Back Story planning

Personal Backstory vs Project Backstory

Personal Story: Shattered Souls

“What are you doing here, Aiyoko?” I ask stepping up onto the steps of what was once the bandstand that stood in the centre of Saitama Park. She disappeared a while ago and I've only recently found her perched on one of the railing looking out into the emptiness of unfilled space. A tall and ornate mirror stands behind her reflecting the image of her small frame.

She turns to face me and I can instantly tell she’s been crying, her swollen red cheeks gave her away faster than Solace’s temper. “Thinking...” she states flatly

“It looks like you've been crying, what’s wrong?”

Stupid question to ask, given the circumstances, we’re in a life or death fight just to escape this hellish world. I would be shocked if she was perfectly fine with everything.

Aiyoko, the stoic, calm and tranquil Literature club member now sits before me about to crack into a million pieces.

“I’m fine...” her speech pattern always manages to get me confused but over the past few weeks, I've steadily learnt to interpret her different mannerisms in conjunction with what she says. It was relatively simple to put two and two together after conversing with her. When she is relaxed, her calm and tranquil face is on full effect but when she’s upset she’ll hold herself as if to reassure herself that everything is ok... exactly like what she is doing now, plus the sore glow of her cheeks also serves to help me decrypt her lie.

I lean against the railing next to her and gaze sown into the void I've come to know as the “Unshattered Land” and sigh. “What’s on your mind, Aiyoko? I’m always here to talk”

“It’s... nothing, Kazuya...” her breath catches as she resists another surge of tears.

I think I should avoid prying, she’s fragile at the minute and god knows what would set her off. “I never forgot you...” that last bit caught me off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“When you got dragged here... into this world, I never forgot you... not fully anyway. In the months after you disappeared... everyone just seemed to forget all about you. But I just felt something was missing, like how there were four chairs in the club room and only three members and how Fujimura-san sometimes brought in two bentos with no knowledge as to why she had made them. Of course I kept quiet about it; no one would have believed me.”

This is the longest length of time Aiyoko has ever talked about anything. I don’t know whether to be worried or happy. On one hand this could be a good sign, she’s opening up... on the other this could be the start of a catastrophic mental breakdown... I chuckle quietly.

“It does sound a little ridiculous. How can someone just disappear from existence and everyone forgetting about that one person? It would sound crazy coming from anyone...”

“I’d come out to this bandstand at night and try to put the pieces together... I tried to figure out what was missing. I’d sift through old club files and the name Kazuya Takahashi kept cropping up. It was so familiar but so distant at the same time. I did some digging... Kazuya, you’ve been whipped clean off the school’s system, you were never a student there!”

My existence gets erased in that much detail? But why did my club assignment work survive? I guess the best lies are half-truths...

From what I know of Shattered Souls, people from anywhere in the vast and endless ocean of the omniverse are assessed on their magical ability, processed and then they are dragged, with no warning what so ever, into this world along with a considerable portion of the environment in the individuals own world, in Aiyoko’s case it was Saitama Park and this bandstand. Of course, the environment is only copied and used to fill up the Shattered Souls’ interior.

This place can be described as a “Closed Space” it’s a pocket dimension that exists between universes, it lies within the very boundary between them.

The omniverse is the collective existence of all universes and dimensions. To put things in perspective, my own universe would be the size of an atom compared to the overall omniverse. It’s an ocean of endless possibilities. There are some universes that link together forming parallel worlds and there are unique ones all together. I may be getting all this wrong though, I’m no expert on inter-dimensional quantum boo-ga-loo. 

I’d have to ask Doctor for the details. That man still gives me the creeps...

I look down at my chest and clench at the spot where the energy blade of Absolution’s hammer hacked its way into my body. The scar is still present at full effect, the trauma of the whole ordeal still fresh in my mind. Aiyoko almost lost herself when she found out I was technically a zombie... then again... so did I if it wasn't for Doctor’s... unique way of explaining things...

***

"Congratulations on coming back from the dead! Being a member of the Undead Club gives you valuable advantages such as; Reinforced body structure, the ability to use 100% of your body's natural power, Immortality, faster healing and a lifelong subscription to Doctor's 'Drop-in' Check Ups! Hey I'll even throw in a free 'Doc-Tan's Inspirational Quotes'!"

The small cartoon version of Doctor, known only to itself as Doc-Tan, yelled out dancing around on the small television screen. The real Doctor, rather comically, slumped over the desk with an aura of pure exhaustion

-Click-

“To... Noisy...” He forced out and then completely passed out soon after.

***

The runes now imprinted within my very body are the only things keeping me alive. So, to keep myself in top form Doctor needs to assess my Runes on a regular basis and perform top ups where is necessary. White Shroud talked about runes being similar to electrical circuit boards, if I were to put too much magical energy through them they will burn out... and the gods be my witness that feeling is like having barbed wire dragged through your bloodstream.

