Bradford Animation and Game Art festival



http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/BradfordAnimationFestival/WhatsOn

I know you guys enjoyed my last year's post on the festival. But as this is a very busy second year at university, I have opted to just attend the game art festival which was approximately 2 days. As usual I went with my class at university. Despite the hype not being as intense as it was last year, there were some great talks and speakers. This post is about the highlights - which speakers/ topics I enjoyed the most etc. My favourite speakers were: Viktor Antonov and Dave Mckean. It was a very busy but an enjoyable two days. It was very welcoming to have these speakers from the gaming industry as they thrive in fine art media to create beautiful examples of concept imagery for game ideas. This gives me a strength sense of hope for the future generation of game artists. We should never forget our skills in drawing as they are the foundation to our inner selves and can be used to feed our imaginations.

Tales from Dunwall: An artist animation talk (1 Hour)

(Viktor Antonov from Zenimax studios)

"Think of the environments as characters. Dishonored's character is one of tragedy, harshness, a hell hole but lives alongside beauty. A broken character. Space is gameplay."

For me, I believe these words were wisely spoken. If we treat our environments as characters then we can build vast levels of mystery and design upon it, enabling us to create a script for the environment. It's all well and good having these great characters who hold supernatural abilities and tools with a complimentary storyline etc... but can the character truly feel themselves in an environment that doesn't reflect their attributes? Or strengthen the feeling of the story? These are questions that I believe all artists should consider in their work: people are the primary characters of-course but we should never neglect the other elements, especially ones such as this which relate to our practice. After-all, environments and objects are characters within their own right: each has a story to tell, each has a mystic and historic element that can add to the players experience through gameplay.

Antonov's career in games started in 1996. Throughout his career, Antonov has worked as a concept artist, illustrator and creative director while recognising the importance of fine art techniques and first hand sketches of pre production. Some of his early studies for the game consisted of charcoal and rubber. These pre-production sketches had to reflect realistic, contemporary Victorian architecture though these sketches were in black and white and were drawn roughly. Antonov believes that rough sketches show more storytelling an feeling rather than a piece that's fully rendered. The style of work created is largely inspired from gothic themes .i.e. churches, buildings, textures etc. With any game, the first few weeks is mainly dedicated to drawing and gathering inspiration.



 Creating a new world

The inspiration for Dishonored derived from the works of Charles Dickens, Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes. These were the main metaphors for the concept of Dishonored. It was crucial to capture oppression, death, rustic, feels of the 19th century. Remember the trams/ railways carriages in the game? These were originally 19th century horse carriages. Antonov discussed what type of pre production sketches are more valuable to game concepts. Concept art should be high in contrast, no essential detail, varieties, rough colour and few areas of the piece that show refining skills. Lighting plays a huge parts to any artist's work, no matter what technique or media. With oppressed types of atmospheres, you can introduce magic. Think about what defines a city. Consider viewpoints and perspective. 



Dave Mckean Masterclass - Pictureville -

"You can't hate the years forever…" 

Mckean is known for being a modern day version of the "renaissance" man. His love for art derives from his father, who was a frustrated artist who never drew professionally. From then onwards; Mckean drew constantly. At a time where Mckean was very sick, his mother would always buy him a comic book which brought him great comfort. Once he recovered; his love for graphic novel increased dramatically. Further relief was felt when Mckean expressed his interests of working with a wider variety of media while jokingly adding "if I used the same media everyday, I would go mad." During questions, a question was raised concerning advise for upcoming artists, the answer was suggested to the audience members that they should engage in travelling and talking to an array of people with different mind sets. Everything around him including sight, smell, sound and scandinavian music inspires his work. Another question was raised concerning the artists choice of materials to which he answered that he preferred working with odd papers of various textures but they had to be of good quality. 

"I can't think on the computer. I have to think on paper. Stories should be about real life, how their brains work, how we interoperate them. That's my idea of fantasy."

My thoughts exactly!

ARD501 The sustainable lie lecture at the Nickwhitehead (15th October 2013)

In the first quarter an hour of the lecture, we had alot of global warming shoved down our throats. And pretty soon; unsurprisingly us the designers/ artists were being blamed for 80% of the damage caused by global warming. While there are elements of this statement may be true, I feel quite annoyed that we are being blamed where this issue involves everyone therefore the responsibilty should be shared. I am not one of those eco warriors but nor do I wish the consequences of the inevitable to occur sooner than it should. your probably thinking why I want to prevent the inevitable? As humans, we are very selfish, prone to great levels of arrogance and lack of wisdom and lack of care for our own futures. Our idea of survival seems to be mainly focused on one thing: we are determined to colonise other planets for the sake of our own. Are artists really the cause for most of the damage?

Here are some random scribbles I wrote during the lecture.

• 80% of the damage is derived from the development stage in design.
• Last year, a new product was launched every three minutes. 
• The US budget last year for deign was $400 billion.
• 2% - 4% of carbon dioxide contributes toward emissions. (Depends on what figures you have.)
• 5% - 7% of global warming is caused by cement industries.
• Starbucks dispose 2.3 million cups within a year.
• The biggest contribution of carbon emissions is: Exxon Mobil. (146m tonnes of carbon dioxide.)
• 50% - 75% of humans lack the basic requirements of everyday life. 

Many designs/ products today are classes as inefficient use of energy, water and natural resources.

However; a few good ones manage to squeeze it's way through i.e.  a toaster that has side compartments to keep the toast warm and crisp. As designers, we must consider the materials and techniques. 

