Audience

Audience

About this project

This project is about finding out about the audience and the importance of being an artist. Knowing the audience you are aiming towards can greatly affect the final outcome of the work put in and produced.
The main overview to this project will be to:

• To look into different companies and pick one I would like to research into.
• To mind map and create a mood board to inspire and narrow down to my final decision.
• Create a Project proposal.
• Look at arts styles, which colour pallet I would suit what I intend to produce, including lighting, compositional rules and traits.
• Image plains.
• Project backstory
• Find our target audience, which will be the game companies we aspire to work with.
• To learn the companies way of working and to produce a piece of work that would fit into their product style and work ethic.
• To learn and practice the workflow and style of a selected company.

29 September 2017 - Looking at companies

Different games companys

• Atari
• BioWare
• EA Digital Illusions CE
• Epic Games
• Games Freak
• HAL Laboratory
• Insomniac Games
• Namco
• Naughty Dog
• Neversoft
• Retro Studios
• Rockstar North

These being some of the games company's named; More can be viewed on

http://uk.ign.com/lists/video-game-makers

The games company I am going to research; Naughty Dog

Some of the games Naughty Dog has published are:

• Uncharted Franchise
• The last of us
• Crash Bandicoot Franchise which started around 1994
• Way of the warrior
• Keef the thief
• Rings of Power
• Dream Zone

The style of these games varies from cartoon animation to later bringing in realism.

Starting in 1984 Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin put together their artistic talents and formed JAM (Jason and Andy's Magic) Software. The following year they published Math Jam for the Apple 2 computer. The year following JAM's first tittle was Ski Crazed. Image seen below

The style of this game is un-realistic, using basic shapes to create a simple cartoon like silhouette.

On September 9 1989 JAM Software changes to it's now very well known name, Naughty Dog...

A few years later down the line in 1991, Rings of Power was released for the SEGA Genisis.

Image seen below

The now known Naughty Dog's games graphics have changed, still sticking to an animation UN-realistic look but with much improved quality to detail as seen above from previous.

In 1994 Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin decide to move Naughty Dog across the country to Universal Studios where their first ideas for Crash Bandicoot game started forming. This started of with "Willie the Wombat" which later changed to a game a lot of us know; Crash Bandicoot. In May 16 1994, Crash Bandicoot was unveiled.

Another 3 Years later still with cartoon animation the graphics become much clearer with visible difference in their development with more smoother lines and less pixels visible. This is a children game that is engaging to it's audience with silly sound effects, the characters and easy controls with a score system seen on the screen that will engage the player to try obtain the highest score.

 Then in January 1995 they hire their first two employees.

In September 9, 1996, Crash Bandiccot was released to PlayStation. With Crash Bandicoot being awarded the Gold Prize in May 1997.

The following year, Naughty Dog moves to Santa Monica.

In 2001 Naughty Dog become a first party studio for PlayStation and in June 2001, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is announced.

Since May 1994 up to June 2001 there can be seen more improvement with more details, colours and textures added as they still maintain a cartoon styled game. The main audience for this game will be children to teenagers with it's soft edges and vivid light colours. It is engaging the audience with adventure. The mood setting is light and adventurous.

Then we come to recent years with Uncharted

Since Jak and Daxter, Uncharted is completely different from the original animation style of previous games. With more realistic characters, to environments and assets. It engages it audience with Action, adventure and assets to be discovered. What makes this visually unique (especially for Naughty Dog) is the realism of the environments and concept of the game. It's audience is more teenagers to adults. The mood setting is more serious with the action packed adrenaline that comes with it, it allows feelings of achievement when objects are found and achievements unlocked.

View Naughty Dogs Timeline.

https://www.naughtydog.com/timeline/

Analysis of their art style and Audience targeted too.

The characteristics of games like Ski Crazed, Rings of power and Crash Bandicoot is aimed towards a younger generation. This is because of the limitation of explicit violence, the use of light welcoming colours that would attract younger generations.

Games like Uncharted, The last of us are aimed at the older generation due to it's action packed adventure, adrenaline fueled danger and violent scenes that would not be suitable for children due to these characteristics.

