Inspiration and Research

This is my Inspiration and Research page. It will be dedicated to outlining primary and secondary sources I have found in order to aid the creation of my digital environment.

I started off my research by taking a look at some of the current sectors in the industry that deal with creating and producing digital environments.

ARCHITECTURAL PLANNING;

I began with looking at Architectural Plan, and how it relates to digital environments. Architectural Plan is the designing and planning for a building and can contain elements of Architecture such as Architectural drawings, design specifications for the building, calculations, time planning for the building process as well as other documentation. Buildings will come in many different sizes, shapes and uses. The planning involved in Architectural Plan has changed rapidly over the years as other factors are involved such as cost, weather conditions, building materials available and other aesthetic reasons. Lately with the advancement in technology, and the aid in planning, Architectural Plan has been able to move into the digital plane, allowing innovators and construction teams to ease the workflow. Being able to create a Digital Environment before, allows for the client to visually see how the innovators and designers have been able to creatively respond to the brief given to them, and also allows for the construction team and builders to have a visual representation of what the final outcome plans to look like. Being able to use software such as Photoshop and AutoCAD, architects are able to develop a set of drawings from initial hand sketches through strategic design decisions.

Digital Architecture will use computer modelling, programming and techniques within simulation and imaging to create virtual and physical structures in the form of both pre-visualisation and post production. It will not involve the use of actual materials and relies on sets of numbers stored in a digital format, used to create simulations and present designs that relate to the design brief of the building and map out built artefacts.

Even if it is Digital, Architects will still follow a set of steps to reach the desired end product, for the contractors to then begin building. These typical steps are broken down into Pre-production design, Design during production, Post-production design feedback for future designs, and then any Redesigns. These stages are broken down even further;

PRE-PRODUCTION:

Design brief, Analysis, Research, Specification, Problem Solving and Presentation

DESIGN DURING PRODUCTION:

Development and Testing

POST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Implementation, Evaluation and Conclusion

 

I found some figures on the internet relating to the salaries of architects, and the job descriptions circling this sector per annum:

Here is the PDF website link to an article I found on the internet titled “New Structuralism: Design, Engineering and Architectural Technologies“, published online 8th July 2010, authors Rivka and Robert Oxman. It runs over how Architecture has become a revolutionary process with the advancement of innovative technologies.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ad.1101/epdf

 

FILM AND MEDIA DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS;

Digital Environments are also an important aspect within the world of Film and Digital Media. Scene design is applied in animation, movies, advertising and other media. No matter which media is used however, the design of the environment is imperative to the the narrative and the main characters. “…it might be said that scene design is actually concerned with designing a world” (Weiye Yin, Impeccable Scene Design for Game, Animation, And Film Scene Design Course) In the world of film for example, if a movie plot centers around a character in a rich worldly environment that deviates from the social “norm”, the scene designers have to take into account the designs for all of the landscapes, as well as all of the other elements that apply to this film scenario. This includes the climate, species, social status, behaviors of the living mass as well as the aspects of the environment, like dirt, sand and dust. These elements have to be well thought out, and must link in some way. Environments have significant influence on the the designs of main characters, and the appearance, features and habits of the other characters both minor and major (primary and secondary).

After finding a little bit about what Environment Designers must take into account for their work, I wanted to research a little about the job role. What the processes are and what can be expected along the journey of environment and set designs for projects like films and other media.

Generally speaking, an artists working on the digital environments for a piece of film and or media will have to develop a set of different types of drawings that are important to the project.

These being:

– Effects Drawing

– Atmosphere Drawing

– Floor Plan

– Elevation Drawing

– Structural Drawing

– Partial Enlargement Drawing

– Explanatory Drawing

This also includes detailed sketches of special scenes and any props involved in the environment. In films and media especially, the artists only have to cover what is going to be seen on the screen. They must fully use the resources available to portray the ideal effects for the environment.

In the early stages of a film for example, the Production Designer is a part of the Visual Development team. This team looks at all the possibilities and researches and creates many different concepts and ideas with complete artistic freedom. This is usually until the Director for the film becomes involved, in which case, the thought process becomes a  lot narrower to fit their vision. The Production Designer will now develop a final look for the movie, working on designs that reflect the look of the movie and backgrounds with the characters designed. The character designs in the movie will reflect that of the set and backgrounds, which are approved by the pre-production team before presented to the head of the company.