Paper bags VS Plastic bags. 

If plastic and paper bags are bad, then fabric bags make more sense.

The role of the designers

Designers have an incredibly important role, they hold a special position between the producer and the consumer i.e. you! This aparatently therefore makes the artists/ designers the first ones to blame. (Remember, 80% damage because of the design.) Future designs should consider:

• How things are solved.
• How materials are used.
• Construction process.
• How efficient will they be?
• Design a product theory action.
• Design with, not for.
• Design systems not stuff.
• Document, share and measure.
• Always cross examine.
• Better lives, less stuff.

The characteristics of the following materials.

• Paper - Can be recycled by requires some kind of bleach process to remove the ink i.e. dioxides. Every person in the UK uses the equivalent of 2 trees a year.
• Glass - Can recycle, but requires much energy to do so.
• Plastic - This is the most recyclable but must be sorted, which can be very costly. Currently, the UK sells half of their plastic bottles that are being recycled to China for £50.00 a tonne. 
• Metal - Can Recycle but some metals are non recyclable. Only half of our food and pet cans are currently being recycle. 

Take for example: the packaging for McDonalds food in the 1990s. Today we use a thin cardboard alternative, but shockingly, the plastic ones proved to be far more beneficial. They require 30% less energy to make, 46% less atmospheric emissions and 42% less water borne waste. Another example is Quorn. It's a mince substitute, reduced packaging, cheaper looking ... result? less sales. where is "less is more?" The consumer looks through their stomachs or how pretty it looks. They believe that because something looks a cheaper quality than it won't taste good, therefore they won't buy it. 

Thief 4 preview gameplay

 

Trailer Rating: 10 / 10

Hello everyone! And welcome to yet another preview of some the most potential games for PS consoles. I'm really looking forward to Thief's release (yet to be confirmed.) There has been no mention of collectors editions as of yet. However; I will let you guys knows if any news arises.

In the meantime, let's take a look at the video footage. The first minute of gameplay we hear Garrett weighing all the options for entering the Baron's compound. Audio and voice acting sound very distinct and clear, perfectly matching the character's personality and likeness. The next thing we see is "swoop dash" mechanic used by Garrett in previous titles. I believe this is a very useful tool and it mystifies as to how no others games have this sort of mechanic. This action is very human... when I say this I mean, there are many animators and game developers that are constantly trying to make character actions apply to what we would do in their situation in real life. This is difficult, yet if you succeed, your work will be remembered not only by your colleges but also the fans of the game. Also, I found the use/appearance of the character arms and hands interacting with its surroundings, pleasing to watch. Selecting your weapons and tools have been made a lot more easier to access via wheel.

After several minutes, we discover that the game's atmosphere it dark, misty yet scenic at the same time. The views of the moon behind the manor and clouds was indeed an impressive sight to see. As the character moved, I was pleased to see these small wet patches of water on the cobbled walkways. This may sound strange to you folks, but these are the small touches that contribute to the whole atmosphere and feel to the upcoming game. Lip-sinc is excellent as well as the NPC animations and body language. And like Dishonoured, there are many ways to reach your objectives. There is the light everything on fire and create havoc option, and there's the sneak, knockout and shoot people in the head silently option. So good variety there! As a thief, you will have some very handy tools to accompany with you on missions. Take for example: your mechanical eye. By using this, you will be able to see oil spills, see the movements of enemy movements via foot sounds, see wallets, pickpocketing opportunities, climbable areas and other tools. To balance gameplay, the developers have also provided empty bottles to create distractions, potions to refill your focus meter. The missions seemed to vary quite abit. I adore the look of Garrett's bow, and arrows. They look impressively jagged to add a more rouge feel rather than the super polished weapons you see in other games.

The stealth system is a lot more clear and clever. When you are in complete darkness, the edges of your screen will turn and twist and if you approach more lighted area, this effect will fade dramatically. So even if you are standing in front of guard in the dark, he will not see you as the darkness cloaks your appearance.  The rope arrows are back1 Giving you access to secret and un-climbable areas.

Judging from what I have seen so far, I cannot wait to get hold of this game. Once more gameplay has been released, I shall review them in the future. It is my greatest hope that we get to see more footage and a collectors edition of some sort. If they did decide to create a collectors edition. what would you like to see?

Please feel free to answer in the comments box below! Many thanks!

ARD407 Ideas and Concepts - ARD409 Creative media Production ( Storyboard for a Game Trailer Evaluation)

Work on this assignment began from 1st May - 16th August 2013. Upon receiving the brief, my first task was selecting the preffered type of games, these were: Trenchdog (First World War) , Mario Spacehog, Freedom Force, Warbosses, Penalty, LadyKills, LEGO Lunacy, and Eyepet Lizard. The Ladykiller category did interest me however I was more taken away with the Warbosses theme. First thoughts were Warhammer4000 so I thought it would be interesting to link the two in some way. The requirements for the category included butch characters and over sized weapons. This explains my link between Warbosses and Warhammer4000. After selecting the category, I decided to conduct some concept sketches. Earlier in the year from a past assignment, I developed a story/game concept that was related to the Warhammer/ fantasy/sci-fi themes. After gaining permission to develop this concept, this enabled me to add much more detail than with the previous attempt and make the appropriate changes.

(Sadly, there have been technical issues while uploading the images for this post. I shall attempt again at a later date.)

