Today I had scheduled a complete day for storyboarding the animation. After the progress in research I had made yesterday I was tempted to cut down the amount of time I would spend on this. I decided that this step was too important to brush over and I would rather dedicate an entire day to it and have a really clear idea of what I would be producing than to go into the production stage without a fully formed idea.
The elements that I decided should be included (in no particular order) were:
Title - Brudenell Social Club 100 years
Entrance
Gig
Beer
Pool
Darts
Music Posters
Table Football
Pinball
Sky TV (sports)
I started by producing some sketches of these using layout pens. This gave me a much better idea of depth and the kind of chunky imagery I will be carrying forward. My focus with tis project is to really demonstrate implementation of smooth and thoughtful transitions between these elements, and I had come across so many animations in my research who have been able to do this is creative ways. I started to consider clear narratives that would draw the different sections of video together. My favorite was this:
(Enter the void style)
Poster with Darts on
Dart hits bullseye
Behind this is a cable, the camera follows it to an amp
Amp turns on and screeches
Camera zooms on red power light
Zooms out to reveal a game of pool
Pool ball is hit into a pocket
beneath the pocket is a series of pipes leading to the beer taps
Pint of beer is being poured, nearly full. A beermat in the shape of a football is put down.
The area around the football turns into a telly showing a real football game.
The players become table football players, hit ball at screen.
Dog licks the screen. To the next 100 years displays.
Tommorow, I will put together the graphical elements for this, ready to begin animating on thursday. I need to work fast at the end of this week, as my next brief is collaborative and has a strict full time schedule which could delay this animation by two weeks.
Tuesday 29 October 2013
Brudenell 100 // Interview quotes
These are quotes from various interviews that gave background information on the social club and its members. i found these a really useful base to start my research and to start generating ideas from.
Leedsgigs.co.uk
Venue Information:
The Brudenell Social Club is a gig venue and members club in the Hyde Park area of Leeds.
The Brudenell is most famous for hosting secret gigs for bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs.
However, it has been a centrepiece of the Leeds music scene for a number of years and hosts gigs most nights of the week.
The function room is regularly used for capacity-crowd gigs, as well as many smaller gigs and events which are vital to the music and arts scene in Leeds.
Events at the Brudenell Social Club are put on by a variety of local promoters.
Check out this page for Brudenell Social Club tickets.
The name Brudenell is said to come from the family of James Thomas Brudenell, who owned Kirkstall Abbey after it ceased to be a monastery in 1539. James Thomas Brudenell was also the Earl of Cardigan. This connection explains why many roads in the Hyde Park area of Leeds are named Cardigan and Brudenell, and therefore how the Brudenell itself got its name.
The Brudenell Social and Recreational Club has a long and varied history and was formed on December 8th, 1913, it bought its first premises and current land shortly afterwards where it is still located today.
The Brudenell Social Club,
33 Queens Road,
Leeds,
LS6 1NY.
The Brudenell is open Mon-Thu 4pm-11pm, Fri 2pm-11pm, Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10.30pm.
The Brudenell Social and Recreational Club has a long and varied history and was formed on December 8th, 1913, it bought its first premises and current land shortly afterwards where it is still located today.
-------------------------------------
Forward, Russia! are set to make their first live appearance since 2008, in celebration of the Brudenell Social Club’s 100 year anniversary. The band, who have been on hiatus for 5 years, last performed at the aforementioned Brudenell, when they headlined the first night of Brainwash Festival in October 2008.
Support comes from This Et Al, who have also reformed for the gig on November 30th – tickets are now sold out.
Also celebrating 100 years of the Brudenell are The Fall who will perform a day earlier on November 29th.
- See more at: http://notitlemagazine.com/forward-russia-reunite-for-one-off-show/#sthash.QIuyDyQr.dpuf
-------------------------------------
Here at the Brudenell we attempt to give an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere to all music and events that take place here. We wish to be as accomodating as we possibly can to perfomers, musicians, bands and their crew alike, as well as the people who see such events and performances. We believe in working with the local music community acheieve a desireable and enjoyable experience.