“What happened to Sayuri after I came here?”

“Sayuri became more reclusive and began skipping club sessions, the club was forced to shut down due to lack of interest but President and I still met up as per habit.”

“Oh... I’m sorry to hear that...”

The conversation goes on as though we were two friends gossiping like nothing was wrong. It was feeling but all good things must come to an end sooner or later...

-BOOM-

The ground shakes violently and both Aiyoko and I fall off the railing...

“What the hell?”

Behind us, flaming smoke slowly billows towards the sky in a thick, smoggy pillar. In the far distance I can hear what I dread so badly... the low bass tone of Absolution’s ‘Destruction of Morale’

Suddenly my Archive magic’s mental interface opens up on its own. A video feed of White Shroud starts to play. He’s contacting me...

“Kazuya! It’s Absolution, it’s attacking our camp! We’re suffering heavy casualties, Solace, Elda and I are doing the best we can to hold it off but we need back up!”

“Shit... alright, I’m on my way White!” without another word I set off at a run with Aiyoko right on my tail. “Aiyoko, I want you to help out Doctor any way you can, keep safe!” she nods in agreement and breaks away from me.

It’s time for some long awaited payback!

My whole body starts to glow and I feel a strange pumping sensation throughout my body. Power surges and focuses around my legs.

“Hold on Solace, I’m coming!"

With that I give one final but powerful push off the ground and my reinforced legs send me flying through the air towards the giant pillar of smoke where our camp should be. That bastard hunk of tin needs to die!

Project Story: Roberts Park Bandstand

The park was designed and laid out by William Gay (1814–1893) for Sir Titus Salt (1803–1876) and was opened to the public in 1871 by Sir Titus. It was originally named Saltaire Park but was also known as “The Peoples Park” and “Salts Park”. In 1891 the park was purchased by (Sir) James Roberts (1848-1935). In 1903 to commemorate the fifty years Salts Mill had been operating and the centenary of his birth, a bronze statue of Sir Titus Salt was erected by the main promenade. The development of the park included a widening and deepening of the river Aire for boating and swimming purposes, and the construction of a boathouse on the southern bank of the river.

Sound Reflection

My sound in my 3D animation was a challenge to complete. I recorded different sound effects from different sources and edited them together to create a convincing ambiance. The music was free source from the internet. If I were given more time and had musical experience I could have created an original piece but sadly I lack the experience and software knowledge.

From what I have produced, the quality is at a satisfactory standard with convincing effects and music to match. Looking back, I didn't really manage my time well in the process of creating the soundtrack as I spent to much time on the model itself rather than music and sound.

Over this part of production, I have learned the basics of cubase, reason and audacity and how to electronically create music. Cubase was hard to grasp but once I practiced a little I was able to put together a few sound effects. Audacity was the easiest to understand but I did not use this as much as cubase.

Overall I think this unit went relatively well. The general feel of the final product matched my planning and the soundtrack blended in well with the animation.

Unit 20: Learning Outcome 4: How to set up a console!

To set up an Xbox 360 you will need an electrical outlet, a TV or computer monitor and the cables the Xbox 360 provides. An Xbox package usually comes with the Xbox itself, an AV and HDMI cable, a power supply, a power cord, a wireless controller, two AA batteries and a headset with microphone. This setup will only be able to connect the console to the Television, to connect to a computer monitor you will need a VGA AV cable which is a special adapter created for a monitor.

Step 1:

Plug the Power supply and cord into both the console and electrical outlet. This will provide the console with the necessary power to function.

Step 2:

Plug the AV/HDMI or VGA cable into the TV or monitor then into the back of the console. The three Jack ports (Red, Yellow and White) operate both Audio and Video on the monitor. The Video jack is operated by the Yellow jack and the Audio is operated by the two remaining jacks.

Step 3:

Once both steps have been completed, the console is ready to be used. To turn the console on, make sure the power supply is switched on and the press the console's green "on" button as shown below:

Step 4:

To switch on the controller, press and hold the "X" button located in the middle of the controller.
Sometimes you will need to connect your controller via an infra-red connection. There is a small button near the on button that will connect the controller to the console. You are now ready to use the console.

Reflection on my 3D Environment

What could I do better next time?
If I were to re-do this project I would have changed a number of things within my environment. I would first spend longer on the skydome texture as it is patchy in some places and unrealistic. The environment on a whole is a little too dark as well so I would have made up a few more light sources (E.G Lamps or fallen torches) The ambiance is a little questionable too, this is Roberts Park, not a tropic paradise, meaning the crickets are a little out of place but not so much so that it detracts from the intended theme.

What could I improve upon?
My main thing is lighting and ambiance. Video editing is another thing as I can only manage very simple transitions and effects. If I had more time and access to better software then I could have possibly produced a higher standard of work. Something I do want to improve on specifically is Unwrapping and Texture art. The textures I managed to produce were at a satisfactory standard but I would like to improve upon them and make them a lot more stylized. My original plan was to have a comic book feel to the environment but that quickly changed as I started producing textures.

