For this project I’ve used a mix of studio materials and digital software. At each stage of my design, I drew sketches to generate ideas and finalise the design of the backgrounds and characters.
A major part of my project are the illustrations used to show the concept of the game. This is the largest amount of illustration I have done for a project so far. This has allowed me to develop my skills in a range of areas, including linework, selecting colours and shading. A new technique I learnt was the intaglio we created using dry-point and mono-printing. This workshop was useful and helped produce some of my final outcomes.
One process I used was animation, which started with creating each still for the opening of the game. Then, in After Effects, I placed all the frames and started creating the sequence. The animation was fairly simple, with mostly cuts and some fades. An interesting experiment was the collage workshop where I put together three collages from my existing photography. I enjoyed going through my photos to see what could be applicable to my theme. This helped me think of what imagery to include in my final outcomes.
An interesting experiment was the collage workshop where I put together three collages from my existing photography. I enjoyed going through my photos to see what could be applicable to my theme. This helped me think of what imagery to include in my final outcomes as well as the artwork on the cover of the game which is a digital collage.
For this project I researched a large range of artists as well as the topics like the Butterfly Effect. themselves. A large influence on my marketing outcomes is Adam Robinson-Yu and his website and social media promotion for his indie game “A Short Hike”. I think that I have met the purpose of my project proposal, but if given more time I would have gone into more depth.
The purpose of my concept was to explore the butterfly effect, specifically focusing on the unpredictable outcomes of one person's choices. I wanted to create something that was narrative and interactive, so some kind of video game seemed like an ideal choice. I created a target audience profile to help me appeal to a specific kind of customer when developing my project. This involved research of video game audiences and choosing a fictitious 26-year-old copy editor in London was useful as a baseline. One interesting thing was noting the differences between mainstream and indie games and how this affects the demographic. I appealed to this target audience by having an urban setting. The theoretical aspect of the Butterfly Effect would appeal to someone interested in similar subjects and the multi-narrative aspect is emphasised, which would appeal to someone in the publishing industry.
One struggle was creating a more precise theme and aim than the butterfly effect, which has been explored in depth in many forms of media. I decided to focus more on the unpredictable outcomes in a comedic manner. Once the game itself had a more concrete aim - travel across the city to see your brother - it was much easier to decide on the outcomes. However, I still think that my concept could have been more unique. A problem I encountered was wanting to create a wide range of outcomes, but at the beginning the concept art and stills were the majority of the work. I solved this by researching indie games and the other materials produced in their promotion. By the end I had designed many other things including some merch.
If I had more time I would have created more illustrations of the decisions outcomes, like the flood and alien invasion. These outcomes were the most directly tied to my theme, while the apartment opening is more general, so it would have been useful to develop those more unique outcomes with the ideas I had; like a fire, bank robbery, and tiger escape from the zoo
For my Final Major Project I created concept art including background stills, character designs, the user interface, two short animations and marketing: a social media page, a logo, a website home page, a game case cover and a repeating pattern. I created my outcomes in a desktop ratio, showing stills from the game. I presented these on my blog as well as my google sites. For other outcomes I created mockups of the game case that would hold a physical copy of the game as well as the Twitter page and merchandise. At the end of the project I presented my outcomes using Google Sites, showing my project outcomes.
At the beginning of the project I gave myself a list of outcomes to achieve as well as some stretch goals, like the website design. An unplanned outcome was the repeating pattern I created.
This project idea allowed me to make a range of different outcomes to explain and market my game concept. One struggle was creating a more precise theme and aim than the butterfly effect, but my research allowed me to narrow down to the consequences of choices.
I have evaluated my work by checking against my timetable and comparing my productivity to other projects. It was easy to then see what I needed to complete in the amount of time. Throughout this project I have learnt how to schedule my work in a more effective way. I often fall into the habit of doing a lot of the work close to the deadline but using the schedule was effective. I have developed my illustration skills and knowledge of colour. I have also learnt new techniques, notably the intaglio workshop.
I planned my Final Major Project by listing all my outcomes with rough estimates for how long they would take me. As the project went on this became easier to predict, with one still taking around 3-6 hours to complete. I had to complete a significant portion of my illustrations before I could use them in the rest of my outcomes. I checked these goals against the timetable I created for my project proposal, altering where necessary. My research and contextual studies helped inform my project throughout, particularly the initial research of metamorphosis and the butterfly effect. This helped me come up with ideas and find artists to research.