When a production is green lit, it becomes necessary to analyse the style and create what is called a, “Style Guide”, which is a booklet roughly 60 pages of the basic rules of the styles pertaining to that project. This style guide is for all the departments working on the film: Layout, Background, Animation, Effects, Clean-up and Colour.

Here are some accounts from artists working on backgrounds and environments from Disney films, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast:

I chose to show these two images specifically because it shows how the artists behind these environments sought out reference, and how they used this reference to build worlds that connect with the characters and are interesting.

This next image is from the book I am referencing: Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation. The images below were collected because of their stunning qualities and structure of its composition. “There is no need to talk about the incredible style – Mary Blair. What else can I say?” [Hans Bacher, Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation, 2003, Page 13 ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIDEO GAME DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS;

Upon reading Impeccable Scene Design for Game, Animation and Film, I also found out some information at how scene design and digital environments are applied to Video Game Design.

I found some behind the scenes footage for a video game I know: “The Last of Us”, which is a game about how humans are surviving and struggling to survive in this post-apocalyptic world, where a killer fungal infection – a mutated strain of the Cordycep fungus – has taken over society resulting in outbreaks and mutations that cause humans to attack other humans. In this section of the behind the scene footage, the directors as well as other members of the environment design team such as concept artists, lead artists and game designers, explain how they think of the world as a character of its own. They also refer to source material that allowed them to create a world that is believable and “works” to reflect the nature of society at this given point in time, as well as how nature itself is able to claim back its territory due to humans being preoccupied with the fungal outbreak.

The specific footage runs from 18:30 – 23:43 in the clip below:

The workflow of an artists working on digital environments for a video game is similar to the workflow of that of artists working on digital environments for film and media. The perspective in the final movie or animation is already determined. The designer only has to focus on the objects picked up by the camera. Game projects however, especially scenes in which the player can change the perspective at will, must consider other factors. They must capture the characteristics of a scenery from all perspectives, as well as have control over how complicated the scenery is and how splendid the finish is, based on certain restrictions such as the performance of the distribution platform for the game and what kind of engine is used.

The designer must be qualified in the following ways in order to produce amazing designs for environments on a project:

WELL – TRAINED IN DRAWING

The artist cannot design or create innovative concepts unless they have logged years of practice and solid training to illustrate their vision at ease.

INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS

The well-trained eye must be accompanied by interesting and innovative concepts in order to survive the fierce competition.

A PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE OF VARIOUS SUBJECTS

The artist should rely on a vast knowledge, vision and a rich life experience to help allow the works to become convincing and credible. The more informed and knowledgeable the designer becomes, the more vivid and meaningful the works will turn out to be.

A SERIOUS ATTITUDE

The designers attitude will affect the quality of the finished piece. Every stage, including concept development, selection of subjects, designing, sketching and drawing must be approached with tact and thought.

These qualities are applicable to digital environment design in video games, as well as film and animation. As experience builds up, the artist is able to take up more jobs and advance up to higher roles. I found some job salaries that apply to digital environment artists within the video game and film and animation sectors:

Upon researching the different sectors within the animation, I believe I should now begin to start my project and begin searching for ideas of inspiration for my own digital environment.

In order to create my own digital environment, I searched the internet to draw inspiration from other places in order to creatively respond to concepts and ideas that already exist. I had one basic idea for a concept at this point in time for my digital environment. Using a small 3×3 grid, I was able to create two more environments with characters and themes to explore. My final 3 ideas were:

1 – A protective warrior archetype mother, proficient in crossbow training living in a dark cityscape

2 – A genius artist, living on a ship that has been plagued by a terrible storm on the sea

3 – A lazy store clerk, reminiscent of the Napoleon Dynamite character living in an underground city

For the dark cityscape, I wanted to create an environment that made use of tall buildings and neon lights. This concept reminded me heavily of the world of “The Grid” environment from TRON: Legacy. 

