From generalist to specialist?

My visit to the Blitz open day gave me an incredible insight into where I want to be and how to get there if I did choose the games industry. I had a one to one feedback session where my portfolio was critiqued. They judged the work on industry standard, which terrified the life out of me.

I went in to that room expecting to be laughed at. I know that sounds ridiculous and melodramatic, but that’s honestly what was going through my mind. I expected to sit down, open up my portfolio and have to sit there, red faced while the professionals ripped apart my work and said, in the nicest way possible, I’d never make it at this rate, and perhaps should try for a secretarial work instead. Of course, that’s not what happened.. but I’ll go into that in my 2nd year review blog. Oh, I’m such a tease!

So.. after all I have learnt so far, with everything the tutors/professionals have advised and from where the industry stands at this moment in time.. what do I want to be? 

Well..

I STILL want to be a concept artist.

Now this is a big thing for me to say. I have been tempted over and over again to stop and reassess my situation.. to convince myself to stop dreaming about becoming a concept artist. I have been told that only the best of the best can get that job and it’s unbelievably easy to just think.. SCREW IT, this shit is too stressful, I’ll aim for the easier option..

But this was never going to be easy, in fact, if it was easy.. I’d be disappointed.

What I learnt at Blitz is that yes, you do indeed need to be the best of the best to get a job as a concept artist… But someone has to do it, so why the hell can’t it be me?!

I’ve just got to work my buttocks off.

My visit to the Blitz open day gave me an incredible insight into where I want to be and how to get there if I did choose the games industry. I had a one to one feedback session where my portfolio was critiqued. They judged the work on industry standard, which terrified the life out of me.

I went in to that room expecting to be laughed at. I know that sounds ridiculous and melodramatic, but that’s honestly what was going through my mind. I expected to sit down, open up my portfolio and have to sit there, red faced while the professionals ripped apart my work and said, in the nicest way possible, I’d never make it at this rate, and perhaps should try for a secretarial work instead. Of course, that’s not what happened.. but I’ll go into that in my 2nd year review blog. Oh, I’m such a tease!

Actually.. secretarial work wouldn't be all that bad now I've thought about it, I have a thing for organising paper work and answering the phone. There you go, I have a fall back option. My other ‘just in case’ job would be to become a post woman… and no, I’m not joking.  Working in the outdoors, big tips at Christmas, finished by 12, good pay?! Cushty.

Interaction Design

I think 3D is a gimmick.

We have had 3D films for ages? The reason it never kicked off in the first place is because it wasn't worth the money… And now people are buying stupidly over priced 3D TV’s to sit in front of with their stupidly over priced personal 3D glasses. I went along with the 3D cinema shows for a while because, yeah, ok… they look pretty. But not pretty enough to pay an extra 3 squids for the privilege. And then they ask for your glasses back? PAHAHA no. I have 3 pairs sitting at home in my desk now. Do they give you a discount if you bring your own glasses? No. No they don't. As for 3D gaming.. I've played on a 3DS for an hour. for the first 5 minutes I was impressed, but then it bored me.

Just like the Wii. Which brings me on to motion controllers. Oh.. yes.

*sigh*

I know the levels of obesity in children are rising, and the average size of a female in the UK has risen to a size 14-16 but frankly, I don’t give a damn when it starts to interfere with my gaming future. I don't want to be standing swinging a stick around the air, it look’s un-cool and it looks boring. Why can’t we just keep our wireless controllers in our laps and sit with a cuppa. That's my idea of escaping reality. Not jumping around the place like a loon trying to get a motion sensor to work despite the fact I’m standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT.

And no, I’m not just being lazy. I will go out for a run if I fancy it, I play badminton on a Friday evening. But that’s because I enjoy leaving the house and getting fresh air. I enjoy playing for a team and having a run around. I enjoy working my body, and pushing it. Waving my arms around and gyrating my hips will not achieve any of that..

But now I have had my major rant, I will just add one praise. I have played Just Dance and that was very good fun. Particularly if your watching your friends going at it drunk. I guess I just worry that the bigger companies will get swept away with the novelty of all of this innovation and forget about the old school gamers. The ones that sit for hours slack jawed and semi conscious, the ones that play the coolest games.

So, guys… you’ve had a muck around with your new toys, you've ridden the motion sensitive wave. Now put down that silly little nunchuck and take off those oversized glasses and get on with making some real games. Include some relatable characters while your at it, yeah? Cheers.

Sound

Music has an impressive effect on the human psyche.  You can listen to an ill suited playlist for an hour and go through a rollercoaster of emotions in one sitting. I know, as this has happened to me on a bad day.. damn that shuffle.

A scene in a game is just a scene when watched without sound. It’s just a visual image that comes in a split second and is lost. Music lingers on. It causes our brain to recognise a the tone of the situation, and our emotions act accordingly. The same is said for films, music just makes that crisp, lasting impression.

Whenever I hear Queen’s ‘don’t stop me now’ I cant help but giggle and think of this scene :

Final Fantasy XII has my most memorable soundtrack.  I still have to skip Aeris’s theme tune on my MP3 because of the mood swing it causes me. Every single town has the appropriate music accompaniment…

…and you are left humming it for the rest of the day. Even now, when I overhear the victory tune on some geeks ringtone I feel triumphant!

Bioshock is filled with atmosphere, and although the graphics are pretty funky, the sounds definitely make this game what it is. The chilling moans and whispers of the splicer's, the frantic violins and the creepy retro music combine to make absolutely awesome game play. Watching this video gave me shivers, I know exactly what is going to happen, but the music still makes me jump. Now I really want to play it again!