Part of my assignment involved market research. I looked at trailers and posters to strengthen my concept further. I am all too aware how crucial marketing is to the gaming industry as this is were you attract potential customers and players. Thus trailers must be appealing to the customer. I looked at Skyrim, Dead Island and Thief 4 trailers and posters. These reviews are located within my sketchbook and are on my blog. For me, I really enjoyed the market research as this enabled me to get a better understanding of my industry and it's promotional material. For the storyboard, I was  aiming to show my growing knowledge in film language and experimenting more with colour and mixed media. Storyboards are vital as they are a means of communicating your ideas to your client or your team. Therefore, it is of great importance that they understand what your attempting to convey. All in all I created three drafts for my storyboard but I realised that the sequence doesn't have to be complicated so I opted for a more abstract and simple look. From looking at trailers, I acknowledged that the viewer doesn't really see much due to voice overs, black screens and flashing imagery. In my opinion, I believe my storyboard has vastly improved from previous assignments, there is a lot more contrast, composition and colour which adds reality to the storyboard.

The other part of this assignment required a poster illustrating out game concept. As I had Glandula fever earlier in the year, my tutors kindly asked for a poster created using traditional media rather than digital. The following media was used: coffee, tipex, black ink pens, biro, watercolour paints, acrylic paints, masking tape and graphite. Techniques: stencils, flicking, stribbing, For me, mixed media and composition took first priority. I have really enjoyed using unconventional forms of media to create a piece that interests my tutors. For another assignment, character sheets were required, these could be any character I wished, any time period etc. So I thought it would be beneficial to include these within the game trailer assignment.

This last paragraph will discuss my concept designs of the characters, weapons, mark making sheets and colour choices. I conducted a colour mark making sheet based on acrylic paint samples. A script has also been provided. From selecting various colours, this is what I use to create my traditional game poster. These mark making sheets consisted of tipex, coffee, graphite, charcoal, hairspray, fine liners, permanent marker pens, black biros, black ink pens, water, acrylic, stamping, stencils, oil pastels etc. Again I must apologise for the lack of photos, I will try and rectify this problem. Instead, I shall give a brief description as to what the character look like, personality etc. On the concept sheets feature the following:

Wisdom - Lead Female
Age: 21
Description: Green eyes, navy blue tattoos on the right side of her face, mid back length red hair (white when in combat,) long dark purple armour, straps of black fabric on her arms, shoulders, a black collar that comes just under her ear, plated white gold armour for the ankles, legs, knees and upper legs. Plated dragon horned footware, long black undershirt and a dark soft leather belt with stamped solid silver clasps and decorated metal plating. Wears the accessory that holds the key to unlocking their memories on a thick solid silver chain.
Personality: Strong minded, wise, athletic, trustworthy, tomboy, kind hearted.
Skills: Has power over all elements, can decode the DNA of anything weather dead or alive and use it to her advantage, archery and tree climbing.
Main Weapon: A curved elemental bow that alters it's shape and colour as the character progresses through-out the game.

Mercy - Lead Male
Age: 22
Description: Wears an identical necklace with a thick gold chain, short black hair with long fringe, dark brown leather trousers, waistcoat with white laced collar, white gold plated knees, leg and ankle guard, ivory hood, black undershirt, leather foot bandaged foot-wraps with scraps of fabric laced across his right arm along side intricate tattoos, a navy blue sash with blue trimmings all through-out his armour and bandaged wrist-guards.
Personality: Humorous, kind hearted, ferocious, physically strong and first aider.
Skills: Dual wields curved gem-stoned one and a half swords. Enchanter, survivalist, tracking, hand to hand combat, acrobatic.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this assignment. This has enabled me to experiment further in my discipline and developed my skills in film language, composition, colour, contrast, formal elements etc. I hope to receive a similar brief in the future where I am able to use fine art techniques and media.

Assassin's Creed II Review

 

"Magnificent!" my game rating- 9.9 / 10 ...

Ubisoft's release sequal of Assassin's Creed brought the gaming world to it's knees in 2009. The art department of AC knew that they must recreate environments that players would feel as though they were actually there. This also applied to it's NPC'S animations and combat. Despite the game being released for over 4 years, it still fascinates players and communities worldwide to this day. This review is designed to evaluate the game once more. Is the game truly great? Have the fans demands been met? Is the standard of a high quality? And what is it about this game that captures the positive response from fans and critics alike? In an earlier post, I asked you guys your opinions as to which Assassin's Creed game you liked the most and why. Your responses will be included in the review. So here we go!

 

 You are Ezio Auditore, a young Italian noble who lives with his sister (Claudia), Mother (Maria), oldest brother, younger brother and father (Giovanni) in Florence. In the first hour of gameplay, you and your friends are in the middle of a fist fight with the Pazzi and their friends. During the conflict, Ezio sustains a lip injury and heads to the doctor with his older brother. Once healed, he races to the church roof against his brother exclaiming "it's a good life we lead brother." Moments later, Ezio climbs up to the window of a young noble lady named Christina Vespucci and spends the night the her. Upon returning home, your family give you errands. After completing these ping pong missions, you discover that Giovanni and the rest of Ezio's brothers have been arrested. Thankfully the maid, mother and sister are safe within the Palazzo's office. After several events and escaping the city, you meet your uncle Mario who gives you a nice looking villa and extra training. The villa he gives you is part of the upgrading system for the town, shops you renovate will also grant you 5-15% discount as well as increasing your revenue. Within the villa, you also have a spacious gallery where the paintings you buy appear here, a nice looking armory, office, and a sanctuary where you are given the opportunity to recover the assassin seals to retrieve the armour of Altair.

