My Slightly Twee FMP Inspiration

My current main idea for my FMP first came to me while working on the group project at the end of last term. I was listening through some songs by my favourite musician that I hadn’t heard in a long time as I worked, and I found myself really inspired by one particular track. I had a very vivid picture in my head of what the song depicted and I really wanted to create that scene. Naturally there was a problem in that I was busy with the group project and didn’t have the time to commit to a large side project just for fun. So I put aside the idea for the FMP.

During the summer holidays I revisited the idea to keep it fresh in my mind. I created a Pinterest board to collect some visual examples.

The main idea was some kind of treehouse research base in the middle of the rainforest, overlooking a huge vista of trees stretching off into the distance. The base would be mostly constructed out of scrappy-looking materials such as tarpaulin and wire meshes on a base of wood. The strongest part of this idea I feel was how the humidity of the rainforest could bring out the colours in all the different materials. However the rest was very wishy-washy and hard to elaborate on, so I knew I’d have to rethink it.

More recently however I have had another brainwave that I think simplifies the idea yet makes it far more interesting. It would be pointless to constrain myself to keeping things exactly like my original vision when I could build off that base and make something better. I think it would be really interesting to actually have the inside of the treehouse be very modern, possibly even futuristic. This would both provide a more solid theme with greater contrast between interior and exterior, and also allow me to model a wider variety of assets. Modern design has the added bonus of still looking good with fewer assets so it is harder to mess up.

I’ve yet to pin down the interior design to the same extent as the rainforest outside but I think at least the theme is very clear. Amplifying the contrast between the interior and exterior should create a very comfortable atmosphere.

Technical constraints I would need to consider might include Unreal Engine 4’s ability to render glass convincingly and my own skills in creating a realistic humid or rainy scene. I’ve also been having issues with doing lightmaps on two-sided materials in my current project, and not having them on foliage in a scene with so much of it could cause serious performance issues so I need to find a solution to that problem soon.

Side-Scroller Project

I am currently working on a project along with the entire year group to create a short side-scrolling platformer game. We have been split into six sub-groups, with four groups making a level for the game, one making characters and a final comprised of two engine artists. The group I am in is working on the level to be described as “Scary”. The tutors are taking the roles of art directors.

We have been in the asset-making stage for a few days now and I am quite confident that we are going to get a great end result. Each level team is comprised of three environment artists and one concept artist- as one of the environment artists I feel that at this stage I am finally coming into my element.

The first stage of the project was of course idea gathering, and we did this by using Pinterest to gather pictures and create moodboards. This lasted for quite a while, and I was often worried that we were wasting time by not moving on sooner but I know it was good that we explored a lot of ideas quite deeply before pinning things down.

The next stage involved designing the level, then concepting and whiteboxing assets. I found this stage quite difficult, as most of the assets I had been asked to design were either heavily reliant on other assets and the style guide (which had not been completed at this time) or required little actual design work. Add to that my lack of drawing skill in comparison to the group’s concept artist and I was left feeling pretty useless for quite a while, which was at times pretty demoralising. However we passed the whiteboxing stage without much issue, and could finally move on to asset creation.

To keep everyone in the loop we like to have a lot of meetings. As the project has moved along we have gone from quite long but infrequent meetings during the idea development phases to shorter daily “scrums” now that we know what we’re doing. Recently we have been discussing things like sharing assets between levels to save time and keep the style consistent.

As things are now, I have modelled and textured some crystals to act as hazards in our level, though I need to go back and rearrange them into clusters before I send them to the engine artists. I have also been sculpting a medium sized statue. That's what I should be continuing with today.

King of the Dead Group Project

Third year has begun, and we have finally been blessed with Unreal Engine 4. Physically Based Rendering is beautiful, and it truly is exciting seeing the tools we have at our disposal advance along with the industry. What was technically our first assignment involved creation of materials in UE4, however we did no actual designing or modelling for it. It’s nice to be back to asset creation (though saying that implies I haven’t been practicing over summer!) So this was our first proper project, a group assignment to create a small scene involving a throne, a character, and a backdrop. A scene that would have to fit the title- “King of the Dead”.