Right from the very first time I went there (to see This Et Al in August ’06, if we’re going to be precise), I was struck by how welcoming and relaxed the atmosphere was. No cliques (whether that be scenesters, local regulars, or anyone in between), no pressure to dress a certain way, like a certain kind of music, sit in a certain place, know the right people, or drink a certain drink. You’ll find people of all ages and types at the Brudenell, but one thing they all seem to have in common is a passion for music and culture, and working together to make it as vibrant as possible. And a few people who are there just for the cheap beer.
So what about the music? There are a lot of DIY and alternative scene bands that play, and the Brud has had its fair share of legends performing too – Mark Lanegan was there recently, and Edwyn Collins and British Sea Power are due this Autumn. Wakefield’s The Cribs famously played all three of their albums over three nights there at Christmas 2007, supported by Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs.
---------------
I asked all-round lovely bloke Nathan Clark, who runs the Brudenell, what his favourite gig there has been:
“A band called Thee Oh Sees. I put them on in the games room, it was possibly the sweatiest, hottest, most intense and enjoyable gigs I’ve ever put on. Some people enjoy a gig with a big name, big venue and bright lights, but I’m not into that. I’m into a band that genuinely have musical togetherness, something special about them. I saw him play guitar with his teeth, then pick up a bottle of Corona in his mouth and play guitar with that, while he was standing on top of a tiny amp, the crowd were on top of the drums, and it was just all going mental. It was good music enjoyed by good people who are really into it, and the band played off that – it was amazing. I’ve seen some great gigs but that one stood out.”
Nathan takes pride in the fact the Brudenell is there for everybody, which fits with its history – the Brudenell was founded by a branch of the masons in 1913, with the remit of investing heavily in communities. There has always been a concert room, although music prior to the early 90s was a little more mainstream. Nathan explains that the Hyde Park Unity Day community festival grew from a meeting of Brudenell regulars: “there’s a lot of things spawned out of here” he says. “The DIY music scene in Leeds has come from this place, the DIY ethics. We have a band practice room here in the back, bands store their gear. There’s all sorts of connections. We support events like the SXSW showcase to help bands succeed out there [at the SXSW festival], and community charities like Green Streets, as well as putting on charity gigs [most recently for Haiti], and supporting local designers and artists.
------------------
Old:
Anyone who attends the Brudenell Social Club must be a member, it is after all a members club. You are expected to join if you want to enjoy its facilities, including the main gig room. As a member you effectively have part ownership of the club.
Although the club is currently in debt due to previous miss-management the longterm future of the club is looking positive, but we need your continued support to keep the club alive.
Membership is currently just one pound twenty pence per calander year! What a bargain! So theres really no excuse not to join now! You can join by completing a membership form available at the bar, and then collect your membership card upon your next visit.
Benefits of being a Member:
The Music Room
The Bar
The Snooker and Pool Tables
The Dart Boards
The Sky TV
The Dominoes
The Bandit Machines
The Cigarette Machine
The Brudenell Entertainments Committee is a group of volunteers who hope to secure the Brudenell Social Club's ability to host live music, DJs and community events. Currently the Committee has six members; Dom, Claire, Neil, Stu, Lucy and Jonny, who are all involved in local music/arts events in the city. The main Committee at the Club have kindly allowed us to take over the upkeep of the main room, which is used for live performances and many small DIY gigs which are vital to the music scene in Leeds.
Leeds City Council had been concerned about noise issues relating to gigs at the Club, after complaints from local residents. Our aim is to do as much as we can to curb these complaints, and therefore help the Club keep its' license and stay open.
In 2005 alone we managed to raise over 7000 pounds through gigs, donations, 2 bring and buy sales, badges and a host of other activities. Thank you very much for your support!
----------------------
The Brudenell Social club is a gig venue and members club located in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. It has a pretty large capacity, and the central stage is surrounded on all sides by raised platforms and seats, with the bar positioned high up right across the back of the room. The venue thus has the feel of a mini-auditorium, and its immense popularity means that it is frequently packed at gig nights, lending it a rather snug and intimate feel that is suited to the introspective post-rock/indie/folk bands (as well as rock bands) that it hosts.
The clientele tends to consist of indie students, so it can be a case of hipster overload with scarves, jaunty berets, tight jeans, waistcoats and pointy shoes galore, but despite this the atmosphere tends to be unpretentious, relaxed and pleasant, with some great bands passing through such as bluesy rockers Earthless and introspective post-rockers Russian Circles.
