Concept Development Week 04 - Logo

I took the last design back to my tutor to receive more feedback. The feedback I received was that it was difficult to read at a distance. The solution for this was to align both words, and thicken the blue outline. I was also told to match the bottom of the mountain to the blue outline underneath.

Here is the redone logo:

I believe the new design is easier to read. Although I personally believe the unaligned words worked well, but looking at the screen from a distance can understand why it needed changing, it also had the sense of being a outdoor related company. I believe the alignment removes that sense.

Concept Development Week 03 - Character Universe

Creating the character universe is one point of the character which I've found creative and most enjoyable. Although I didn't plan to go into it extensively as it is only a background for the character, it is one I wished to see done right.

I began by writing down notes about the characters history/equipment/world in notepad, and then when I felt like I had enough moved it into a word document, and filled in any blanks from my first 'drafft'. Here I also coined a name for my character, and the name of the game he stars in as the main character. He is Roan, staring in the video game 'Roan: The Dread Jester'

I am very happy with the universe I've created, and although I may have gone a bit extensive, it has great promise. Ill take a few creatures and items from the universe and develop some concepts for them.

3D Modelling Week 03 - Bathroom Research

Continuing on from my research last week, this week I looked into the other assets that will make up my bathroom.

Shower

Since the bathroom has a natural theme, I'm trying to minimize visible piping, therefore the shower will look like a blend of the above images. It'll be attached to the wall from the bottom, where the single handle for the water is, for the piping to feed through, it will then go straight up parallel to the wall and bend at the top for a flat shower head. I have gone with this as its the design its simplistic and the one I intend to have for the taps of the sink and bath.

Bath and Sink Taps

I want the taps to be the same design as the shower head, albeit modified. The upper image best shows the qualities I'm aiming for, which are the same as the shower. The smooth groove of the neck reflecting how the raw stone and wood flows smoothly in with the organic architecture.

Towel Rack

The towel rack is where I could add the rustic wood I wish to add. Near the doorway by the shower could work for it. Or I could continue with the theme of the shower and sink and have a groving metal rack attached to the wall.

Bin

This is the type of bin I will go for. I want it to match the open, shell design of the bath and sink, which I believe the above image does well.

Bathroom Rug

I'm still on the fence about including a bathroom rug. It wouldn't exactly go with the theme of the bathroom, but it would improve the quality of the photorealism if I modelled and textured it well. If I do go with a rug, this is the type I will go for, a big fluffy rug, one infront of the bath and shower. Colour wise I think white to match the ceramic of the sink and bath.

I now think I have researched enough assests of the room to begin designing and putting my room together, from which I will build the 3D room, using it as a reference image.

Concept Development Week 03 - Logo

At this point I gathered feedback on the design. Unfortunately most feedback I received back when asked to criticize and how to improve were small, mainly colour choice. Things that could be described as a personal opinion that differentiates with each individual. I still rendered out a few versions of the logo in colours suggested.

Personally I believe the original sky blue is still the best option, and therefore I will keep it.

A more useful piece of feedback I received was that the mountain should be more symmetrical, so as to be more memorable to the viewer, and improve the shadow. Here is the reviewed, and closing in to become, final logo design.

I believe the mountain is more symmetrical, but have doubts that its a major imporvement. The shadow is simpler and the mountain symmetrical, but believe its less interesting. One improvement I see needing is the blue background near the start of the name, as it seems to be too close to the Ps.

Concept Development Week 02 - Character Update

Following my descision last week to 'change' my character into a clown/jester design. I've also made some other important choices.

Looking back at my initial research into armour and stealth characters in general, I realised for practicality's sake, that my characters have realistic armour, instead of a personalised costume. Therefore I will be blending both, so that my character will be more believable as a killer and a warrior that lives in this universe, but also have a sense of independance and personality from the clown/jester inspired pieces. This will hopefully give me a character that is interesting, in both aoppearance and atmosphere created, but not over the top.