I do love this idea, however, this was not the direction I wanted to head in. The environment in TRON: Legacy looks very stylised to cater to the nature of the film, which takes place in a digital world. The building design I was looking for ideally would have made use of the variety of buildings and contrast between the size and shape of buildings in London. I also do not plan to use the bright neon colours in the same way that it is done in TRON: Legacy. The idea of neon lights came from the use of neon lights that light up at night to attract customers and people to businesses. In order for this world to appear like there are signs of life, I have to look for slightly different images for reference. I looked at a video game franchise called Kingdom Hearts, and found an environment that worked really well for the theme I wanted to apply to my own environment.

The game has your character travel through different worlds and take on a slew of powerful enemies to stop the main antagonists plans. The image above represents the main antagonists world: “The World That Never Was”. I am a fan of the neon signs and bright colours, as well as the fact that the buildings look like groups of people could be living in them. I want to create an environment that looks like a little town, and gives off the vibe of real people living in this real town. The variety in scale and style for the buildings make the environment look very interesting and mysterious. I wanted this style for my own environment because I feel the eerie nature could make for a good narrative. If done correctly, it could pull us in and make us want to find out more about it, who lives here, what sorts of activities occur here etc. Another example of city scapes with bright lights I found on the internet came from the manga series Ghost in the Shell. I would not create an environment as building heavy as the ones in Ghost in the Shell, however, the concept is one I find very interesting and could prove to be useful for the development processes involved in the production of my environment.

 

For the the William Turner inspired ship idea, I was mainly looking at the painting Calais Pier.

I feel that there is so much to tell in this still painting, which is why after watching the ZombiU E3 reveal trailer, I was able to connect the two and imagine a narrative for this ship caught in a storm. I wanted to manipulate the camera in a way that allows the tension to build as more and more of the scene is revealed to the audience. We would not find out that the ship in damaged until maybe panning back through a window. And then we would not find out that the ship has been caught in a terrible storm until we pan right back to a composition similar to the original Calais Pier. William Turner had a brilliant use of light in his works, and that is something I would like to emulate into my digital environment. I want to emit a warmer light however from the sky and the clouds, as if the sun is setting. I feel that this will be a more evocative composition for the audience, and generate a sense of warmth. I will continue to search for other examples of clouds and warm sun set settings surrounding a storm to use as reference for this digital environment.

This is more of an example of the type of sky setting I wanted to involve in my digital environment. The warm reds and oranges of the sun setting in the sky are really powerful. I feel they dominate the picture, but also work collaboratively with cool dark blues of the clouds to make a contrasting composition. Blue and Orange are contrasting colours, which influenced my decision to agree with these specific colours.

 

For the underground city idea, I decided to draft many pictures from the internet and from shows that I could find. I mainly found inspiration from the series animation Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that aired from 2003 – 2009. I looked at scenes of the Underground City from the “Notes from the Underground” saga of Season 1. Here are some images I found:

I found that looking at these images helped to create some sense of space within my head, for the type of infrastructure and setting I want for the underground city. I want to include some sort of huge building that sits in the background, with some smaller infrastructure in the foreground to give the environment a sense of depth. Maybe there could be a bridge or crossing that connects the two. Unlike the Underground City from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles however, I do not want the city to be surrounded by lava, as feel that may portray a perilous setting which would not be my intentions. I would like the environment to give off habitual vibes, this being because the main character for the environment is supposed to be a sluggish shop owner in this underground city. I think I will go and find some other imagery that may help to give off some “friendlier” vibes.

These three images better illustrate an underground city with friendlier vibes. The one on the left more so in my opinion. With the pool in the foreground being overlooked by some settlements, and a tunnel in the far distance. These qualities I feel create a sense of depth within the composition because there is that much more of a narrative to tell due to the interesting addition of certain assets to the environment to add to the buildings that populate the scene. The image in the middle also has an interesting composition in my opinion as there are buildings heading off into the background, as well as stalagmites reaching down from the ceiling to form shapes and silhouettes among the fog. This creates an “atmosphere”, as well as a sense of mystery as we head off into the unknown. The foreground has a bridge which connects to this unknown, which is a slightly inviting concept, inducing an adventure for the audience. The image on the right introduces the concept of an opening leading into the underground city. This isn’t a concept I would like to follow up on, but I felt that the idea of a rising rock formation leading to a tunnel in the background would be aided by a concept piece like this. With the greenery and streaks of light beaming into the cave, there is a relaxed mood given off from the piece. It looks like it is early hours of the morning, and the still blue waters have a subtle highlight at the bottom of the cave. I found these images whilst searching for Underground Cities on deviantART for inspiration.