The place serves a number of draught lagers as well as some nice bottled ales, and these are pretty reasonably priced, and ticket prices are pretty reasonable too, and combined with the engaging and generally welcoming atmosphere and the regular intake of indie/rock bands, the Brudenell Social Club is worth keeping an eye on for anyone with an interest in rock/inde living in the Leeds area.
The City Talking:
Rule:
"It shall be called Brudenell Social Club and its coffice shall remain at The Club House, on Queens Road, Leeds."
Rule:
"It shall be non-political, and the club premises should not be used for the purpose of political party meetings nor for any purpose which in the opinion of the officials would be opposed to the objects for which the club is established."
Rule:
"The objects of the club shall be to provide the means of social intercourse. mutual helpfulness, mental and moral improvement, and rational recreation."
Rule:
"All monies received shall be applied towards carrying out the objects of the club."
The concert room has gone from a community facility hosting occasional gigs to one of the most well-regarded venues on the independent circuit.
Cops & robbers
"The thing I personally want, more than anything, is I want people to have an experience when they come in here. Like the people over there can play pool for forty pence and go away knowing that they haven't been ripped off, they've had a good time and feel comfortable playing pool here. Or they come to see a band and can drink an ale from America at a reasonable price and just think, that's a really good band, and a really good beer, in a really good room that's like nowhere else. It doesn't have to be better than anywhere, it doesn't have to be the best, it just has to be a good experience."
Things:
Entrance
Leedsgigs.co.uk
Venue Information:
The Brudenell Social Club is a gig venue and members club in the Hyde Park area of Leeds.
The Brudenell is most famous for hosting secret gigs for bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs.
However, it has been a centrepiece of the Leeds music scene for a number of years and hosts gigs most nights of the week.
The function room is regularly used for capacity-crowd gigs, as well as many smaller gigs and events which are vital to the music and arts scene in Leeds.
Events at the Brudenell Social Club are put on by a variety of local promoters.
Check out this page for Brudenell Social Club tickets.
The name Brudenell is said to come from the family of James Thomas Brudenell, who owned Kirkstall Abbey after it ceased to be a monastery in 1539. James Thomas Brudenell was also the Earl of Cardigan. This connection explains why many roads in the Hyde Park area of Leeds are named Cardigan and Brudenell, and therefore how the Brudenell itself got its name.
The Brudenell Social and Recreational Club has a long and varied history and was formed on December 8th, 1913, it bought its first premises and current land shortly afterwards where it is still located today.
The Brudenell Social Club,
33 Queens Road,
Leeds,
LS6 1NY.
The Brudenell is open Mon-Thu 4pm-11pm, Fri 2pm-11pm, Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10.30pm.
The Brudenell Social and Recreational Club has a long and varied history and was formed on December 8th, 1913, it bought its first premises and current land shortly afterwards where it is still located today.
-------------------------------------
Forward, Russia! are set to make their first live appearance since 2008, in celebration of the Brudenell Social Club’s 100 year anniversary. The band, who have been on hiatus for 5 years, last performed at the aforementioned Brudenell, when they headlined the first night of Brainwash Festival in October 2008.
Support comes from This Et Al, who have also reformed for the gig on November 30th – tickets are now sold out.
Also celebrating 100 years of the Brudenell are The Fall who will perform a day earlier on November 29th.
- See more at: http://notitlemagazine.com/forward-russia-reunite-for-one-off-show/#sthash.QIuyDyQr.dpuf
-------------------------------------
Here at the Brudenell we attempt to give an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere to all music and events that take place here. We wish to be as accomodating as we possibly can to perfomers, musicians, bands and their crew alike, as well as the people who see such events and performances. We believe in working with the local music community acheieve a desireable and enjoyable experience.
Right from the very first time I went there (to see This Et Al in August ’06, if we’re going to be precise), I was struck by how welcoming and relaxed the atmosphere was. No cliques (whether that be scenesters, local regulars, or anyone in between), no pressure to dress a certain way, like a certain kind of music, sit in a certain place, know the right people, or drink a certain drink. You’ll find people of all ages and types at the Brudenell, but one thing they all seem to have in common is a passion for music and culture, and working together to make it as vibrant as possible. And a few people who are there just for the cheap beer.
