Evaluation|Machinima

For this module we had to work in a teams of three to create a one-minute game cinematic in Unity based upon chosen theme. I have decided to join Katherine and Elliot for this brief. The sea creatures heavily inspired our idea for the world and characters. Moreover, we tried to make the story relaxed and funny, as the one-minute constraint is not really that suitable for deeper stories in my personal opinion.
During this module we were asked to come up with a story and two humanoid characters, which would be then modelled and animated in Maya. Since I would like to work as a concept artist in the future, this brief created a perfect opportunity for me to make some high quality pieces that I could use in my portfolio. I have started by brainstorming ideas and drawing quick iterations of design. For characters I used technique that I have came across a while ago on one of the concept art websites, which is basically just drawing one half of the image and using mirror tool to create other half (or in case of Photoshop, duplicating and flipping design horizontally). Katherine and Elliot gave me a lot of useful feedback on the first designs drafts and I have used that as a guideline for creating the more refined concepts which eventually evolved into a T-pose sheets and illustration. I made T-pose drawings for both of the characters as a reference for Elliot, since he was the one in charge of modelling.
For the spaceship I proceed with the more organic technique of creating a range of quick, black and white silhouettes. We wanted spaceship to somehow resemble the shape of seashell so I opted for curvier and more naturally flowing lines. Moreover, each little thumbnail took only about minute or two so I wasn't getting to worry about the detail but tried to concentrate on the bigger picture. After creating almost 20 different options I asked my teammates for feedback upon which I created the final version. Since some of the action takes place inside the spaceship I had to design the corridor too. I drew basic floor plan and orthographic view with some basic elements to indicate scale.
After establishing what our spaceship would look like I drew storyboard and created animatic to test out some shots and get the overall feel of the pace of this cinematic. Again, I tried to keep my storyboards clean and easy to read, although they were still unpolished and quite rough. 
Another part I was heavily involved in was working on one of the aliens. I actually named him Blob. First I was challenged with UV mapping, as it isn’t something that I do often, but I have improved a lot since the last game module and the whole process took me just few hours. When texturing, I tried to maintain similarities to the original concept by using same colour scheme and custom brushes.
Creating rig and animating was probably the most challenging part of this brief during which I have learnt a lot about keeping clear naming across of all files and joints. Blob is a fat alien with a big belly, which made rigging quite difficult as the mesh around the legs and hips was deforming. I had tried few different approaches to solve this problem, including placing joints further apart or removing some of them, but finally managed to get it working by painting weights more carefully. During this process I have learnt a lot about rigging and weight painting, which could come handy in the future, as I would like to do 3D animation more often.
Animating was actually very enjoyable and I had fun making Blob walk and move about. My aim with this part was to convey his personality via movements and indicate weight. I have looked at various walk cycles and used this knowledge to create a cycle for Blob. I tried to make his movements quite slow and a bit forced; his arms were following the body and the tentacles that are on his head bounced up and down. I created to joints to control the belly area, which allowed me to make it look wobbly and as it was reacting to the leg movement. If there is anything that I would like to do differently, I wouldn’t pick a fat character to rig and animate as it is a very tricky and time consuming job.
This module have not limited me to only experiments in Maya and Unity, but also allowed for the broader research into game industry and understanding of how cinematic sequences work. There are new engines and technologies coming out every year and it is important to keep a track of what it is happening, especially since the release of Xbox One and Playstation 4. These powerful consoles allow games to be displayed in high definition and a 60fps should be a standard soon. Also, the actual gameplay and cinematic sequence aren’t different at all with many cut scenes being made inside the game engine (which also happened in the previous generation).
Summarising, this module gave my opportunity to not only develop my skills as a concept artist, but also try at different fields. By not limiting myself to just one role I was able to challenge my abilities and learn new things. My understand of Maya and Unity grew, which would also transfer onto designing approach, as I understand the limits of what can be done in 3D software’s and within the student level. Teamwork went smoothly, as each one of us stayed committed and worked hard.