On a recent trip in the city, I took some pictures and noted down some ideas for possible textures, sounds and objects to add into my own digital environment. These are an extension of some of my very early ideas, looking at basic concepts, taking into account perspectives as well as tones and shade.

 

After taking into consideration all of the research I have done, the idea that seems to resonate with me most is my first idea, the Dark City. I want the city to resemble that of the city in the Kingdom Hearts 2 video game. I really am fascinated with the bright neon lights and the tall skyscraper buildings that would loom over the citizens. I have to create an environment with the use of props, mood and lighting. The next step would be for me to try and search the internet for sources that will help me to create an environment that makes use of props, mood and lighting to portray and character. The character in this idea would highlight that this city is dark, edgy and quite grungy. I would only be able to make use of this by manipulating the moonlight so that it will not interfere with the neon lights, as well as create assets that do not look out of place within a city environment – particularly this city environment.

Using some of the initial thumbnail storyboard shots I created earlier on during this project, I began working on the concept art for this digital environment. I used reference from Youtube Illustrator – Mark Crilley – to help me get the basics for working in 1 Point Perspective and how I can apply that to a grungy, Dystopian city environment. Because I was not making a Dystopian society environment, I altered his teachings to suit my idea, whilst still using ideas of his to embellish my own thought processes. As you can see from the video below, I admired the look of the pillars heading from the foreground into the distant background and then on a slight curve. This curve added to create an interesting composition, and to disallow everything heading toward the vanishing point in the centre of the picture. For the inside scene, I looked at concept Art from the video game “The Last of Us” for the designs of the ruined interior homes. Although the home in my interior space will not be ruined, I wanted to scene how the light may bounce off of certain objects at certain angles, how I may be able to lay out my own concept art piece, and where I could and should add tones and shades.

 

 

As reference for the buildings and various optical angles I want to explore within my digital environment, I took pictures as well as found some images that played with focal length and perspective. They helped me create some of the shots used in my storyboard.

The final image of the alleyway helped inspire a shot I created after drafting the storyboard for my digital environment. It was a piece of work created on deviantART inspired by the look and style of The World That Never Was from the Kingdom Hearts 2 video game.

 

 

I recorded gameplay of me playing the Kingdom Hearts 2 video game to find some interesting angles and interesting concepts that I could apply to the city portion of my environment. I was looking out for the designs of the neon signs as well as the textures and assets to the environment in the game. The colours of the neon signs varied also, but within the cooler range of the colour scheme.  Having the moon in the background also came from watching the gameplay and developing ideas that I have at the moment.

 

After creating the concept art and supporting imagery, I then began modelling and blocking out my scene in Maya. I used my own storyboard concept drawings to model around, helping me to understand the type of scale I am going to be working around and where things should go. One asset to my digital environment- especially the cityscape portion of the film – are the use of neon signs and bright lights. I found a quick Youtube video that talks about using a Phong E material because of its specularity, as well as the processes I could go about using to create the neon sign. Here is the clip I watched:

 

For assets that fall within my scene, I also applied some techniques found on Youtube. I wanted to use the internet’s help to create some better looking assets, because I know that on my own, I probably wouldn’t be able to create solid structures. It’s also good help for finding out about new techniques that I can apply to other models on Maya for this project, as well as future projects. I found help for creating and texturing a sofa, that will be used in the apartment section of my digital environment project. I followed the steps, but used the knowledge to create my own vision, rather than making an exact copy of what the Youtube video told me. I used the same process of applying the techniques taught in a Youtube video to create other modeled assets in my scene, such as books. Here are some of the Youtube clips I followed:

 

 

For the Contra track in reverse, I first looked at the Contra track in its actual motion during the clip of the Jaws film. From the clip, you can see that the focal length changes the depth of the lens in the shot, and makes the shot much narrower with a wide field view of the background behind Chief Brody.