So what about the music? There are a lot of DIY and alternative scene bands that play, and the Brud has had its fair share of legends performing too – Mark Lanegan was there recently, and Edwyn Collins and British Sea Power are due this Autumn. Wakefield’s The Cribs famously played all three of their albums over three nights there at Christmas 2007, supported by Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs.
---------------
I asked all-round lovely bloke Nathan Clark, who runs the Brudenell, what his favourite gig there has been:
“A band called Thee Oh Sees. I put them on in the games room, it was possibly the sweatiest, hottest, most intense and enjoyable gigs I’ve ever put on. Some people enjoy a gig with a big name, big venue and bright lights, but I’m not into that. I’m into a band that genuinely have musical togetherness, something special about them. I saw him play guitar with his teeth, then pick up a bottle of Corona in his mouth and play guitar with that, while he was standing on top of a tiny amp, the crowd were on top of the drums, and it was just all going mental. It was good music enjoyed by good people who are really into it, and the band played off that – it was amazing. I’ve seen some great gigs but that one stood out.”
Nathan takes pride in the fact the Brudenell is there for everybody, which fits with its history – the Brudenell was founded by a branch of the masons in 1913, with the remit of investing heavily in communities. There has always been a concert room, although music prior to the early 90s was a little more mainstream. Nathan explains that the Hyde Park Unity Day community festival grew from a meeting of Brudenell regulars: “there’s a lot of things spawned out of here” he says. “The DIY music scene in Leeds has come from this place, the DIY ethics. We have a band practice room here in the back, bands store their gear. There’s all sorts of connections. We support events like the SXSW showcase to help bands succeed out there [at the SXSW festival], and community charities like Green Streets, as well as putting on charity gigs [most recently for Haiti], and supporting local designers and artists.
------------------
Old:
Anyone who attends the Brudenell Social Club must be a member, it is after all a members club. You are expected to join if you want to enjoy its facilities, including the main gig room. As a member you effectively have part ownership of the club.
Although the club is currently in debt due to previous miss-management the longterm future of the club is looking positive, but we need your continued support to keep the club alive.
Membership is currently just one pound twenty pence per calander year! What a bargain! So theres really no excuse not to join now! You can join by completing a membership form available at the bar, and then collect your membership card upon your next visit.
Benefits of being a Member:
The Music Room
The Bar
The Snooker and Pool Tables
The Dart Boards
The Sky TV
The Dominoes
The Bandit Machines
The Cigarette Machine
The Brudenell Entertainments Committee is a group of volunteers who hope to secure the Brudenell Social Club's ability to host live music, DJs and community events. Currently the Committee has six members; Dom, Claire, Neil, Stu, Lucy and Jonny, who are all involved in local music/arts events in the city. The main Committee at the Club have kindly allowed us to take over the upkeep of the main room, which is used for live performances and many small DIY gigs which are vital to the music scene in Leeds.
Leeds City Council had been concerned about noise issues relating to gigs at the Club, after complaints from local residents. Our aim is to do as much as we can to curb these complaints, and therefore help the Club keep its' license and stay open.
In 2005 alone we managed to raise over 7000 pounds through gigs, donations, 2 bring and buy sales, badges and a host of other activities. Thank you very much for your support!
----------------------
The Brudenell Social club is a gig venue and members club located in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. It has a pretty large capacity, and the central stage is surrounded on all sides by raised platforms and seats, with the bar positioned high up right across the back of the room. The venue thus has the feel of a mini-auditorium, and its immense popularity means that it is frequently packed at gig nights, lending it a rather snug and intimate feel that is suited to the introspective post-rock/indie/folk bands (as well as rock bands) that it hosts.
The clientele tends to consist of indie students, so it can be a case of hipster overload with scarves, jaunty berets, tight jeans, waistcoats and pointy shoes galore, but despite this the atmosphere tends to be unpretentious, relaxed and pleasant, with some great bands passing through such as bluesy rockers Earthless and introspective post-rockers Russian Circles.