Concept Development Week 02 - Logo

After taking time to think about it I decided to move forward with Peak Productions and drop the name Horde. I decided on this because Horde is too generic of a name for a company. Its a word that is commonly found in video games, and would be difficult to stand out as an individual company.

Since my free hand designs for Peak Production have failed I have decided to use a pre existing font for the logo, but of course integrating it into my own design. I've already had experience creating logos, and know that dafont.com is a good resource for free to use fonts that are shared by its community.

After scouring through and downloading those I felt best reflected Peak Productions, I made a few simple designs. I've found working simple black and white line designs is best at the start, and narrowing them down as I develop them.

Here is the font that I ultimately chose. I decided on this one because its professional, but still stands out as pleasing. I've also added colour to the design.

From here I decided to change the mountain, and remove the blue colour, as it didn't work very well in black and white, here is the second draft.

As you can see the mountain now has two peaks, to reflect the two letter Ps in the name, and would work in either black or white. But I believe the design is still too simple, and looks more of a movie producing company rather than game.

Here is the third draft of my design.

I am very happy with this design. I believe using negative space was the right choice, and means its can still work in black and white since it is all one colour. I also like the mountain, in its simplicity it would be appropriate scaled down, but has enough variation in his left sided shadow that itd be appropriate scaled up. I went back and used blue in the design, but chose a green/blue tone to make it more eye catching.

3D Modelling Week 02 - Bathroom Research

I began my research by looking at bathrooms that fitted my initial wants for the bathroom. That it involved stone and wood in a modern setting.

From this research I quickly realized I wanted my bathroom to have these specific items;

Free Standing Oval Bath

Stacked Stone Wall

Sitting Oval Sink

Rustic Wooden Panel

These items would set the theme for the bathroom.

Bath

For the bath I have a decision between two.

Here are 2 examples of the different paths I could take with the bath. I should note that both options share the idea of having the wall material match the surface underneath the bath and surrounding area. First choice is a stone bath, with stone or wooden panel wall behind it. I think a stone wall and bath could blend into eachother very well, creating its own 'room' within the bathroom designated by the change to all stone as the bath area, but a rustic wood panelled wall could have a comforter feel of nature to it. The problem with this of course is the wood constantly damp from the user getting in and out of the bath. . The other choice is to have a typical ceramic bath with a stone stack wall, and have the wooden panelling somewhere else in the room. This would be the easiest solution for the wood panels, kept away near the doorway would keep it dry.

Stack Stone Wall

I want a stone stack wall because of its popularity, and ability to merge with modern structures so successfully, but still keep its tie to the earth. I in part believe that raw, unpolished stone is beautiful, and a great addition to increase the appeal of an architectural design. The chaos of the stacking is another appeal of it, not only visually, but for the aim of this module, chaos is a great tool of photo-realism. For the room I dont intend for it to cover all 4 walls, rather just 1 plane.

Sink

For the sink I intend it to hang from one slab that would attached to the wall, with the ceramic sink sitting on top of it, and piping being as minimal as possible. The above image best visualizes what I have in mind. I have in mind to create the desk for it out of a stone such as slate or granite, or perhaps a dark, polished wood. I've chosen this because of its minimalism. This type of sink fitting in with the modern setting I want for my bathroom, but combining it with the feeling of nature and raw material the wooden/stone desk will have. It will also compliment the oval shaped bath, and vice versa.

Rustic Wooden Panel

I would like to include rustic wooden panels into the bathroom somehow, probably a grey coloured type, as shown above. I do have doubts it will blend in smoothly with the stone and white ceramic, but it would add the rustic/sentimental feel I want the bathroom to have. One idea is to keep it to the doorway, implementing it to the walls somehow. I don't want to put it into the mirror, but will if more research inspires an appropriate means.

I believe I have some good leads to the designs I want for the 4 objects I've mentioned, and others such as the shower and flooring.