People in the company

Naughty Dog president - Evan wells

Game Director - Kurt Margenau

Games Directore Bruce Straley

Concept artist - John Sweeney

Environment artist - David Baldwin

Environment artist - Todd Foster

Texture/Shader artist - Brian Beppu

Texture/Shader artist - Heather Cerlan

Environment/Shader artist - Jermemy Huxley

Texture/Shader artist - Jonothan Schmidt

Environment artist - Reuben Shah

Environment Artist - Anthony Vaccaro

View information here:

https://www.gnomon.edu/community/events/uncharted-4-environment-art-an-evening-with-naughty-dog

Artists for the last of us poster - Kevin Tong and Mondo

The software used or need knowledge of and/or skills required:

Game play animator

• Maya: layers, trax editor, mocap tools
• Animation system: unreal, morpheme, unity
• Motion capture

Character TD/Rigger

• Programming with scripting languages such as Python and MEL
• MAYA
• Complex rigging in MAYA

Environmental Artist

• MAYA or other 3D related software

Environment texture Artist

• Strong traditional/painting skills.
• Scuplt and paint highly detailed in 3D and 2D images.
• Sculpting surface details and being able to control shader features that replicate different materials.
• Create UV layouts and tilling textures
• MAYA 
• Zbrush

Outsourcing Production artist

• MAYA
• Photoshop
• Zbrush

Naughty Dog careers link below:

https://www.naughtydog.com/careers

02 October 2017

The software used or need knowledge of and/or skills required - continued:

DevOps Systems Engineer

• Knowledge of Linux operating systems
• Utility Scripting (Bash, Python)
• Experience with TCP/IP, UDP, ICMP, DNS, Routing, VLANS, layer 2 and layer 3 networking
• Experience with VPN and other networking concepts
• Experience with Ethernet switching, spanning-tree, LACP
• Experience designing solutions at scale and with performance

Cinematic Lighting

• Digital Fusion
• Work with Level Lighting artist
• Work with modelers /animators / texture and fx artists to optimize the visual look of the cinematic

Level Lighting Artist

• Develop the lighting scheme, color-palette, post-processing-fx, and general visual mood

VFX (Visual Effects Artist)

• Help influence further development of internal technologies and artistic capabilities
• Knowledge of MAYA
• Python Scripting

E-Mailing Naughty Dog 

E-Mail reads:

Hello to the people of Naughty Dog

I am a student at James Watt college studying Games design and are doing a project called audience. 

For this project I need to research some information about my chosen games company (Naughty Dog).

I was wondering if I may ask some questions in regards to help further my research.

Thank you for your time

Regards 

Contacting a games designer - via twitter

What have I learned from their range and style of Games?

From games like Crash, Uncharted and The last of us barrels and wooden box's are a main feature that is regularly seen, these are something I can consider interpreting into my idea for my model and concept piece. Looking through some of the games, like uncharted; Old relics are found during game play. Old derelict and crumbling buildings are found in games like The last of us, Uncharted and broken flooring or paving which can also be found in Crash Bandicoot. 

In the majority of the games their are small items to collect, whether it be apples from Crash Bandicoot or pieces to construct tools during the last of us or finding artefacts in Un-charted.  

What have patterns have I noticed?

From some of my observations from above I have noticed a pattern of items;

• Small items that can be collected through out. Mechanical parts, maps or relics. Collectable bonus items to un-lock achievements.
• Boxes and Barells as a main popular asset. Normally made from wood.
• Environmental, buildings that are falling down.
• Environmental, plants growing up and around old buildings or forest areas.
• Traps, that capture the player or take the player out. For example, Rolling boulders. Rope traps that snag the player that then normally gets attacked.
• Weapons, such as guns found in Uncharted or The last of us. 

Mind mapping my idea's

Thinking of some of the different asset ideas I could do and produce.

What 5 appeal to me the most of of the above ideas

• Dumpster
• New idea; Bottles as they are found throughout The last of us.
• Bricks (could do a crumbling wall). Bricks are found in the last of us and larger bricks or stones that make up the building in Uncharted.
• Box's and barrells, maybe a wine cellar theme. (could include bottles with cups and glasses).
• Furniture; tables, chairs, bookshelves with books.

After thinking things over, What two appeal the most?

• Bottles, due to the different shapes and also considering to create the inside of the bottle which would be seen if the cap wasn't on as this I would think would be more of a challenge. 
• Table, due to the organic texture and various wood types. the different styles of tables; Long dining tables, circular tables, coffee tables, highly decorative carved tables with fancy feet carvings. 

My idea

Why not combine the two?

I can create bottles and a table to put them on. 

To 3D model and digitally paint a bottle and a table for the bottles to be placed on.

Example one

Example two

Painting so far

So far I am experimenting with colours and exploring one of my ideas.

What I intend to achieve at the end of this project

• A digital painting of at least one bottle, properly proportion.
• To produce a few 3D MAYA models of bottles on a table.
• Bonus task; To create a glass cup to go along side the bottles on the table. 

Useful shortcuts researched

Shortcut keys for MAYA.

The reason for finding this up was to help the efficiency of my work flow to make it less time consuming selecting with the mouse the various different tools that I may need to use and so on.