The place serves a number of draught lagers as well as some nice bottled ales, and these are pretty reasonably priced, and ticket prices are pretty reasonable too, and combined with the engaging and generally welcoming atmosphere and the regular intake of indie/rock bands, the Brudenell Social Club is worth keeping an eye on for anyone with an interest in rock/inde living in the Leeds area.
The City Talking:
Rule:
"It shall be called Brudenell Social Club and its coffice shall remain at The Club House, on Queens Road, Leeds."
Rule:
"It shall be non-political, and the club premises should not be used for the purpose of political party meetings nor for any purpose which in the opinion of the officials would be opposed to the objects for which the club is established."
Rule:
"The objects of the club shall be to provide the means of social intercourse. mutual helpfulness, mental and moral improvement, and rational recreation."
Rule:
"All monies received shall be applied towards carrying out the objects of the club."
The concert room has gone from a community facility hosting occasional gigs to one of the most well-regarded venues on the independent circuit.
Cops & robbers
"The thing I personally want, more than anything, is I want people to have an experience when they come in here. Like the people over there can play pool for forty pence and go away knowing that they haven't been ripped off, they've had a good time and feel comfortable playing pool here. Or they come to see a band and can drink an ale from America at a reasonable price and just think, that's a really good band, and a really good beer, in a really good room that's like nowhere else. It doesn't have to be better than anywhere, it doesn't have to be the best, it just has to be a good experience."
Things:
Entrance
Monday 28 October 2013
Brudenell 100 // Visual Research
I think that a smooth animation with a focus on clever transitions would be the best way of capturing the atmosphere of Brudenell. The best example of this I have come across is the above video for Primavera festival which uses the band names as a basis for creating imagery. The slight grain on the objects gives the animation a particular look that I think works effectively.
Sebas and Clim take a clean approach which has clear graphic design basis and simplicity. They focus on smooth transitions and a limited colour palette but are able to work across a range of different animation styles. They gave me some feedback on a video in the summer which I intend to apply in this project:
"My biggest advice in your video will be: Work in the SPACING.
Your timing isn't bad, but you don't put too much love to the curves. You have to loooove the curves (read this with a lot of groove, it will make a lot of sense)."
The smoothness in animation is obtained by avoiding a linear frame interpolation which looks unnatural and making use of the curves graph to produce effects such as ease in and ease out which give the animation more character.
I love the colour choice in this animation. I gives everything a hyperreal, futuristic feel. I wouldn't be looking to do something this extreme, but i would be looking to use bright and vibrant colours in a similar way. Using Kuler, I looked at the pallette used here:
Brief 3: Brudenell 100
Background:
Brudenell Social Club is a social club in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. It is best known as live music venue. The Brudenell was formed as a 'gentleman's social and recreational club' in 1913, used primarily to host cabaret and bingo.
Nathan Clarke - Owner:
“The DIY music scene in Leeds has come from this place, the DIY ethics. We have a band practice room here in the back, bands store their gear. There’s all sorts of connections. We support events like the SXSW showcase to help bands succeed out there [at the SXSW festival], and community charities like Green Streets, as well as putting on charity gigs [most recently for Haiti], and supporting local designers and artists.
“With other venues, you walk in to watch a gig and walk back out afterwards. You might socialise there too, but it’s not a creative outlet, it doesn’t go beyond that. And I think that’s what this place does. It’s not me or anyone else, there’s a group of people that concentrate here”.
It is separated into 3 distinct rooms, the gig room, the games room and the bar.
Concise Brief:
Design and produce a 3 minute animation to commemorate 100 years of Brudenell's history. It should celebrate the character of the venue as well as the bands that have played there over the years.
Brief:
Brudenell is beloved by Leeds residents. As part of their 100 year anniversary celebrations, they are putting on exclusive gigs and celebrations. Research and investigate what fans love about the venue and turn this into a 5 minute animation that can be send out as promotion by the venue. It should celebrate the character of the venue, and it's importance to the Leeds community, as well as highlighting the vast range of bands that have played there over the years.
Concept:
There are many things that Brudenell is known for, including:
Booking Excellent bands across a range of genres
Great sound, stage and lighting.
Supporting local and specialist breweries - a strong presence in the craft ale revival
Excellent pool facilities
Shows a range of sports with good TV coverage
Having a relaxed, mixed social environment.