 

So far, there is a lot to take in. Your understanding of the Assassin and Templar organisations are more complicated than first realised. The Templars firmly believe in order and stability whereas the Assassin's believe in man's freewill and wisdom. Indeed there are huge similarities between them. Some of you may ask: If they are so similar then why don't they work together? Well, you soon learn that this was tried and failed as each organisation have different way of approaching situations. Are the Assassin's really the good guys? These men and women are trained to kill their target whatever the means needed, no matter who they are. However; as Rebbeca Crane pointed out: "Sometimes all it takes is one death to improve the lives of others" Does this mean therefore that the Assassin's have a strong moral compass? That they only target men and women of evil minds? It would seem so.

If any of you ask which side I would want to be with, it would be the assassin's. I believe in freewill, not matter what religion or sex you are etc. Their history is rich, full of detail as well as mystery. Did an actual war exist between these two groups? Sadly, this isn't clear. However; we know the rise and fall of the Templars and their deeds during conflicts in cities such as Acre etc.



What I liked about the game

Their choice of theme and time for the game to take place. I believe the Renaissance was a hugely important period for man at this time. This was known as the "rebirth" of learning, from history to classics, inventing, mathematics, science, English, art and astrology studies. The amount of research is evident towards every aspect of the game, weather that may be environments, to attitudes, clothing, shops and even real life characters such as Leonardo Da Vinci. To me, the amount and the attention to detail is staggering. The storyline, is very good. Of-course it would have been nice to rescue or spend some more time with your other siblings. However; I think that if the father and brothers didn't die, then there would be no storyline or no where near as affective. There are some nice looking textures, not just in the fabric of the cities but also in the clothing and waters surrounding these magnificent fortresses. Combat has dramatically improve since the first game, the animations also compliment this area. Other likeable areas are, the atmosphere, the history, the violence of combat, the upgrading system, the behaviour of guards and other NPC's, the variety of maps and environments, the Assassin tombs, shops, paintings, weapons, armour, overall size of maps, the ability to free run and explore at your pace when you choose,  side missions, over hanging gardens, voice acting, sound effects etc.



And the negatives?

Don't worry, these are very minor negatives. Take for instance the set camera modes while your completing a climbing challenge against the clock, sometimes, these can make me feel disorientated. I was disappointed to realise that there was no official art-book, except those that come with the collectors edition. Surly, for such a release they would have considered an official art-book?  The other issue evolves around distant buildings and overall feel. Sometimes buildings look very blurred and usually when I walk through Forli, close ups are quite blurred yet I understand that this is to create the overall feel and perspective for the game. My last concern relates to how to collect your money instead of venturing all the way to Claudia. Could we have a headquarters in every district as a means of communicating through letter to Claudia, enabling us to collect income and provide her with instructions.

Your Feedback!

Gabe Zune

 

If you haven't guessed, mine is AC2. I felt it did exactlty what good sequels are supposed to do, improve all aspect such as visuals, gameplay, and further the story. It had the most improvements and additions since its predecessors and can be described as the renaissance of the series (see what I did there? xD. Literally everything was improved! The fighting, the atmosphere, the climbing, the visuals, and even the character had more personality than the previous piece of cardboard. All other games have just provided small improvements such as ACR's great music and AC3's good graphics. But in the end, everyone will remember the start of Ezio's journey xD

Carl Johnson

 

I recently started playing the whole series out in the living room, as my dad watches. Suffice to say, he finds the story fascinating.

Thank you to all the people that got involved! I shall be continuing the Assassin's Creed Reviewing process so if guys have any questions or suggestions, please let me know! :)

The Last of Us Ellie Edition Review

10 / 10

"Naughty dog have created another master piece!"

Let's start with the edition first!

Since the release of the Uncharted Series, there was much debate as to what Naughty Dog had in store for their next series of games. The studio firmly expressed the need for more adult games. When we say adult games, we don't mean typical sex and and violence as such but more to the point of placing the player in more human and mature situations, that may require empathy or otherwise. Early concepts of the game, indicated that this would most certainly fit the bill for zombie/horror genre. But what will make this one different? How can the developers create a new concept for a popular theme for a game? The answer evolves around upgrading every stereotypical view of a zombie game, from enemies, story to environments and concepts etc. I admit, it has taken me awhile to start this review because I want to make sure that what I write is honest and in-depth. Not only this but I wanted to give you guys a chance to play and understand the game rather than me giving away spoilers, therefore ruining your experience.

So let's get started with the Ellie edition!

9.9 / 10 Edition Rating...

When you take first looks at the edition, you may think it's a tad small in terms of what I paid for
it. But don't be disappointed... It's a great illusion, but as the image shows (above) it has all been carefully packaged and designed through-out. Upon removing the packaging, you will feel a rough canvas type of fabric, after more examination; the stitching is of a good quality which keeps up the theme of this being a "Survival pack." Depending on which of the two editions you pre-ordered, your favourite character appears on the front of the canvas cover. Judging by how this has been printed I would say that the studio have used either Silk Screen techniques or digital printing. Looking through the pockets, you will find: a screen print effect poster, The Last of us mini comic book, art-book, Ellie dual shock wireless controller skin, the blue ray game disc, little planet avatar of Ellie, sights and sounds pack, game soundtrack, two PSN avatars and the survival pack containing: customisable multiplayer items, in game currency, bonus XP, melee attack booster and bonus Joel and Ellie character skins.