Practice 3D MAYA Modelling

Bottle 1

Using a polygonal cylinder I selected the top face and deleted it. Using edge selection i the proceeded to move the edge upwards before hitting extrude to then use the move tool to move it upwards and shrink in the edge, doing this multiple times until I reached the top. I then continued to use extrude and the same method to create the inside of the bottle.

Bottle 2

Using a polygonal cube I selected the top face and deleted it. Using edge selection i the proceeded to move the edge upwards before hitting extrude to then use the move tool to move it upwards and shrink in the edge, doing this multiple times until I reached the top. I then continued to use extrude and the same method to create the inside of the bottle. The shape of this bottle is influenced by the shape of a Jack Daniels bottle.

What research do I need to do?

• How to replicate a glass texture that is reflective and see through.
• How to replicate liquid that could be inside the used bottle.
• Different sized and shaped bottles. 

What have I found beneficial about today today?

• I have learned how much time approximately I will need to model different types of bottles.
• I have learned roughly how much time approximately it should take me to UV a bottle.
• I have refreshed my memory on how to use MAYA.
• I have refreshed how to do UV's
• I have refreshed how to do a UV snapshot and to bring it into Photoshop.
• I have learned what steps I need to do next in order to progress further.

09 October 2017

PowerPoint presentation

Project Proposal

Project Proposal

Review

My influence for this project is Naughty Dog and the game variations the company has. My choice for this company stemmed from the games they have created, some of which I have played and enjoyed like Crash Bandicoot and The last of Us. I will further be developing my 2D and 3D skills practising new tones and textures which I will try to replicate. I will consider the art style from one of the games I choose to follow the style of which will be the last of us. I will continue to develop and create new shapes using polygonal shapes to model with in MAYA. A UV map will be created which will be transferred to Photoshop for texturing before being bought back into MAYA to complete the model before rendering. Knew modelling skills will be learnt to create a bottle.

Project Concept

For this Project I intend to create bottles and a table for them to be placed on. My aim is to replicate a bottle and also provide texture inside as the caps will not be of the top of them. I intend to include different bottle shapes with various colours. Areas I still wish to focus on is UV maps and rendering as I still feel this is a weak point for me. My inspiration for choosing to model these is from the last of us where bottles or bricks would regularly be used to create a noise distraction whilst using stealth. Tables are also seen regularly throughout the game which influenced my ideas. The backstory to this project revolves around the idea of a post-apocalyptic world where the human race is fighting for survival against an un-known extra-terrestrial race. The bottles refer to the depression that fills the souls like the alcohol that fills their stomach before emptying their brain of the painful memories of what once was. The bottles are used within the game to create Molotov’s or to create noise distractions during stealth moves aiding the player or players venture through the dangers of their new dark world. They are collected throughout the game, from floors and tables in all different shapes and colours. The game will be full of thrills and scares that progress and the character/s venture further into their new uncharted lands that was once familiar. The bottles in the ending of the game will be useful at aiding the character/s defeat the final boss with stealth, strength and skill.

Evaluation

Throughout my work I will review and analyse my work, I will do this by going back over and taking any notes of what I think didn’t go so well and what I could have done better. I will also ask the opinions of my fellow peers and friends. I will record my decision progress by updating my blog continuously every day that I am doing my project work, the same is applied to any problems I encounter and how the problem is solved. To organise my time I am going to look at creating a timetable and update it throughout to allocate time better to where it is needed within my project

13 October 2017

Model

Jack Daniels inspired bottle

Using a free image plane I inserted an image of a Jack Daniels bottle. Using a polygonal cube I cute of the top face and scaled it down. Using the reverse toll to make it inside out, I selected the top edge and clicked extrude, using the move toll to adjust the height and the scale tool to adjust the width. Repeating this over until I came to the top. I then extruded the edge on the top giving it width (no height. Then using the same method to do the inner bottle on the outside to create the outside of the bottle. Once at the bottle using bridge to put a face between the edges.

Juarez inspired bottle

Using a free image plane I inserted an image of a Juarez bottle. Using a polygonal cylinder I cute of the top face and scaled it down. Using the reverse toll to make it inside out, I selected the top edge and clicked extrude, using the move toll to adjust the height and the scale tool to adjust the width. Repeating this over until I came to the top. I then extruded the edge on the top giving it width (no height. Then using the same method to do the inner bottle on the outside to create the outside of the bottle. Once at the bottle using bridge to put a face between the edges. Repeating the same method for the Jack Daniels bottle.

More bottle shapes I could consider...

The purpose for looking at additional variety of shapes in glass bottles allows me to add a little variety to what I intend to model to make it more interesting and dynamic

Photoshop painting... Continued

What I have achieved so far.