Deliverables:
A 5 minute 720p animated video with sound
Tone of voice:
Fun, Loud and Celebratory
Target Audience:
Regulars, ex-regulars and infrequent visitors of the social club. The largest group within this will be students but it should cater for the diverse range of visitors at the Brudenell.
Brudenell Social Club is a social club in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. It is best known as live music venue. The Brudenell was formed as a 'gentleman's social and recreational club' in 1913, used primarily to host cabaret and bingo.
Nathan Clarke - Owner:
“The DIY music scene in Leeds has come from this place, the DIY ethics. We have a band practice room here in the back, bands store their gear. There’s all sorts of connections. We support events like the SXSW showcase to help bands succeed out there [at the SXSW festival], and community charities like Green Streets, as well as putting on charity gigs [most recently for Haiti], and supporting local designers and artists.
“With other venues, you walk in to watch a gig and walk back out afterwards. You might socialise there too, but it’s not a creative outlet, it doesn’t go beyond that. And I think that’s what this place does. It’s not me or anyone else, there’s a group of people that concentrate here”.
It is separated into 3 distinct rooms, the gig room, the games room and the bar.
Concise Brief:
Design and produce a 3 minute animation to commemorate 100 years of Brudenell's history. It should celebrate the character of the venue as well as the bands that have played there over the years.
Brief:
Brudenell is beloved by Leeds residents. As part of their 100 year anniversary celebrations, they are putting on exclusive gigs and celebrations. Research and investigate what fans love about the venue and turn this into a 5 minute animation that can be send out as promotion by the venue. It should celebrate the character of the venue, and it's importance to the Leeds community, as well as highlighting the vast range of bands that have played there over the years.
Concept:
There are many things that Brudenell is known for, including:
Booking Excellent bands across a range of genres
Great sound, stage and lighting.
Supporting local and specialist breweries - a strong presence in the craft ale revival
Excellent pool facilities
Shows a range of sports with good TV coverage
Having a relaxed, mixed social environment.
Deliverables:
A 5 minute 720p animated video with sound
Tone of voice:
Fun, Loud and Celebratory
Target Audience:
Regulars, ex-regulars and infrequent visitors of the social club. The largest group within this will be students but it should cater for the diverse range of visitors at the Brudenell.
Friday 25 October 2013
Indie game // Animation Progress
We were able to get the three environments pieced together and animated. This was the most complicated part of the trailer, and we had to split the workload quite heavily. Andy would prepare characters and enviroments as I controlled character movement in the scenes and tweaked details. Together we made decisions over when characters should enter and leave the scene and what timings needed to be adjusted away from the script to better suit the composition.
In the land stage, the postman revs his bike and zips off-screen
In the deset scene, the jesus character bangs his staff, the monkeys jump up and down and the birds fly. This turned out to be the busiest scene of the three.
As the ice was slippery I had to alter character movement for the ice stage. We introduced an eskimo on a snowmobile to mix up the activities of characters in the composition.
For the dialogue section, Andy had made the shopkeeper's mouth open and close so it was a simple process to have the text pop in and out at the right timings. The clouds move subtly in the background to enhance the scene.
We are not far away from completing the animation. At this stage I am really happy with how it is coming together and think it presents our design elements really well.
Thursday 24 October 2013
Indie Game // Research // Game company research
We really liked old game company pixel intros. They had a combination of qualities that made them instantly recognisable and created excitement for the game. They are nostalgic and a powerful implementation of a brand. We wanted to attempt to pick apart these qualities and reverse engineer them for the animation.
Sega have implemented this really well for such short clips. They also managed to create an aesthetic that worked over different consoles and franchises and as a result was adapted constantly. Particular aspects we thought were effective are the shimmer on the letters and the consistant use of the "SEGA" chant.
In terms of sound, Playstation has a very strong intro, utilising a two-part synth sound that is totally recognisable and evokes nostalgia. While dated, this intro is a classic part of gaming history.
Visually, gamecube had a really strong intro which made great use of 3D animation to make the shape of the console. It looks to modern for the context of our game, but there's definitely an opportunity to create an amalgamation of old and new styles.
Lastly I thought it was worth noting the Gameboy startup screens, which made interesting use of pixel type for their startups. There is a quality to the appearance here that really represents Nintendo without actual visuals.