 

The paper for the poster is smooth to the touch and seems sturdy. However; I would like to see more of Ellie's face rather than taking away her facial features. Also, it would have been great for the developers to hand sign the poster, yet I understand that time requires them to be elsewhere. The mini comic book is small, but the colour and paper are a smooth, great quality. After reading it, I am beginning to understand why Ellie is so independent and not very trusting towards Joel and other people. On-top of the comic book, you will find a Naughty Dog sticker which has been beautifully designed and protected. The dual shock controller sticker has some very nice tones and features, beautifully illustrating Ellie's face. It would have been nice if the controller cover was in colour but I understand if this would increase cost in production. Last but not least comes the art-book. The cover is stunning, hardback with 72 glossy pages. To achieve the glossy pages, the printers would apply china clay to the mixture which gives the impressive appearance and touch of a high standard artbook. Inside, you will find images illustrating enemies, Ellie's bow, character designs and environmental paintings. In my opinion, this edition is worth your investment! Let's move on to the game ...

The enemies have had a make over, showing a more natural yet devastating form of decay/ evolvement. To me, this adds beauty to a shocking image. 

The first few scenes feature you playing as Joel's daughter, Sarah. A canny teenager with a good heart and abit of attitude. On what seemed to be a normal evening for father and daughter, she wakes up only to realise that she heard something strange outside, with Joel was no where to be seen. After several events including an attempt to escape town, they are both stopped by a lone soldier. Realising the immediate danger, Joel attempts to dodge the soldiers fire while placing himself in harms way to protect his daughter. Moments pass, and we soon realise that she was shot. The voice acting and interaction between the two characters was very touching yet heart-breaking. Therefore I believe this is one of the best examples of emotion for a long while. As the years passed... we see a more tortured and angry Joel. Experienced gamers will notice that Joel still keeps his watch that Sarah gave him the night before she died.

Soon you meet a strong, defensive and highly independent girl named Ellie who is seeking the Fireflies (a rebel faction who are trying to find the cure to the outbreak.) Earlier, gameplay with Ellie and Joel show the mistrust and suspicion between the two individuals. When Joel discovers that Ellie is infected, his mistrust of her increases dramatically and almost loses his temper. There were a few occasions where Ellie attempts to console Joel and his past, only to have Joel aggressively reject her. While losing his temper, he makes it very clear to Ellie that she will never be a daughter to him and that she is nothing more than a package. Towards the end of the game, we see the pair form a father and daughter bond, with Joel intending on them returning "home" together and becoming very protected over her safety. The pair have come along way, especially Ellie. Take for example the scene where she was being "assaulted" by David. The anger and desperation she showed while confronting him, show courage and empathy. Personally, I admire Ellie's character, showing so much strength while realising that she is only 15 years old and took many adult responsibilities such as caring for Joel while he was critically injured etc.
.

My favourite areas of the game are as follows: the giraffe scene where Ellie strokes a giraffe's neck under the guidance of Joel situated in a area of paradise, relations between characters, the rich, vastly detailed and varied environments, the interaction and voice acting, playing and hunting as Ellie was a special edition to gameplay and story, storyline, the variety of enemies, the crafting system and inventory system where you can see all around you and know where enemies are. In-fact, I have no complaints.... every area was astounding and speechless to observe.

Bioshock Infinate Review

"I couldn't stop playing!" - 9.8 / 10 -

 

You are Booker Dewitt and the year is 1912. Given an opportunity for redemption for all of the debts he accumulated, "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt." Upon your travels, you will face storms, lighthouses, rich gardens, beaches, USA inspired buildings, factories, churches, floating cities, illusions... and more. Once you set foot into the floating city of Columbia; you will be ankle deep in a flooded church, surrounded by stain glass windows and an awful lot of candles. Upon passing this section of the game, you walk through vast areas of stunning, vibrant gardens with humming birds flying around you. At the end, you will find a door. Once you walk through, you eyes will be stunned to see the city of Columbia at it's best, families having picnics, hot dog carts and confetti, statues and banners everywhere to greet you. So my friends, that was the very beginning of the game and yet it was packed with much effort, CGI and character.

 

~ In game environments ~

The girl you are sent to retrieve, is a young 20 year old name Elizabeth who resides in Monument Island in the shape of an angel. Guarding this young woman, is "Songbird" a mechanical bird who serves as both warden and friend to Elizabeth. As a child, Elizabeth saw Songbird as a close friend and adored his company but as she grew up, she realised that Songbird was her jailer, refusing her need and curiosity for freedom. Little did she know, that she was being observed and tested on. Having never been outside or interacted with other people, Elizabeth is a free spirit with a some-what child like mind. But don't think of her as a typical pest you must guard closely. She can take care of herself in combat, she can throw you aid in battle, skyline alongside you, can decode various texts and messages, unpick locks and can open tears to use again your enemies.



So, what did I like about the game?

Well, I of-course enjoyed the combat including using vigours, guns or melee. Overall gameplay was a pleasure to experience. Elizabeth's usefulness adds a more interesting touch as there are many occasions where, playing any other game, your being ganged up on and desperately need aid or ammo. Thankfully there is such a person in this game, and it's a very welcomed edition to add. As we look closer, I adored the animations and "human" behaviour to Elizabeth. I believe they capture her character and emotion extremely well and I am very impressed with just this small thing within the game. When Elizabeth was happy, I believed her not just through her eyes but, mouth and eyebrow sincs also. I liked the "tribal" like music, adding a great sense of tension yet excitement through-out. A great concept of 1912 meets fantasy fair-ground theme. Other likeable areas include the "decisions" where you pick a necklace for Elizabeth etc, story, character, environments, music and audio etc. However; I wish we could have seen more of song bird as I believe he could have played a more longer role and I think the whole, you can only equip two weapons at a time thing abit strange, yet I understand that this is to make combat more balanced and not make the character over powered. One last thing, I wish we faced enemies that used more vigours during combat as this would make it more challenging and rewarding to the player.