We had two weeks for the whole project, which turned out to not be too restrictive in the end. Of course in the early days of the project I was constantly thinking we needed to speed up. The initial brainstorm didn’t take long… But gathering reference material sure did though. We used a Pinterest board to gather mood board images so we’d have something visual to base the idea around, but the problem was that we would of course stumble upon images that were inspiring, but would take us in a completely different direction. Expanding ideas is great, but not on the third or fourth day when we really need stick with something and start concepting!

I started sketching ideas fairly early on, which did help reign things back in in the end. It was an odd experience though, as at first I felt I was just killing time by jotting down rough ideas. They were all based on this concept one of the other group members had thought up involving a king frozen in a cryogenic chamber, though some involved incorporation of another idea of a parasitic entity. This rough sketching went on for a fair while and I was starting to feel really demoralised because I felt no feeling of direction, but I was surprised when we finally got together to share our ideas and everyone decided we should develop our design based on several of my ideas. It’s really easy to forget that concept art really isn’t about the quality of the drawings.

After this I made a few quick whiteboxes and everyone had a shot at doing paintovers. When things seemed to be coming together we began modelling. Since the design was constructed of various different shapes it could be broken down easily and people could choose to make whichever parts they wanted. I chose to start on the spider leg-like structures that adorned the throne, and since the other team member working on the throne was also doing most of the engine work I ended up making the entire throne apart from the central cryo pod itself.

I was a little unsure of whether my textures were interesting and convincing enough but I was reassured by the rest of the team that they were perfectly adequate. However this was only a little over half way through the second week, so I still had a couple of days to spare. Because of this I decided I would make a rock, one that could be subtly duplicated so that it could be used in various places around the scene to break up all the solid lines and make things a little more interesting. It was nice to be able to do some sculpting, since the rest of my work had been made in Max only. It was a bit of a reminder of my lack of knowledge though- My teammates pointed out several things in ZBrush that would’ve made things much faster for me… Unfortunately each time it was too late to execute them. I have noted them down for the future.

And now, the assets have been assembled in engine and the end result has come out really quite successfully. I think maybe the final scene could’ve done with a bit more There were a few hiccups, such as everyone forgetting to make light maps, forgetting to scale down textures, lack of collision (it wasn’t in the brief?)… But for the first proper project of the third year it went really quite well. Especially considering it was a group project, if it went as badly as my first group project experience I don’t know what I would’ve done!

…And I’ve just now noticed that some details I added to the model aren’t in the final render… see I knew things couldn’t possibly have gone that well. Group work eh.

Personal Review of the Second Year

The primary purpose of a university is the advancement of knowledge. Whether this means educating about pre-existing knowledge or advancing research.

With this in mind, what I want to get out of my time at University is not just existing knowledge but the ability to develop said knowledge further to be a more effective game artist.

When I leave University I hope to be able to get a job, but that is mostly out of necessity. If I feel my work still isn’t up to industry level I will want to keep furthering my learning for a better portfolio. Of course even in industry I will need to keep learning to keep up with advancements in technology and ensure I am the best I can be at what I do.

Now that I am almost at the end of year two, I do feel like I am starting to really get the hang of all the software and their best uses. I’m quite proud of several of the models I produced this year. Of course, I still have a long way to go.

Currently I think that aspects I particularly need to improve on are effective use of textures and my speed in creating them. I have found that this year I have improved significantly with modeling speed, starting to effectively use modifiers and understand the importance of modularity.

Year 1 Vehicle Project VS Year 2 Vehicle Project

On top of this, I’m starting to gain a better understanding of the conditions I work best under and things that help me learn. Especially in the latter half of the academic year, my productivity had increased an awful lot due to my improved routine and time management. Plus as a side effect of this other aspects of my life such as diet and sleeping patterns have improved too.

This year has had a lot of challenging times, especially early on, as I’ve had to learn my best approach to each project through trial and error. One thing I realized I had a big problem with was allocating time to different stages of a project. This was particularly evident with the building front project, where the total time I spent on it was more than enough, but too little of that time was spent on the texturing as I was too focused on getting the mesh perfect.

The building project. Too much time wasted on the details, but the potential was there.