Conclusion:
We need to keep our intro simple and primarily type based. We should adhere to the pixel approach to match the rest of the game and to communicate immediately that this is a game with retro qualities at its heart.
Sega have implemented this really well for such short clips. They also managed to create an aesthetic that worked over different consoles and franchises and as a result was adapted constantly. Particular aspects we thought were effective are the shimmer on the letters and the consistant use of the "SEGA" chant.
In terms of sound, Playstation has a very strong intro, utilising a two-part synth sound that is totally recognisable and evokes nostalgia. While dated, this intro is a classic part of gaming history.
Visually, gamecube had a really strong intro which made great use of 3D animation to make the shape of the console. It looks to modern for the context of our game, but there's definitely an opportunity to create an amalgamation of old and new styles.
Lastly I thought it was worth noting the Gameboy startup screens, which made interesting use of pixel type for their startups. There is a quality to the appearance here that really represents Nintendo without actual visuals.
Conclusion:
We need to keep our intro simple and primarily type based. We should adhere to the pixel approach to match the rest of the game and to communicate immediately that this is a game with retro qualities at its heart.
Wednesday 23 October 2013
Indie Game // Sound production and editing
One of the most important elements in giving our game trailer character is sound. We decided to make the soundtrack ourselves in Ableton Live to accompany the graphics. This meant writing down the times of the transitions and arranging the music to fit this structure. Early on, we encountered a problem that made us realise that we should have designed the animation to fit the music not the other way around. While an animation can have a transition at any point, music cannot. As a result we had to restructure the timings in places to make sure it matched the drum beat. This was a back and forth process that ended up taking much longer than we expected. Nonetheless, we were really happy with the results.
Timings sheet
Specs Soundtrack
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Indie Game // Animating the Menu interface
This was the interface that I had designed for the game which I wanted to animate in AfterEffects:
The challenges of this section were recreating the interface colour change, the blur and focus effect on active and inactive options and to get that feeling of an option being clicked, which always gives distinct visual feedback to the user.
I started by separating the interface colours in photoshop before importing these to AE.
Breaking all of the typography into separate sections, I could control the blur effect more easily. The dialogue box needed to flip between the options.
Variations in interface colour
Using a gaussian blur effect that could be switched faded in and out, I was able to make the in-focus and out of focus effect look convincing.
Monday 21 October 2013
Indie Game // Animating the logo
Andy worked on creating the pixel introduction, so I moved onto the next scene in which the glasses would spin around in 3D and rejoin the specs logo. To do this I had to learn about 3D layers in After Effects and rotate the glasses around the Z-axis. I thought that this was a great introduction to the spirit of the game, showing retro pixellated graphics being manipulated in 3D
Final intro
Indie Game // Monday meeting
This morning we reflected on the progress of the brief. It is our last scheduled week to work full time on this so it was especially important at this stage to really tie up any loose ends and think about the finish of the project.
To Do list:
Animation:
Discuss what needs to move
New HSC logo (Sega intro inspired)
Specs intro screen
Moving menu -> finish
Style Guide:
Page - Level construction
Page - Type in context
Research booklet:
Investigation into maps
Steam/XBLA/PSN research
Other:
Convention banner
Cardboard cutout
Design pack folder
With this tasks in mind, we laid out our calendar for the week:
With this tasks in mind, we laid out our calendar for the week:
We should be fairly well on track to finish everything except promotion following this schedule. We agreed that the promo could be done at a later date around our other briefs.
Sunday 20 October 2013
Indie Game // Preparing characters for Animation
In order to prepare for the animation, we developed a workflow whereby Andy would develop a GIF of character movement, typically made up of 4-5 character sprite images. I would then take these image files and reimport them into after effects. Here is an example of this workflow:
I receive the .psd file from Andy with the images in different layers (this penguin is made of 3 movements). I export these layers as separate .PNG files.
This folder of images can then be imported as a a composition, with the speed defined in frames per second.
I can then repeat the movement a number of time so that the character continues to move as long as they need to in the main composition.
The character can then be inserted into the scene, where I can control its arrangement and movement in the main scene. I needed to match the speed of movement to the distance travelled so as to make the animation look believable. This was a process of trial and error and got more complicated as the animation progressed.