What Went Well?
Generally, most of the modeling went better than expected. I've gained confidence over my 2 years at Shipley College and I've managed to produce a convincing environment from scratch. The Showcase was also a big success bringing in several interested potential students and even some old ones as well. Team Cyberchondriacs generally received positive feedback from students and the general public alike.

What didn't go well?
If I were to nit-pick then the lighting left something to be desired and also some of the texturing gave the same effect. Also some of the preliminary research didn't get done to an adequate standard and had to be re-done half way through production. Concepts were also something to note, the bandstand being simply a bandstand there wasn't much I could do in the ways of concept art. Granted I could have spent more time on concepting the environment as a whole but time was an issue and I had to start modeling as soon as possible.

Time Management
Looking back on the project thus far, I would say I've managed my time better than I have throughout the 2 year course. Modeling was handled with efficiency, granted the lighting was a little rushed and ambiance was a last minute thought but sound production was handled with minimal problems and the showcase went through without a hitch. Aside from a few production issues such as crashing renders and limited editing capabilities, the project went smoothly albeit a little patchy towards the end.

What have I learned?
I have learned, over the course of the project, how to effectively unwrap a 3D model and texture it convincingly. I have also learnt the use of ambient fog maps to create atmospheric and believable mist pooling around the bandstand. I have also learned how to use ambient lights in a believable way through the use of target spotlights and omni-lights.

What am I confident with?
Over the course of the two years at Shipley College I have gained a lot of confidence in my 3D modeling ability and also my digital art. When I first came to Shipley I had no idea what 3D Studio Max was and now I can use it effectively and create convincing models and even convincing textures. Although I struggled at first I gently grew my confidence until I was able to use the software without much outside help.

Did I get the desired outcome?
To put it simply, no. I originally intended my environment to uphold a comic book style with the textures and modeling but as development went on it took on the traits of photorealism instead. The final outcome produced a somewhat realistic feel but was not the intended style. It didn't really matter as I was trying to create a creepy ambiance for the scene and I still managed to do that with added music, sound effects, lighting and mist.

Professional Comparison

Professional!

Personal!

Taking into consideration the fact that the Walking Dead was modeled by a full team of extremely talented 3D artists and my own product was only created by me, a novice, I'd say I did pretty well. That said there are a lot of things I dislike about my product. Lighting, as I have spoken about before, is not to a satisfactory standard and some of the textures could use a little improvement such as the skydome and the bandstand itself. On the positive side, the modeling is believable and you can tell what the object is unlike when I first started at Shipley College. It will be a long time before I will be at the Walking Dead's level of modeling but I do believe I can get there with a lot of hard effort and practice.

Some more Progress for you

This render will be used as the base for the animation. The crickets set a good deserted atmosphere and gives the feel of night time which is perfect for what I need. I will add some wind in the background to give a more realistic sense to the environment.

With the wind added I can now start to think about BGM (Back Ground Music) I would like to use creepy music to give a more horror feel. I can achieve this via taking sound files from games and attempt use them as a basis. Unfortunately I have not been able to uphold my original thought of using Walking Dead as a style inspiration.

With music now added along with some heavy breathing towards the end, all I need to create now is the general sound effects such as footsteps and thudding, maybe owl's cooing and even some evil laughter to frighten the character. This animation is going well but is not without it's troubles. Although I have not yet finished, the music seems out of place and somewhat confusing. I may need to restart and add SFX first then move onto BGM

I have reworked most of the effects, added some more and pretty much improved the animation as a whole. The music used is pulled from the game "Amnesia: The Dark Decent" but most of the sound was recorded by me personally such as the breathing and footsteps. The crickets heard in the background are free source material downloaded via the internet. This time around the music and effects work well with each other. The music does not seem out of place because it is not played over the sound effects. If I was to pick something out it is the unpolished footsteps effect, they are a little plain and are reused, in other words I only recorded four steps, if I were given a little more time I would have been able to record a convincing falling sound without having to reuse the footsteps as a substitute. All things considered, this piece is coming along quite nicely. All that is left is the intro and the credits which will pose no problems at all.

Progress Render

This rendered video will not be the final animation but contains the animations that will be used. The rendering of these animations can be done in different ways, it can be rendered straight out as an .avi file but this is very risky and the quality is somewhat flawed, that's because .avi files will go on to be compressed twice therefore lowering quality. A way around this is to render each frame as a single .bmp or .jpeg. this will take up more space but makes it possible to resume rendering from any frame if the computer crashes. For example; there is 1200 frames in a single animation and it crashes at frame 967 and it has taken 5 hours to get to that point.You can then start a new render at frame 968 without loosing any footage. I have made the mistake of rendering each section of animation out as a .avi so the quality is not what it should be in this video.