Week 12: Forefront Friday: S.O.N

S.O.N is an independently financed horror game that began development in 2015 by a single developer. I find S.O.N very intriguing because the game seems to be played through the lens of a VHS camera, which I think is an interesting take on the “found footage” horror trope that I haven’t seen done anywhere else.

I place this game at the forefront of the industry because this is such a unique concept and challenges how I think I am perceiving what I am seeing. In a way we are not playing the game but watching old footage of someone exploring the house. It’s a very Meta concept and makes for a lot of interesting questions about how we are perceiving what we are playing.

In relation to my major project, I think this games aesthetics are reflective of what I have been aiming to achieve. It’s taking a relatively mundane setting and turning it into something foreboding and sinister. I especially enjoy the camera static as I feel this is another relatively harmless thing being turned into something menacing as the creatures approach the camera. As the game is being developed by a small team I will be watching this games performance with interest.

Gameplay trailer for S.O.N.

With the cancellation of Silent Hills by Hideo Kojima, I think people are still waiting for the next great horror title to fill the void. I would be very impressed if the small team at RedG studios are able to do so, as this shows you don't always need the biggest budget to be successful.

PLAYSTATION (2018) S.O.N – Official Gameplay Trailer #2 | PS4 [Online Video]. July 22nd. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPZElemPUmE [Accessed: 10/08/2018].

REDG STUDIOS (TBA) S.O.N. [DISC, DOWNLOAD] Playstation 4. San Mateo: Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Week 12 - Thursday: Promotional Video

Today I have finished editing my promotional video for my game environment. I did not want to explain the project verbally as I felt to do so would be antithetical to the aim of my project, which was to see if I could convey the story through the environment design. I believe I was successful in this regard and so I feel it is far more effectiveto let my environment to do the talking for me.

 My finished promotional video.

To engage my audience I feel that leaving them asking questions will influence them to check out more of my work. If they are generally interested in what they have seen, they will take the next step and view my portfolio. I have tried to edit this video in such a way that it leaves the audience wanting to know more and thereby opening up my youtube channel for active engagement where they can ask me questions about the project. Interaction between myself and my audience could ultimately lead to my work receiving a dedicated following.

Edit (15/08/2018) 

I was told to add more information to my video so I have re-edited a second version and also made this available on my youtube channel:

 Updated promotional video.

Week 12 - Wednesday: Rookies Results

This year I entered the annual Autodesk competition The Rookies. I was eager to see how my work would stack up against the competition from other schools and disciplines from across the creative field. I was surprised to be announced as a finalist for an internship at Cambridge based game studio Ninja Theory. Unfortunately I didn't win the internship which is a shame because I feel that if I had been able to include work from my major project I would have had a much better chance. In either case being a finalist was a great confidence boost to me as an environment artist. My final rank for my competition entry was a B, which means I have a lot of areas I can improve in.

My final rank for the competition.

I entered into the competition with six pieces of work, four of which recieved an award for excellence much to my surprise.

My work recieved four excellence awards.

Overall The Rookies has provided me with the perfect opportunity to compare myself with the talent now entering the industry. Some entrants had very impressive portfolios and I have identified areas where my work has fallen short. Right now my main concern is to create more pieces that demonstrate the skills I have acquired over the course of my Master’s degree. Because the competition ended before my course had finished, I wasn't able to include my most recent work which I feel is the strongest. Next year I would like to enter the competition again and see if I can hit that A rank!

The certificate I recieved via email.

This has been an excellent experience to take part in and I feel that I can use these accolades to bolster my CV as I continue to apply for work within the industry.

AUTODESK (2018) The Rookies - The highest honour for creative media & entertainment students. [Online] Available from: https://www.therookies.co/ [Accessed: 08/08/2018]

Week 12 - Tuesday: Completed Environment

I have finally finished the environment. I will be spending the next few days preparing my presentation and editing my promotional video. You can view the full project on my artstation page or see the images below:

I feel that I have met my deadlines and made use of the resources that I have had available to me throughout the duration of this project. I was able to factor in the time I had access to the studio and build my project schedule around these timeframes. There are some areas I would have like to create like a larger garden and master bedroom, however I feel I have achieved what I set out to do, which was to create an environment that tells a story.

Week 12 - Monday: Creating Cameras and Practicing the Art of Cinematography

It is the beginning of the final week of my major project development. With my scene completed I will be spending today creating various camera angles that will best show off my environment. In preparation for this, I have been reading up on how cinematography is practiced within film and how certain shot types are used to affect an audience.

Cinematographer Blain Brown has compiled his experience into a book that serves as an introduction to cinematography as it is practiced on a professional level. It covers the essential concept of visual storytelling which is the facet of filmmaking that I find most intriguing and something I have been trying to emulate throughout my own work. I believe the language of Cinema is one that encompasses the art of the lens, composition, visual design and lighting. I feel that by learning these languages I can apply them to the field of game design and use them to help maximize every element within my game environment.

An important aspect of visual storytelling that I felt the author has highlighted is in setting the scene for the audience. Brown (2012:18) explains the importance of “establishing the geography,” whereby the cinematography gives the audience some idea of where they are, what kind of place it is and where objects and people are in relation to each other. Brown continues to explain the utility in letting the audience (or in my case the player) know the “lay of the land” within a scene. Stating that it helps them to orient themselves and prevents confusion that might divert their attention from the story. He highlights that one of the primary goals of the cinematography is to not confuse the audience, and this was a big reason why I was so eager to create an exterior alongside interior environments. I felt that it was important to establish the location and climate so that the player could project themselves seamlessly into the environment and believe it.

I am going to be paying close attention to the language of cinema as I choose my camera angles. This will be especially important as I create my promotional video for my environment. I am aiming to create a certain mood and this will require the camera movement and angles to reflect this.

BROWN, B. (2012) Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors., 2nd ed. New York: Focal Press.