I have gotten to the point in my project where all loose ends have tied up nicely and now it's time to begin the next be chapter - The run up to our 'Research Proposal'. Currently I am not worrying too much about this as it is a fair few weeks away however I have decided to start with some fresh research and practice that is a lot more focused on my project. I have also made a change to my blog styles (which you will notice from this blog forward) in order to improve readability and interest for others in what I am writing and portraying.
The Art of Dear Esther: Building an Environment to tell a story by Robert Briscoe (Lead Artist)
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| The Art of Dear Esther by Robert Briscoe |
Upon my research of environmental storytelling I discovered a slideshow presentation on a game that I have briefly read about in my research called, 'Dear Esther'. Apparently this is a very good story telling game which tells the story through the environment, and with narrative. As this is what my project is highly focusing on, I plan on purchasing and trying out this game in order for a better understanding of storytelling through environment.
The Slideshow
It's unfortunate that there is no video or audio source too this slideshow. This means I have to decipher what I can merely from the images and the few words that are used with them. From what I can see, it seems like it would have been a really useful presentation. After a few intorductory slides, I found a few slides that captured my eye. These slides where highlighting the importance of how Impressionism can be very immersive.
Impressionism
Some important features of impressionistic art:
- Mix of the real and surreal
- Detail and perceived detail
- Mirrors the story's ambiguous nature
- Atmospheric
- Mysterious
- Immersive
What was really helpful in this slideshow was the comparison of their art progression. They showed early stages of some scenes and highlighted how it 'looked flat and unconvincing' and not real looking. After showing and explaining the use of impressionism he then showed 'Test 2' - the same scene edited showing that it was softer, had muted lighting, colours and textures. Seeing this change and relationship with impressionistic art has really highlighted the depth in which 3D artists go too in order for a realistic scene.
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| The Art of Dear Esther by Robert Briscoe (My interpretation) |
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| The Art of Dear Esther by Robert Briscoe (My interpretation) |
Importance of Detail
Moving on in the slideshow, Briscoe discusses how realism is not always the most important aspect of 3D environments. It is all about the 'message and experience you portray' through the content. Detail is extremely important as even the slightest change can manipulate how the scene tells the story. By expanding the content in you environment you allow for more detail and therefore more opportunity for the player to imagine what the environments history was. With the player imagining what the environments history was, you help immerse the player into the game which helps create an exciting experience.
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| The Art of Dear Esther by Robert Briscoe (My interpretation) |
Personal Notes
After seeing these slides and trying my best to understand them without them being presented to me, I have concluded that I agree with the importance of detail. With lack of detail comes lack of story, and with this, no one is going to be immersed within the scene and find it believable. It is my duty as a 3D artist to:
- Create a detailed 3D scene
- Make the detail consistent with the story
- Always have an ideal goal within a scene
For my environment I am going too look at horror games and perhaps movies and take note of how they attract the player and lead them through the environment. My next task is to carry out a case study on the game, 'Among The Sleep'. I will start it today and hopefully get it completed and written up, very soon after.
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