Balancing multiple projects at once still can cause some problems and it is a challenge having to decide on the priority of different tasks, but I consider this to be an important life skill that I just have to learn.

Over summer I want to take a lot of texture photos and compile more tillable textures from these photos. I also think it might be a good idea to set myself some small projects just to keep things I have learned fresh in my mind over those four months, and to make re-starting at the beginning of year three less of a shock to the system.

At the moment I have very little work that I feel I can put in my portfolio, so I am looking forward to the FMP where I hope to produce something of value. So far my experience in Uni has been primarily to practice and advance my skills so I know they aren’t my absolute best. When I leave Uni I want to have produced something I am proud of so I can show potential employers (and myself) what I can really do.

Life Changing or Career Building?

In an industry that is constantly changing, how can game art students be best prepared for their future roles? We cannot afford to overspecialise, leaving weaknesses in our skillsets. The government has some argument with the idea of focusing on the teaching of specific useful skills to raise employability- students will inevitably have some decent core skills already due to entry requirements at universities etc. However, those skills will degrade over time without focus, and then what about when the advanced skills become obsolete? Some companies acknowledge the importance of a varied skillset and hire based on that judgement, but then surely they’ll find those employees to be lacking in expertise?

The obvious answer is to teach a bit of both. You can bet that the government is no expert on the industry and doesn’t have quite the full grasp on the range of skills that could potentially become essential in years to come. Plus, while developers may advertise that their priority is those of a liberal arts background (supposedly their idea of a well-rounded individual) you can be certain that they want advanced, specific skills on top of this. Any way you look at it, it’s good to have a fair grasp on some industry practices anyway just to save them from being such a shock to the system. But how do we find the balance?

It all comes back to something similar to the idea of a T-shaped skillset. Teaching basic skills alongside the specialised ones in a way that supports them is a good method. The deeper issue is when it comes to the specifics, how do we ensure than teaching remains relevant? The unique thing about game art and courses in similar fields is that the curriculum will always need constant updating to keep up with what students need to know. “We’re developing systems and processes, and we get to iterate on them semester after semester” –Richard Lemarchand, professor at University of Southern California. It’s wholly possible that industry practices will change as students are being taught them, and keeping the curriculum as up to date as possible may require the occasional bit of new blood, permanent or otherwise. Here at DMU we often have guest lecturers and it works wonders for keeping industry knowledge up-to-date.

The most important and effective way to future-proof students for changes is already a key element of higher education- to teach students the all-important skill that is learning. Keeping students interested in the workings of the industry so they’ll keep up with news in their own time is a good start. Keeping good communication is helpful for this too, not just between the students and lecturers but between the students themselves too. A surprising amount of the knowledge gained on a course will come from other students.

All in all, the best way for game art to be taught is a combination of experience, both core and specialised skills and the encouragement of independent learning for when situations change. Students should know to be adaptable, but being best prepared for whatever happens in the industry is always a good start.

References- http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/213334/From_AAA_to_academia_What_industry_veterans_have_learned.php

Creativity, the Talent Myth and Craft

Everyone can be creative to some extent. The world isn’t 90% made up of Emmet from The Lego Movie (although I for one thought the double-decker sofa was a great idea). What makes especially creative people stand out is their ability to demonstrate their skills that they have built off their talent.

There has always been some debate as to the overall effects of natural talent on skill. I’ve seen that most people at a certain skill level will, when asked, respond that skill has nothing to do with anything, that it’s all practice, practice, practice. But really, the interest someone has in a particular creative outlet is going to inevitably be enhanced by their natural affinity for it. In education, people tend to shy away from less “academic” subjects because we think there are no jobs in the creative sector, but creative fields are incredibly important. “Creativity is as important as literacy”, says Ken Robinson in his talk about creativity and education, and “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with something original”. This is one way the rigid structure of education can even have a negative impact- creativity is hard to learn, but easy to discourage.