Digital Visual Effects Week 01 - Update

Since my last post, I have thought more about what item I could have transform into the robot, and have decided that I will be a computer mouse, which will open up and turn into a creature similar in look to a beetle. I have also decided on a final story, which will be set, and filmed in one of the worklabs in the university.

The story will be that a student is working in the worklab with a friend while a storm rages on outside. After his friend leaves a lightning strike hits nearby, causing the pwer to cut out. After a second the lights flicker back on, aswell as the students PC. The screen shows a warning sign and a countdown. Once it hits zero a surge of electricity runs down the mouse's cable and shocks the student, causing him to pull away. The mouse then transforms into the robot, and after a small interaction the student throws water onto it by mistake causing it to die.

I like the story I have made. It fills the specifiations of the brief, and isnt flashy action thats in your face. Rather, a subtle, and hopefully well done piece of editing and compositing.

Digital Visual Effects Week 01 - Brief and Concept

As the brief is open ended about what we can create (aslong as it is done within nuke and includes modeling, editing and compositing) I can take the project in any way I want.

I want to do something with an idea I had for last years brief, but couldn't as it wasn't enough work for 3 people and the final decision wasn't up to me.

The idea was to have a typical item in the house, such as a laptop, or maybe a microwave, or a phone transform into a small robot, and attack or mock the owner in some way. Basically any sort of small interaction, after which the robot would escape or be destroyed by the owner.














These 2 machines featured in the Star Wars film first gave me the idea. The way they open up from a ball or sphere to activate interested me to create something similar, although I would have the outer shell be part of the robot and not just moved up and away like a hood.

From here I will work on the storyboard and story of the film ill create, and thinking about what I can do to fill the specifications of the brief.

Visual Effects Sequence Week 01 - Research

Concept Development Week 01 - Logo

For the logo design I decided I would create a name and logo for a fictional game producing company, which would create a game that my character would belong in.

I began by researching already existing company names and logos in the gaming field, aswell as any design that sprung to mind when I first read the brief.

I then went on to picking a name that I thought would be feesable as a company. I drew some rough ideas for names and possible logos. I couldn't pick between 2 names, therefore I decided Id develop both further and see which one I preferred down the road.

I liked the name Peak Productions as it gives space to be creative with the logo design, involving a mountain or something relevant to a peak, aswell as reflect the high standard of quality in the games produced by the fictional company.

The other name I liked was Horde, as it immediately sounds like a media related company. I also liked the rough design Id created for it.

From here I moved into digitally designing the logos, importing scans of rough ideas if I wanted to develop them (the horde design mainly)

My first attempt was to draw it completely free hand, as I had done in my sketchbook. Here are the results for both.

I'm fond with the design for Horde, although its just a traced copy of the sketchbook design, the addition of colour does bring it to life. I've rendered it out in 3 colours to see what each looks like and I believe red is the best colour for it, same colour as blood, aswell as conveying a sense of strength, power and superiority.

Here is my free hand design for Peak Productions, which I dislike. On the contrast to the Horde design, to which the messy layout and font compliments the theme the word Horde gives, it doesnt work for the name Peak Productions. I do like the way the mountain integrates with the P, but overall think its a weak design that is lacking in most areas. In general a low quality logo.

Although its been interesting working both angles, I do need to decide on one name to move forward with. This is what I'll be deciding on in the next few days.

3D Modelling Week 01 - Room

My first thought for a photo-realistic modeled room was to recreate a room from a 2D animated source. Gorillaz was my first choice as I love the feel of the universe and characters thats been created for the virtual band.

Unfortunately in the last few years they've moved on from the days of Clint Eastwood to all 3D generated, which makes the point of recreating a room for it mute.

I began with researching rooms from shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy, but realised that shows as popular as this have a large fan base, which means they've probably been made in 3D before, which was accurate.

After this I decided itd be better for the sake of developing my skills and real world use that I design a bathroom and create that in 3D. Because Im trying to build a portfolio by next semester, and a lot of time is going into this project, Its better that I create a 'normal' room, since a prospectus employer wont be looking for people to recreate 2D rooms from shows.