Other than that guys, I believe this is one most anticipated games out this year! It has been a pleasure to play the game, definatly worth your investment and time. And I hope we see more Bioshock games in the future.

You can buy Elizabeth's necklace!

Coming soon - Assassin's Creed Series Reviews -

Game Trailer Reiews

As part of my Assignment for university, part of my research must include market research. As a games artist in training, I believe that research is crucial for game production. By doing this, our understanding into how games work and how we should match that with an artistic approach is heightened dramatically. The aim of a trailer is to entice the audience through either sound, CGI or colour. This post is to compare and evaluate which trailer I believe was the "Perfect Trailer." As you may know, I already reviewed one of the most anticipated games coming out on the PS4, Thief 4. Therefore; I wanted to study more trailers including: Skyrim: Teaser Trailer and Dead Island; Riptide.

Even though it's been over two years since the release of Skyrim. It would appear that this game came out of the blue.... aiming to stun the world. Thankfully, it has. Let's look at this trailer in-depth starting with the audio. Posters so far, illustrate the imperial logo of mostly grey and silver tones surrounded by a black background. The aim of the poster is to be simple and simplicity can just as build up the same excitement as a design that's more complicated.



Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Teaser Trailer

Trailer Rating: 9.5 / 10

Firstly, the narrator's voice shows aggression yet a warmth atmosphere to the tone. It makes you believe that if you were there face to face with the narrator while he was telling you the story, such atmosphere would make you want to believe it was real. This atmosphere was further enhanced when certain carvings on the wall came to life, breathing fire at the lone fighter. This made me think just how stories can be powerful tools and how they can influence our lives no matter it's significance. The colour scheme works very well, creating a cold atmosphere with only touch of hope/warmth. This further adds a more human/ intense touch to the trailer. CGI is also impressive, further enhancing the feeling previously mentioned. Therefore this is a trailer is designed to warm your heart, to build the feeling of excitement. To me, the trailer aims to please mostly every sense except touch and sight. It's a nice change from other trailers that seem to focus on more the CGI perspective, to please the eyes.

Dead Island: Riptide

Trailer Rating: 9.2 / 10

After the first games success, there was a call for a sequal. This meant that the developers would have to think bigger when it comes to combat, environments and enemies. The colour palette for the logo of Dead Island: Riptide has changed for the better. Instead of the black and red, we see sunset animations that adds more depth and texture to the logo. Of-course the font is a lot more darker than the background animation thus capturing the heaven-hell balance of the game.

The first thing you will notice is the lack of voice overs/ narrators. Instead there is a sad yet placid music played by a piano.  So I could immediately tell that this trailer was designed to capture the feeling of desperation but also contentment. Personally, I thought the introduction dragged somewhat but I understand that this was to capture the couples love for one another in a time of imminent danger. The use of film language was very good, with interesting close ups of the lighter/ couple and long shots of the zombies and the town in the background. To me; this trailer takes a more human approach in terms of last minute decisions. The couple knew what would happen if they didn't act. But neither did they panic. Instead they thought rationally and comforted each other in the process. Such trailers and situations like this don't always need voice overs, as it would ruin the calm/ loving atmosphere in a chaotic environment. The balance of heaven and hell exists here and I believe the couple did find some form of heaven... in each other. And so ended their suffering... not to mention the many heads and bodies of zombies.

All in all; the trailer was brilliant. Good film language, storytelling, pace and audio through-out. The changes I would apply would be: More detailed animations for the couple and alter the introduction slightly. Once again; its nice to see a trailer that doesn't just talk endlessly about guns, explosions etc.

Assignment Mod Number: ARD407 - ARD409 Ideas and Concepts (Storyboard for Game Trailer)

Thief 4 Trailer Review ... "This looks promising!" - Trailer Rating 10/10 -

After some time playing from one game to another in the thief series, it seemed as though this beloved character and game was fading away, presumably to be forgotten and re-invented in the next generation of gamers. Thankfully, the developers recognised that Thief offered much not only to other games within the stealth genre but also in the gaming industry as a whole. I know stealth isn't the most fun and popular aspect of a game, yet it offers such a realistic atmosphere that is often enhanced with real life simulations and careful yet quick decision making. Despite the lack of actual gameplay footage, there was several things about the trailer that caught my attention:

1. The use of CGI ( where the main character jumps out of the window, with shattered glass all around him) for example.
2. Voice acting ( An intellectual individual with a rust and warm sense of presence)
3. The overall pace (Music contributed to this, good use of film language, perfectly paced through-out.)
4. Audio/music (Great use of classical and modern day mix, each element complimenting each other.)
5. Animations (The movement of Garrett's clothing e.t.c)
6. The Ending (The Garrett's hand grabbing the game title)

I know some of you would have preferred actual gameplay footage. HOWEVER! I must point out the purpose of trailers with this nature. A trailer is to give the players a hint into the  world, situations, combat and interaction in which they will be placed in. Hints may include, audio, CGI, footage and colour. The whole atmosphere and architecture (from what we have seen so far) looks beautiful, intricate (even if it was mostly in the dark) also; Garrett's new look, retractable bow, robes are very detailed as-well. The animations in which the clothing moves, certainly means that the developers have taken their time, identified the game's needs and added these extra touches to inspire and motivate us further.