Shadow of the Colossus would have been quite a poor game if it weren't for the music. The player spends most of their time in silence,  traversing around a vast landscape with only the wind and a horse for accompaniment. Suddenly, you veer around a rock on your horse and this magnificent music kicks in. Your heart starts going and you can feel the adrenalin course through you. It’s such an amazing experience, that game was just immense. Each colossus has it's own theme, and each is different and unique in its own way. It’s little things like that which make a soundtrack great.

I feel like I need to mention Fallout 3. Although the usual in game sounds were nothing to shout about, I got very, very attached to the music they played constantly on “Galaxy News Radio”.  Having a far off radio humming whilst you a exploring what should be an empty building is very disconcerting, but there's nothing quite like blowing off a raiders head whilst humming along to vintage song’s from the 1940’s.

Doodle book update…

I have been doing my daily sketches though not consistently. I’m rubbish at scanning them all in, I never remember!

Here is a backlog of them for you to peruse…

I have many scruffy sketches of scenery my car window, all of which look like masses of squiggles. These three are the best of a bad bunch.

    

My nana has been poorly over Christmas, so I have been spending a bit of time at the hospital staring into space! The last 5 pages are sketches of patients.

The hospital decided to put Christmas songs on loop in the waiting room we had gathered in. After hearing Santa Baby for the 5th time, it’s no wonder most of the patients look ready to commit mass suicide.

Level Design

Previously, the title ‘Level Designer’  brought to mind a single lucky fellow spinning out level ideas of which were instantly transformed into reality by a group of obedient artists and modellers. They continually work with visually compelling imagery and.. well  ... I actually assumed it was a fairly easy job. How naive.

The amount of planning that goes into each of the designs is phenomenal. Building a successful map is an art form in itself. Working up to the final design requires a lot of trial and error before you get something challenging and entertaining for the player. Often they fail even after all of that effort… it’s not an easy job!

Before any artwork is involved the team meet and discuss ideas. Intense planning and research ensues resulting in sketches, mood boards and check lists. After approval simple geometry is blocked out in 3D and shoved in front of any play tester they can get their hands on. This constructive input is put into consideration and the level is tweaked until unrecognisable.

Only then is the level given to concept artists to paint-over who work on the overall look of the level. It is then passed off to environment artists who make further tweaks and changes, adding level after level of detail until happy with the finished art.

Half Life 2 has a particularly successful level design. The maps have clear direction without feeling too constraining and the environments feel familiar enough to be believable. All of the levels flow beautifully and you always have a clear sense of where you are heading. Each level climax has been unmistakably imprinted into my brain, and I remember them clearly and fondly!

To me a successful level keeps the player moving at a consistent pace. I instantly feel underwhelmed when I think I have found a secrete passage that leads to loot but instead discover a mindless barricade or dead end. I feel betrayed as a double back on myself with nothing shiny to distract me. I think all paths should lead to a destination, even if the loot at the end simply consists of a worthwhile view – a tactic  beautifully executed by the Uncharted games…

I also appreciate feeling orientated. Massive, complicated levels make me feel lost and panicky before I even get the chance to defeat any foes. If I haven't got a map, I find being able to see my final destination reassuring. Distinctive markers and worn paths help me keep track of where I have been and simply catching a glimpse of the destination in the distance acts as a comforter. I don't appreciate being surrounded by enemies whilst  feeling impossibly lost!

Work…

… from the Loughborough train station. We visited near start of term but I never got round to posting them up. 

   Thumbs…

 

..and a final.

Composition

“To take photographs means to recognize – simultaneously and within a fraction of a second – both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.”

-Henri Cartier-Bresson

Bresson happens to be one of my favourite photographers. I love how his work oozes mystery and character.

 

He is a master at compositional photography…

This one in particular uses the golden ratio. How the brain and eye work together is fascinating stuff. Certain shapes and proportions are easier for our brain to decipher. Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University, in North Carolina, has made some interesting discoveries in the field of theoretic mathematics. He claims that the human eye is capable of interpreting the golden ratio proportions faster and more efficiently than any other shape.

That would explain why so many of the old masters of art use these proportions in their work. Leonardo Davinci, Salvador Dali and Botticelli to name a few.

With the help of composition we can determine what we intend to make the viewer look at first, where they will travel and finally come to a halt. I have a geeky interest in finding pleasing compositions, particularly in photography. Oddly, I have only just implementing the same rules in some of my paintings. I guess I never put two and two together. I find it a lot more natural to think about things like leading lines and framing with a camera up to my face - though I have recently made much more of an effort to play around with composition in my thumbnails.

Although we concentrated quite heavily on composition in my photography course, I have learnt quite a bit more since starting Game art and simply researching on the interweb. I first planned to outline all of the aforementioned rules and give examples, but looking around, there are plenty of places that do that for you. Here is a particularly good one. Here is one that will entertain you with ridiculously out dated pictures but relevant information. Although both are aimed at photographers, I think the rules are interchangeable.

Here is an incredible resource for everything from composition to art materials. James Gurney has been a constant inspiration to me, and his blog is a gold mine of interesting articles and tips on how to become better artist. These two are my favourite blogs he has written with a compositional theme.

Some bullet points to outline the things I feel I still need to work on:

- Never run out of space, judge distances and proportions first before adding detail 

- Use a pencil as a measuring stick using this technique (I really need to do this more)

- Play with light and contrast to guide the eye

- Remember my contrasting colours from school. Keep an eye on colour temperatures and how they create atmosphere (warm colours draw attention, cool colours create space etc.)

- Be more creative with negative space

- Watch my object grouping ( i.e. a balanced piece reflects symmetry, calm and order and  an asymmetrical piece may draw attention to a point of emphasis or create disorder)

Here’s an interesting article on composition. The link takes you to one of my favourite page of tips on the site, but take a look around, it’s pretty useful stuff:

Wow, I think I have used too many hyperlinks in this post. Sorry.