Research: Environments, interior and exterior

Before diving into the deep end and creating anything awesome, I decided to moodboard some ideas for the exterior and interior sides of the level.

This consisted of searching the web… more so Pinterest to pick some visually and aesthetically pleasing images to work towards and to more or less give me a visual interpretation of what I want to create…. Basically an image in my head that I can recreate.

The majority of the images I have chosen have a specific target audience and demographic. They’re all somewhat have a vibrant art style that is based on cinematic animations. I would like replicate the art style seen in these images within FMP, creating a cinematic universe that seems almost like a Ghibli movie.

The Mood and tone of these selected images are derived by a handful of factors. One of the main factors is their use if vibrant colours.

The bright garish yellows juxtaposed to the earthly greens is complementary and harmonious. The somewhat over exaggerated colour palettes use a mix of mid and high key colours that create a city that is empty yet feels so alive.

This is done due to the tone and accents of the lights and shadows, on closer inspection you can see that the sky is not just white but a baby blue that is shown in the shadows and the yellow highlights shown in the god rays and where the light bounces of objects. This gives the scene a rather natural feel to it as well as playing on the mood and subtle balance of the scenes themselves.

Nonetheless images all have a rather subtle cell shaded render to them which heavily plays on the cartoon side, making them almost childlike and playful.

Judging by the use of pop colours and a good mix between them and harmonious colours, I would further investigate the use of colour and experiment it throughout the course of my FMP. I would also go as far as to use a limited colour pallet and pop colours to draw a player into certain parts of the environments and use them to subliminally show a goal or point of interest.

Another factor that sets the mood of the images is the busy tone of them all. As you have gathered most of the images that I have chosen are cities and to some extent high rise, congested buildings. However due to the bright and playful colour scheme it does not feel like a congested and jammed city. I believe the busy and chaotic feel makes the exterior more explorable and will also slow down the gameplay as the player would want to see it in all its beauty.

I believe this could help with puzzle solving as it showcases that the environment seems open and that the busy tone makes you feel like there is multiple ways to navigate, when

In fact there is really not. Furthermore I believe it will make the levels feel more symmetrical and tactile.

Overall I feel like I have found a unique genre that can be portrayed rather well in a game, however getting the colours, shape size and scale of the environment is key to pulling this off. I believe to truly make the environment feel alive we have to make the mood and tone of the environment fell like its living too. To achieve this goal I would I want to slow down the gameplay and let the player focus on the intricate details from dripping pipes to moving fans to leaves blowing in the wind….maybe I’m overthinking this is a goal I would like to achieve.

The first striking image is by an artist called Chong FeiGiap. A digital artist and Illustrator based in Malaysia. He is best known for his detailed Illustrations of Asian Cityscapes.

The first striking thing about this image was the verticality of the piece. The compelling verticality shows the sheer size and scale of the environment which it’s based. Even though it’s a view of two buildings and one in the distance, the viewer cannot help but feel a sense of vertigo.

This done by having two key elements to showcase the size and scale. The first being the character in the foreground on the bridge, one cannot help but wonder where she has come from and if she where to look down how far it would descend.

The other being the tram line overhead, the point is that it’s usually associated with taking you to the top of a mountain or ski slope. The idea that it has buildings overshadowing it showcases the sheer scale of the surroundings.

I do concur that the verticality would offer a much needed depth to a level, I strongly believe that as students we make a level long but not tall, therefore we travel forward more than we travel upwards and this makes a game feel boring. I would like remember this piece of advice and when moving onto level design I would like to add it in.

Another interesting factor of the image is its use of pop colour to show pipes and wires among the vivid buildings. The bright grey tone added to the pipes make them pop and it showcases the movement within the piece. To me this is a strong way of leading the player or to show a piece of the puzzle. For example the gate could be locked and the only way up is the pipe.

I do believe the layout of the environment is important and the way that Chong FeiGiap has placed parts of the environment is key to creating verticality and depth to an image. I would like to emulate the way he has done this by using common objects to refer to size and scale. As well as his use of pop colours to show off points of interest.

Chong FeiGiap, Girl in the window.

What made this piece stand out for me was the depth and composition. The way that your eye is lead from one rooftop to another is significant in the design. You start of by seeing the distance between the two buildings in background and your eye leads you down the rooftops to the fore ground where you notice the female in the window.