"All children are artists. The problem is to remain an artist once he grows up"- Pablo Picasso

Personally I think that in lower levels of education when it comes to art there is often one of two problems- the curriculum either focuses on skill without creativity or creativity without skill. To become a good designer you need both, so those with a talent for it who are inevitably more likely to gain knowledge in their own time are going to get a head start for when education becomes more relevant at higher levels. Of course people who are very driven individuals will also be able to achieve this even from starting at a low level of skill, but really being motivated is a talent in itself.

In the games industry, creativity is important for almost every aspect of development. However, the amount of creativity a position will utilise can sometimes be quite small, especially in large companies and more subordinate positions.  A lot of the time you will be given a brief that is extremely strict and allows for little creative input. Of course having too little guidance on a project is generally bad since it can be hard to find a starting point, and can even start to cause worry about being wrong which of course ends up actually hampering creativity. But for creative types being too confined by a brief can get frustrating, and some may find this difficult.

Creativity is most important in making elements of games individual and iconic when compared to similar titles. This goes for all elements- gameplay, visuals, or story. Consumers have little reason to take notice of a game if it doesn’t bring something new to the table or have some kind of individual hook to it. Everyone recognises TF2’s art style, everyone remembers Mass Effect’s dialog wheel etc. While it is true that gameplay concepts thought of as innovations can backfire and ruin games, the risk can be worth it. It only becomes a problem when developers forget why elements that have become staple work the way they do.

As for my own creativity, when I was younger I was told often that I had talent to encourage me but of course now everything is all about skill. Plus I now have to branch out from simply drawing and develop more skills that complement each other in the industry such as 3D. My affinity for art as a child has boosted my skill level, but now it all comes down to hard graft if I want to bring these skills up to a level that is useful in the industry.

An Introduction to the Game Industry

In today’s industry it is very important to be flexible in the work you can do. People talk about having a T-shaped skill set- specialising in one area but ensuring you are adequately trained to do other tasks comfortably. This is especially important with the rise of indie and mobile studios who work in smaller teams. Of course it is also helpful knowing the exact way to produce your work so that others who have to handle it don’t have any problems.

Getting into the industry often involves building up connections and making a name for yourself. Some people try and use other jobs within the industry such as game testing as a stepping stone, but really testing is a separate department of the industry relying on writing more than art. Getting a relevant degree is a plus, but when it comes down to it, it’s all about showing that you have the skills needed. The more you want to “move up” in the industry the more different skills you’re going to need to master.

Even then, in today’s industry you’re unlikely to be specialising unless you manage to be employed by a major studio. In the cases where you will be specialising, most of the jobs are in environment art. A lot of people have the main aspiration of becoming a Concept Artist, but there are relatively few positions in the industry, and most concept artists would’ve originally worked on 3D content. Some people put a lot of 2D work in their portfolios, but this can be risky since the bar is set so high in that department. For your portfolio you need to make something, mods, items for existing games, just samples of the best you can do. Then comes the networking. Nobody is going to care about you and what you’re doing until your work warrants that notice. Of course if you’re applying for a mobile or indie studio, cover as much as possible, in an appropriate style of course. Even spread to designing things like the UI for a game, because it’s a huge part of mobile games yet something so few people focus on.

However the industry is not limited to departments within developer studios. As the cost of developing major titles continues to increase, it’s becoming all the more commonplace to outsource elements, often to countries where labour is cheaper. Sometimes companies will even look to other developers to speed up development for meeting deadlines. Small teams often hire individual freelancers if their own combined skillsets do not cover every aspect of a game’s development. The only drawbacks of outsourcing this way can be potential issues with communication and/or quality control, especially with large projects.

It is completely viable to become a freelancer and it has several benefits, such as removing the need to commute regularly. Gaining the initial reputation may take some work, but there exist agencies to assist in finding assignments. Freelancing is not for everyone though. Many don’t have the networking skills, plus working from home can be very difficult. It completely removes the social aspect of a studio, and keeping a work mentality in your own house can be a real challenge.

All in all, the games industry has more ways to enter than ever before, but this means nothing if you can’t prove yourself to be exactly what a developer needs. Pay close attention to the size of a company and the content they are creating before you choose exactly what to show.

References- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdZUZ73zLWc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAJhCw2QNlI

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/outsourcing-is-fundamental

http://www.freelancegamedeveloper.com/freelancing.php