Here is where I will be honest: I have never played any of the Thief series. I believe this to be a good thing in some way as I can be introduced to Garrett, understand his characteristics, identifying his strengths and weaknesses and then apply them to any situation. Yes playing the past titles would have helped with this. However; with each different game, comes a new set of rules, goals and methods (Nothing never truly remains the same.) Personally, I believe the trailer was excellent. All areas of creativity and audio were perfect, creating a nice tone to reboot the series. To me, this is a great example for any games artist/designer to be heading for in terms of standards and work. Therefore, I will be purchasing the game and I can't wait for gameplay footage. I will keep you all updated if I hear anymore information about this promising title.

Sketchbook Sketches related to my Studies ...

 

Continuous Line Studies (30 min duration)

  

DJ Character Design for Cut out Animation Draft 1



Summer Sketchbook work (Coffee, black Indian ink, lace, bubble-wrap, cardboard, washers, machine stitching, Collage, biro and PVA glue)

 



 

Second Draft for Cut-out Animation

 

Life Drawing Study - Foot - 20 mins

 Life Drawing Studies Of The Body - 30 mins -

Line bodies studies



 

Charcoal Sketches (15 mins)

 

Back view of male using permanent marker and ink pens

A lesson in Silhouettes by Olly Stephan

(Theses are Olly's Studies)



Collage continues - Summer Sketchbook - 

 

Life Drawing study of the Stomach (45 min study using biro)

Study of rock forms at Aberystwyth and a stencil of a manuscript - detailing the laws of the Welsh -





Silhouette lesson continues with landscapes ...

 

Summer Sketchook Cover - Bubble-wrap, permanent Markers, Rose petals, PVA glue, scrap newspaper, biros, lace, coffee and roses -

 

More life drawing studies of the human form

 

Second half of line studies for life drawing

 

Anatomy Sketches from Sketchbooks...

Skull sketches - Using Biro and Coffee - (6 hours study)

 



From this study, I conducted an experiment. Half of the skull (that has coffee half painted on it) was drawn using references (that being a plastic used in classrooms) and the other part from drawn from memory with the other side covered up. I believe this was a great study to develop my fine art/drawing technique. I believe the study of the human form is vital for any artist's study. Some may argue that this is too timely as it could take a lifetime to learn. While parts of this argument may be true, it is a worthwhile study that has benefitted artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci etc. Many artist aid their drawing abilities through life drawing. This is a study of life forms while they are either moving or still. Again, this is a valuable practice to invest your time in. 

Biro Studies (2 hour study)

 

These studies were conducted through a mixture of plastic models, Google images (for the eye,) sheer imagination and using my own wrist as a reference. Basically, I let my instincts take over. Not allowing my mind take over these studies means I wont overdue them. I have to admit the eyes were a little tricky so I consulted with a friend of mine who has years of experience in drawing and graphic design. His advice has been fantastic and advised me not to over-think (which is easier said then done!)

Stop-Motion Animation Evaluation April 2013

ARD407 Ideas and Concepts and ARD409 Creative Media Production (Stop Motion Assignment)

 

For this assignment; I was required to produce a stop motion video lasting several seconds, using an model character, Dragon-Frame Software and so on. The idea of Stop-Motion is to capture your models movements with ease and fluidity. Using expression was also required as this gave our character's unique personality traits.

The first task was completing character design sheets for our characters and I also added a colour board which explored the models textures, skin tones and fabrics. I really enjoy the development process, however; I would still like to include some elements of fine art. After the designs were completed ,we moved onto making the model frames for the characters. However; I was very disappointed with this stage. Instead of us making the armatures for the models, the tutor wouldn't really let us make them. I can only suggest that he felt he was doing us a favour. As we were first years, we didn't have the knowledge to make them and lacked the confidence. But for us, it was frustrating. Not only with the tutor but our divisional leader in Art and Design wanted a model from each of us (there were 6/7 people including me in my class.) While the tutor was making the framework, I diverted my attention to my animation sequence. What setting would be appropriate? How long should the film be? How far should I move the body-parts of my character? etc... At this point, I thought that everything was in-place etc. Sadly, Glandula Fever meant I was sick for 6-7 weeks. Thankfully, there was an Easter break during these weeks, so all I missed were 2 or 3 assignments.

So what did I do during the time I was sick? I couldn't just lie there and do nothing. It was a great opportunity to get my sketchbook work out of the way and further plan my animations and an assessment coming up in May. This is what I got done:

• Completed all sketchbook work
• Completed CRB Check for work experience
• Applied for a loan/grant for my Second year at university
• Started Game Reviews for Game Trailer Assignment
• Sorting out a house for my university accommodation for 2nd year
• Updated my blog
• And something else!

    
   When I returned to university, my first priority was getting the film work done. All in all; I believe the process was going well. But during those 3 days of filming; I was hit by numerous problems. The main issues were the lighting, software, camera and the model. During these 16 seconds of footage, some of you may have noticed that the lighting varies. I tried on numerous occasions to rectify this problem by altering the settings etc but to no avail. The next issue was that I couldn't connect the camera, software and MAC. I know the movement of my character isn't perfect, this because that the model's feet didn't have magnets so flexibility was sacrificed. I improvised by placing sticks, pins or small stones at/under certain parts of the feet.

