreed, which is what we shall work on this week. To further improve my work, I need to produce more fluid poses for the character model sheet. I used the guide "Color and Light" by James Gurney to help my painting skills in producing a concept for the character.

Character and Narrative: Ideas Development

Character and Narrative

Ideas Development

For our first task, we had to roll a set of three dice to determine what would be a basis for a narrative, which then would be voted on to animate in my group. I created a mind-map of my ideas, after rolling a cow, jellyfish and chameleon.

The final idea I created is as follows:

• A Farmer washes ashore of a deserted, tropical island. A jellyfish is stuck to his head, he is tangled in seaweed and he proceeds to stand and explore the isle. Rising from the ground, a giant chameleon greets him and the farmer falls back in fear, before explaining to the chameleon that he is lost. The giant chameleon helps him by extending his tail across the ocean, to form a bridge, which the farmer may cross to return back home.

Context of Practise 2: First Task and Lecture Notes

Context of Practise 2

First Task and Study Notes

For the first lecture of Context of Practise 2, we were given the module overview and information for the format of the coming weeks. In addition to this, we looked at Animism in the afternoon, where we made notes and discussed how animism is used in animation. My notes and ideas are displayed below.

In addition to this, we were given the first task of choosing an object, animal or place and were told to "bring it to life". This was through using any technique we liked, therefore I chose to do a 2D digital animation of a character I quickly designed in my sketchbook. I opted to create a post-it note character, because it was simple and easy to explore. 

I had a look back at the sack-character I did a short animation for in the first year as a basis for my character and how I could create expression. The animation I made was to explore the different emotions and movements the paper could express.

I think I could have explored more emotions and possibly looked at different objects/animals/places to further explore animism and anthropomorphism.