We repeated this process until all of the scenes were filled. This split workflow ensured that we could get all of the scenes full and complete efficiently .
Wednesday 16 October 2013
Indie Game // HUD
Today, while Andy was constructing the final game maps, I set to work deisgning the HUD (Heads up display) which would be on screen at all times. I found this definition of HUD in Level Up: The Guide to Great Video Game Design by Scott Rogers:
"HUD:
Named after the heads-up display found in modern aircraft, the HUD is the most effective way of communicating with the player. The HUD refers to any visual element that communicates information to the player. The mini-screens and icons found in a HUD are some of the best tools in a video game designer's bag of tricks. They can communicate information, emotion, even tell the player where to go and what to do. Let's look at some of the HUD elements found on an average game screen:
1. Health bar/lives
2. Targeting reticule
3. Ammunition gauge
4. Inventory
5 Score/Experience
6. Radar/Map
7. Context sensitive prompt"
My favourite of these ideas for displaying health was using Oli's glasses to contain a more traditional health bar which would indicate damage by moving from green (full) to red (empty).
"HUD:
Named after the heads-up display found in modern aircraft, the HUD is the most effective way of communicating with the player. The HUD refers to any visual element that communicates information to the player. The mini-screens and icons found in a HUD are some of the best tools in a video game designer's bag of tricks. They can communicate information, emotion, even tell the player where to go and what to do. Let's look at some of the HUD elements found on an average game screen:
1. Health bar/lives
2. Targeting reticule
3. Ammunition gauge
4. Inventory
5 Score/Experience
6. Radar/Map
7. Context sensitive prompt"
We discussed this and decided that we wouldn't need most of these, and would be looking at just indicators of the player's current health, money and how long they can stay in a transformed state before turning back to normal. We did some research into how the HUD was implemented in classic games. Here are some of our favourite uses:
mario games have traditionally used a primarily text-bad HUD, with coins being the only measurement indicated through the use of an icon.
Zelda takes a very different approach. Nintendo's approach to A HUD here is very visual and inkeeping with the style of the game. As a more complex game, the HUD in Zelda needed to display health, items, collectables and currency and as a result it required a larger real estate on screen than many other games of this period.
Sonic the hedgehig used a character icon for health, the game icon that represnts extra lives when found in the game. Apart from this, it is textual. this suits this style of game better as it is about precision and timing which can be most accurately displayed in this way.
(insert sketches)
My favourite of these ideas for displaying health was using Oli's glasses to contain a more traditional health bar which would indicate damage by moving from green (full) to red (empty).
For money, I was initially planning on using a dollar symbol with a numeral that goes up and down. In practice this looked too digital and the green colour didn't really sit well on screen, particularly over the grass of the land level. I adopted the laser that Andy had designed for Oli's magic glasses and used it as a countdown timer for transformations. This would animate like a fuse and crackle as it shortened.
Fixing the currency problem, I went back to video game basics and used coins as a symbol. I also compartmentalised the different indicators to make make them more visually separate on-screen. Here is the HUD in context:
Indie Game // UX Design
I set to work designing the navigation menus for the game. Taking inspiration from classic homescreens and the simplicity of the UIs of modern indie games, I wanted to produce something which was visually clean but really emphasised the style of the game. Looking at other games, I decided that we would only need a few options: Continue, New game, Help & Options, Credits and Exit.
We wanted to use our pixel typeface for all of the menu/option screens so I extracted the letters and laid out the list of options. I was inspired by the Super meat Boy screen, which has a simple list of options on the right and is charcter-heavy on the left, so wanted to explore what I could do with this structure.
The main character looked washed out against the gradient sky we use in the game, and just generally a bit lost in the size of the screen. I decided that I would have to break proportions and increase the size. I liked how the rectangulardialogue box looked as an indicator of which option had been selected, and thought that this could look better if applied to other character colour schemes.
Taking one of the ground tiles from a background we had designed, I created a layout that would work using the colours of any character. Every time the player moves up or down the list, a new character would be displayed and the menu colour would change appropriately. I tested this a few times and was pleased with the results. I had to centrally align the list however as it allowed the selector to stay at fixed width without looking out of place.
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