This is a rather simple technique when it comes to composition and layout. I believe it also works for level design and can be used to guide a player to a goal. It also works backwards. For example you see the tower in the distance as a long term goal and the building in the foreground is a reachable goal, so you decipher that you need to reach it and your eyes almost instinctively find the route of the rooftops.

I believe that this technique will be benefice when it comes to level design and creating an environment based around compelling level design. I would like to further investigate the theory of level design and more so the science and how to lead a player unwillingly to their goal.

Another key point to notice in this piece is the angle of the shot. The use of rule of thirds makes the piece feel rather symmetrical and ordered yet when you notice the roofs are made of metal sheets you feel the chaotic mood and undertone of the environment.

Almost as if you need to get to that tower but it’s an uphill battle. This is a way to slow down time to show almost the juxtaposition between the classes or races.

I do consider that this could be used in FMP. Understanding and getting a focal point in the distance as a workable goal would make the gameplay rather linear.

I would also deliberate the cinematography of the game, therefore having wide angled shots like this from windows to showcase your next goal or to show that the player is constantly moving forward.

Chong FeiGiap lady on the street outside of a building

This piece by Chong showcases the style in which I see the game being portrayed. A game where the camera will change to show good cinematography as well as showcasing the assets created.

The way you’re almost lead up the roofs in a diagonal motion shows that the image can be broken down into simple shapes and easily interpreted. The devil being in the detail however.

The detail in this print is rather subjective, the way the greenery is used as a pop colour sublimely showcasing the pipe, then leading your eye along a path of roofs is rather spectacular. In my child like imagination I want to climb the pipe on to the roof and across the ledges.

This sense of fulfilment is done by having clean composition, therefore the right side of the print is clean and not so distracting. This would be rather hard to achieve in a game.

I do however believe to achieve this id need to understand the juxtaposition of assets and where to place key parts to get intense and immersive level design.

Nonetheless this would be easier said than done when you’re planning to make a dense and compact city.

Evgeny Lushpi is a celebrated Russian artist whose work is well known globally. His is traditional still life and landscape style greatly influenced by the Russian realism school, is second to none.

The complex rendering of texture, light and attention to detail is amazing.

Unlike the rest of the images I’ve chosen this one has a rather strong colour scheme which as a collective group we were inspired by. More so the mood created by the usage of orange and blue.

The warmth of the orange is strong and garish compared to the cold felt by the blue in this piece.

This is used especially well when one is to show the lighting and warmth in all the windows whilst the other is used to showcase the rain and miserable cold weather. A rather attractive juxtaposition.

The way the two colours complement each other is harmonious and causes a sense of drama.

This is done by having a variety of low-mid and a high key colours that is limited.

If you pay close attention you soon see that the pop colours in this piece are red and green, and these are used to a minimal effect. Even the background is made of blues and oranges to almost create a purple. The pop colours themselves are more or less accents of the orange and blue.

I do recognise that using a limited colour palette is rather problematic. This is down to the key fact that to create convincing scene, one must use colour and light to guide a player. Nevertheless I would like to experiment with using a simple colour palette like this one. Possibly even using a two different colour pallets for the interior and exterior.

The final print is by Art director Zhichao Cai has ridiculously vertical compositions, featuring incredibly pushes perspectives, impossible architecture and a plethora of detail

As an art director at the Hangzhou, China based Gamecox, his emphasis is on creating striking worlds via his knack for environment painting, which he's really damn good at.

The piece here has rather distinct feature that took me by surprise and that is the pure detail that’s in the city. The composition and layout is simple yet the amount of assets in the scene makes it detailed and chaotic.

The rule of thirds can be applied to the piece making it almost symmetrical yet not ordered.

The more detail that a piece has the more you linger on each piece, the more it slows down game time. I believe this is rather big factor for us with FMP. The ability to manipulate gameplay with subliminal assets and pop colours as well as detailed pieces of design.

Moving on the piece use an almost gradient like colour scheme, from being lighter at the top and gradually getting darker on the way down. This design choice leads the eye and the colour towards the more interesting points and to me shows how a limited colour palette could be a rather useful tool.