30 October 2017

Photoshop painting... Continued

Completed Photoshop Painting

31 October 2017

Table research

Table image source:

http://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/ton/rectangular-wooden-table-grand_84255

Wood types and despciptions

The different types of wood I can consider depending on what colour and texture I would like to create. But also if I would like to replicate manufactured or solid woods and whether it is of lower or higher value.

This gives me a description about the woods, what there texture is like, the quality of the wood; Whether it is strong, weak. Heavy or light and what it is normally suited best for.

https://furniture123.co.uk/content/wood-types

Examples:

Texture one

Texture two

Texture three

Texture four

Texture five

Texture six

Texture seven

Texture Eight

Model continued

Created a table using a polygonal cube, selecting a surface and added divisions, then extruding different points after adjusting the edges and making the legs, and the beams found underneath. The rectangular bottle was made with a polygonal cube, with the top face deleted off and then the rest of the shape reversed, using the extrude tool, move tool and scale tool I constructed the shape of this bottle. Once I looped over the top and created the outside. I selected the bottom edges then clicked bridge to seal the bottom.

My Uv snapshot ready for Photoshop to be painted.

Practice Wood Texturing - (Photoshop)

The purpose of this was to practice how I would replicate various wood types and experiment with colours before I decide which wood type I would like to choose to UV my table.

3 November 2017

UV Photoshop

The UV map ready for adding to the model to see how it looks and what may need improving.

Reminding how to apply UV texture, may have to look at other tutorials to see what works best.

https://youtu.be/91eDtmGPR_o

7 November 2017

MAYA modelling (continued)...

Showing the progression so far.

I decided to remodel the table due to disliking how simple the previous one looked.

Using the same method to create the previous table, I decided to do the legs differently with a polygonal cylinder and extrude and scale to the desired shape. To make the table look more smooth I bevelled the edges around the side edges of the table and the corners.

7 November 2017

MAYA modelling (continued)...

Updated my UV snapshot ready to take into Photoshop. Just rearranged the table to allow my to more easily access the different assets to UV, the selecting them one by one to arrange in the UV editor before taking the snapshot.

Updated UV in Photoshop, ready for paint over

Current colour fill on the cup and some of the bottles.

21 November 2017

MAYA modelling (continued)...

Current colour fill on UV map completed

Close up of wood texture

24 November 2017

MAYA modelling (continued)...

To apply texture I selected all of my model and right clicked and went down to assign material and selected Phong E. I then went on to common material attributes, colour and clicked file, then going through my files and selected my texture ready to render.

To render I clicked on IPR render the current frame after setting up a light dome and a spot light. I then manoeuvred around until I found angles I liked and renewed to current render frame to then save my render as a JPEG. Rendered images will be seen below.

Rendered Model

Final Piece

MAYA Model

My finished MAYA product

Photoshop 2D Painting

My finished Photoshop product

Concept Breakdown 

This concept piece I would say breaks down into the rule of thirds. as The image can be broken down into different segments with different areas of the painting falling into them with the main focus being central.

24 November 2017

Photoshop Painting, Screen capture video

24 November 2017

MAYA modelling, Screen capture video

1 September 2017

Evaluation

The overall design, I think I am fairly happy with. The changes I would make is to try and do more research to get a better understanding of creating glass textures which I failed to understand and put into practice.

 The textures I chose I am fairly happy with. The wood texture came out better than expected and I like the colouration of the bottles. The changes I would make is to add labels to the bottles to add more realistic appearance and to try and successfully achieve making a more transparent glass texture which I found difficulty trying to research and understand. I would also next time would like to add some background by adding walls with wallpaper and maybe some hanging off exposing the plaster underneath.

The appearance of the models shape I am fairly happy with. Earlier in the project I wasn't happy with the result of the first table as I felt it wasn't very smooth or appealing to the eye. To improve that I deleted that table and created one with softer edges and gave it a more smooth a softer appearance.

The colour scheme is generally what I was trying to work towards with no changes I would like to make to any of the colours apart from having them in a darker shade as the colours are a little to light for the game style I was trying to impersonate.

The screen captures turned out ok with a few occasions where I forgot to record my work and with only one corrupted file. I didn't think to edit out the parts which didn't need to be included like when I just started it up to record the monitor which partly records me loading up MAYA or Photoshop which makes the video run less smoothly in my opinion.

Overall the project took less time than I expected it to take which allowed for a steady pace but I feel I didn't challenge myself enough due to not believing in myself. I also am disappointed with checking the scale against a human model to make sure the table was the right height of a coffee table and the bottles on top of the table to ensure they wasn't to large or small.

The good points are the shape appearance of the model, it isn't to rectangular in shape with the colour texture representing each object fairly well with the only improvements I would like to make is with darker tones and to add some background. So some walls with wallpaper hanging off and plaster exposed underneath as I feel this would add more of an atmosphere and add character.