My tutor wanted to see the eyes of my character instead and showed signs of not liking my character in shades. However; I completely disagreed. Through careful consideration, I wanted to answer the brief in a different way from my peers. I wanted to answer the requirements by experimenting as I noticed that many animations only focus on expression through eyes. I realised that I could still have shades for my character. So ... I thought. To create a realistic character, I can focus on placing expressions through the mouth, eyebrows and the shades themselves. In affect, I am using the more difficult areas of expression.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this assignment.

By using Stop-motion techniques, my admiration for animators who within this sector has been very insightful and I hope I can work on Stop-motion again for my 2nd year. However; I believe that if it wasn't for technical issues, the animation would have been done in just 2 days. If I was to make changes to this animation, I would have added magnets to my character's feet and added sound effects. It would have been brilliant to add sound and it would have improved my grade. However; I have no experience in working in sound. But it's my intention to learn more about this when I return to university after the summer months. At first I thought I would be awful at animation but as it turns out... I have displayed some form of skill in traditional animation and stop-motion. And at the same time, I have really enjoyed working with these technique and I believe my confidence is growing. A great brief!

PHD's and Post Graduate Study ...

I know! I agree that my posts recently have been random. Sadly, my game reviews I have had to put on hold. These posts are part of my assessments coming up early next month. So it's vital that I get the information up there! However: I will try and keep the posts related to games or the art and design sector. And hey, just because they are part of my degree assessments, doesn't mean you guys can comment on the blog and the posts. So please feel free to get in touch and voice your opinions! :)

 

What is a PHD?

 

Level 7/8 and it's a research degree. Upon completion, this qualification recognises you as a Doctor in your area of study. PHD's are hard to achieve but are very attractive to pretty much every business. There are courses that are similar to PHD's BUT... academically their importance comes between a Master's and a PHD. This Qualification is called a Mphile.

 

A PHD is about becoming an expert in something that few others are experts in.

 

Other options

 

• MA (Master of Arts and Philosophy)

- This is a course that I'll be applying for after my degree -

 

Course Duration: 12 months

Full time and part time available

Teaches you the Philosophy and creative skills behind your area of study. (A post graduate degree is a mixture of practice and research of your specialist subject area)

 

 

MA - Art Practice (Fine Art)

MA - Design Practice

MA - Creative Media

 

"Let your practice lead your thinking"

 

Advice? If you have been accepted and about to start the course...

 

DO YOUR PRACTICE EARLY! As the written work has to be done in the summer months.

 

The aim of the degree:

 

• To resolve design problems accordingly and creatively
• Collaborate with others to demonstrate a compacity for independent study and research
• Communicate clearly and support ideas with intellectual and with critical authority
• Demonstrate an awareness of philosophical and contextual issues with contemporary practice and theory.

Positives of the Qualification:

 

• In Wales - If you have studied in a welsh in the past and apply for an MA at the same university, you will be given a discount. Instead of paying the full tuition fee of £3.800, all you would need to pay is £1,900.
• MA's offer more time to find out about your practice and what you want to research.
• You are in-charge of your briefs.
• You can research what you want to research
• You can learn from your classmates and they can learn from you

The Negatives:

 

• You can not apply for a loan or grant for this type of course! You must provide other means to fund a post graduate qualifications.
• Dissertations have to be 7,000 words or more.

How to re-inspire yourself and avoiding distractions...

There are many times that... feels as though everything is piled on-top all of us, making any real break through with studies, difficult. Believe me, you are not the first and you shall not be the last. Even if you are not a student, adults who work hard suffer the same as students. So I hope this entry helps you all, it's helped me quite a few times in the past!

 

How do we fail/feel as though we aren't progressing

 

• Easily Distracted
• Overwhelmed by everything you have to do
• Don't like being told what to do
• Difficulty Prioritising
• Perfectionism
• Fear of failure
• Too Different
• Hypo focus
• Always Late
• Do things at the last minute
• Live and work in a disorganised atmosphere
• Can't find equipment etc.

Whether your working or currently studying, make sure your working with a subject/area that you are  passionate about. I assure you that this will make everything easier.

 

Take a step back and look at yourself

 

• You probably do meet your deadlines
• What is the problem?
• What is the solution?
• What is the very worst that could happen?
• Don't compare yourself to others
• Use your imagination to your advantage
• What is really stopping you?
• When are you at your best?
• What works for you?
• Prioritising - Could this be done tomorrow?
• - Separate the things you need to do today and what you can do at a later date

What can you do?

 

• Decide on the next action
• Break things down into steps
• mind-maps/ brainstorm
• Concentrate on the starting and the finishing will take care of itself
• Learn to say no
• Delegate
• Set a timer
• Give yourself rewards
• Take regular Breaks
• Eat
• Keep yourself healthy
• Keep yourself a schedule
• Concentrate on one thing at a time
• Keep yourself away from the computer
• Work in bed
• Talk to yourself
• Listen to some music while you work

Avoiding Distractions

 

• Only check emails twice a day
• Keep yourself away from social networking sites e.g. Facebook
• Noise
• Keep your phone on either silent or vibration
• Avoid chatting
• Keep your workspace clear and tidy
• Gather everything you need for the task at hand

Which Assassin's Creed Game was the best? ...

   

 The first time since I have began reviews for games, I will be conducting a huge investigation into all Assassin Creed games. But most important of all, I will be asking you guys what you thoughts are etc. So if you would like to be part of this then leave your opinions in the comments box below and I'll make sure your comments are credited for:) Just make sure that you explain your reasons as to why you loved or hated this particular game and be creative in your answers!

 

 

 

If you have a Collectors Edition of any of the games listed above, feel free to express your opinion about the Edition:)