The heavy greenery also makes the scene feel somewhat alive and moving, if this knowledge could be applied to our FMP I believe we could create a rather vast and living city.

Overall I feel like this piece is a stand out and to me it’s a very influential towards FMP. I would like to recreate parts of the scene to see how they would apply in a more 3D stand point.

When considering the interior I personally leaned more towards showcasing the characters personal feelings and demeanour. I do this because I find that the home is where one can truly feel and be themselves… how slobby that maybe.

The images that I have chosen all have a rather busy and somewhat chaotic feel to it. There composition however is rather laid out and structured. A good composition always help to give a sense of structure and paly upon the mood. I also believe it makes the scene rather calm and balanced.

Good, ordered composition I find makes interior design rather symmetrical and has a sophisticated as well as impactful tone. I believe directors like Wes Anderson are inspiration for this project. His structured and symmetrical style is always pleasing to the eye and has a strong impact.

Colour is key in these selected images. They all have a rather unique colour palette that sets a tone and a mood to their scenes. The contrast between the right side and the left side of the mood board is more so to do with the difference in high and low-key colour pallets. Whilst the left side has a rather bright and low key colour pallet that seems rather harmonious and minimal, the right side has a darker, somewhat clashing colour scheme.

This is to signify the mood and tone of the scenes. The ability to play on the emotions of a scene is important and can set the tone of a puzzle or level. I would like to experiment with gradually shifting between colour schemes to see how it changes the style and mood of a game, as well as change the pace.

I believe that keeping an eye out for the colour detail in the FMP is a must to showcase our talent.

Each of these images showcase semiotics that can be broken down to show the theme of a character. When studying each image I could deduce the demeanour of a character, this was done by studying not the details in the image, rather the possessions in the room.

For example in one of the images we can clearly see a large globe, an easel and a bookshelf. These all accumulate to show that this individual is well travelled and knowledgeable, whilst also being a person of great interest and wealth.

I believe each interior we’re to design should show a hint of detail regarding the one living there.

Overall each of these images have given me a rather detailed understanding of how to go about designing the interiors to our levels. I believe studying these further will help me to create a compelling and immersive interior that feels like a home.

The Secret World of Arrietty

The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2010 Japanese animated film based on the infamous novel The Borrowers. A story about a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of a typical household, borrowing items from humans to survive.

These images are stills from the film.

The first one I chose for its rather distinct and quirky design. The idea that the room seems rather ordered and balanced whilst having a somewhat chaotic display is inspiring.

When studying more carefully, you start to notice the scale of certain objects and how they are used to make the makeshift house.

For example the pull ring of a can being used as a hanger for cutlery or a thimble being used as a light shade.

These details are intricate and support the narrative. They are meaningful yet make the scene feel more unique and eccentric. This also makes the viewer want to stop and wonder how peculiar this household actually is.

I believe that dropping hints and adding details like larger buttons as ornaments shows the depth of a character, it also shows how detailed and different we can make each room.

Another reason I chose this room was its use of shapes. On first glance one cannot help but miss the amount of round edged objects. Ranging from the arched doorway, the large to the giant clock.

All these round objects make the room that much more complex.

This is done to achieve a distinct and exclusive feel, think to yourself how often to you see a house with an archway or giant buttons on the wall?

Thus making the details stick in your head.

I believe that the shapes we could use could vary from room to room, almost giving each room a character. This could be beneficial to making them distinctive as well as setting the tone and mood for each room ant its puzzle.

The second still from the film is from inside the frameworks of the house. Juxtaposed from the chaotic and busy room, the frameworks have a rather subtle and dull feel to them. Nonetheless the detail is fit for its purpose, the way the still uses grime and dirt built up over broken bricks gives it a rather cold and lifeless feel. However life here does exist. Where the light creeps in through the grates plants grow.

This juxtaposition of colour show an almost life and death situation. The cold blues and greys work well with the warm greens and yellows. The pop colour here is the orangey- red pipe. This breaks down the image and make it more harmonious.

I believe this is done to achieve a more impactful scene.

When it comes to game mechanic and layouts, one of our goals as a sprite character is to move within the frameworks of the building. This image perfectly shows how I would perceive this.

If we could get across to seeing the framework of rooms, or within vents the ability to see the grime build-would be rather interesting. The juxtaposition of the lifeless gutters and sewers against the lively exterior would be a rather detailed goal, nonetheless it would added to a list of goals that we need to achieve.

Kim Smith Workshop

Kim Smith is an illustrator from Calgary, Canada. Graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design and ever since then she has been creating amazing pieces of illustrative art that never seizes to put a smile on my face.

This piece is entitled Workshop.

When I came across the piece I was instantly drawn to its warm, limited colour palette. The image itself has a rather symmetrical feel to it, using grid structure the piece sets itself up to have a balanced feel to it, with the eye catching attraction sitting almost in the middle of it.

The chair is the first thing the viewer notices. Mainly due to its bright garish colour compared to the rest of the scene. As well as this is the size and scale of the chair is rather striking in comparison to the shelves and window behind it.

The exaggerated forms in this piece is what makes it remarkable and unique. Simply by slightly skewing the size of the chair the piece seems to have a lighter and more fun tone.

Personally I believe for FMP I’d like to keep the shape and relative scale of all the assets as close as possible to what they are in real life, nevertheless I would like to experiment with colour and how it can be used to draw the viewer into an asset or even down a path.

Another striking point about this image is how easily readable it is. What I mean by that is when you look at what makes it a workshop, Kim has easily placed an easel and blueprints amongst tools.

However she has also placed the vinyl player and the old kettle and pots to gives us a deeper understanding of who would work here.

To me this could easily be adapted to level design and theory and should be a must when creating compelling interiors. Looking at not just what lives here, but who.

Emmanuel Shiu Christmas Carol concept art

Emmanuel Shiu is a seasoned Concept Artist and Designer working in the Film and Video Game industries. Experienced in a widely diverse array of creative work, Shiu has done it all – from humble beginnings as a 3d artist at Lucasfilms, to Lead Concept Designer and Art Director at The Orphanage. Now free to actively pursue his passions, Emmanuel currently devotes his time to freelancing as a Concept Artist and Designer in the Entertainment Industry.

This here is one of his concepts from his Christmas carol selection. It is essentially a down shot of Scrooge sitting at his office.

The most striking thing from this image was essentially its composition. The way the shop is set up from a downward view instantly makes it iconic and remarkable. Setting up good composition in a scene is what makes it easily pleasing to the eye.

I believe this is easily achievable in games via dynamic cinematography, therefore setting up cameras to capture these playable moments. I would like to have some dynamic cinematography in engine to showcase our artist abilities both in games and cinema.

The verticality of this piece also plays on the composition. The idea that the room is small and compact making it feel tall and rather chaotic adds to the symmetry of the piece. This effect is rather easily achievable with cameras, nonetheless I believe this could also be used for dynamic and intricate vertical puzzles. Having puzzles up a book shelf where you could move across and get to a vent would be a rather fun way to approach level design.

Whisper of the heart background

Whisper of the Heart is a 1995 Japanese animated romantic drama film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki based on the 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi.

The film follows middle-schooler Shizuku Tsukishima as she’s nearing her graduation. She’s a bright kid living a simple middle-class life in Tokyo who goes to class, hangs out with friends, gossips about who’s dating who, and entertains the fantasy that something more interesting could happen to her — like something out of the many books she likes to read for fun. She gets her wish when she follows a stray cat to an old antiques store and meets a boy who wants to become a maker of violins, and their lives hurdle together as a result.

The reason I primarily chose this image was due to its symmetrical design and layout. The shot is almost identically symmetrical, however one sides is chaotic and busy whilst the other side is clean and brightly lit. This composition and use of the rule of thirds makes for a rather dynamic contrast between the sides of the image.

It brings about directors such as Wes Anderson and how he uses structure and symmetry to create compelling composition. In order to achieve this sort of effect I must think about the level design and how id structure the room to be symmetrical, then I’d start to think about the position of the assets and id want the cameras to work.

Nonetheless it seems like a rather difficult shot to recreate for level design, unless the purpose of the level was this key shot.

Overall I feel like strong composition is what makes the scene and when thinking about blockouts I will strive to achieve dynamic composition and layout as well as cinematography to make for a rather cinematic gameplay experience… hopefully.