concept
Finding My Style
From a very early stage, it was clear to me that in order to come up with a unique design; and to get away from the film’s iconic look, I would have to find a new way to approach it.I wanted to detach Jack Nicholson’s presence and to base the author’s look on Ernest Hemingway, just so I could have a fresh start to begin with. My vision was to use visual references from Hemingway’s time in Cuba, and to mix it with Art Deco style in order to achieve a sense of a surreal collapsing analog world.
Research
Look and Feel
Once I was free from the film’s look, and had my own vision for the game design, I started a more elaborated research for my visual style. One of the first decisions I’ve made was to explore Art Deco and retro design, in order to create a mysterious look. I wanted to use grand architecture designs so I could make the characters look small, and intensify the sense of fear and lack of orientation in the gameplay. Another way to create this look and feel, was the use of Art Deco ornaments to create a maze-like feeling.
Another motif I wanted to use was the light vs. shadow contrast. I felt that by creating a dramatic lighting, and slightly dim scenery I would be able to bolster the look and feel I was trying to create. I wanted to create a gloomy, and incomprehensible world, and the best way to do it was by creating a very defined colors palette. The most dominant colors turned out to be warm orange and a vivid cyan, this palette helped me to generate a disoriented atmosphere as I Intended.
Process
Character Design
The main task for me, was to expand the mysterious vibe I intended to create and to implement it not only within the scenery design, but also in the characters’ design. When I started looking for characters ideas I wasn’t sure how to approach it, so I ran some pencil tests until I came up with the twin sisters design. From this point forward I had the basic idea of what the end result should look like, so I began working on my 3D models.
staging
Sets and Scenery
A few weeks into the semester, I already had a direction for the overall design, and the next step was to create a 3D environment based on my conceptual direction. I then began a tiresome process of designing scenes that would best suit my references and ideas. With every passing week, I was trying to build a more precise representation of my work. I felt I was coming up with some good designs, but they weren't necessarily the right designs. I kept pushing myself, and tried different ways to achieve my goal, until ultimately I felt I was getting the images I was hoping for. The breakthrough happened when I started combining arcs motifs and circular elements with an old marble and gold textures; This combination gave my scenery the spooky - mysterious look and feel I was trying to achieve.
From this point forward, once I had my characters and architecture models, I focused mainly on compositions and staging. I based my camera angles on the early research that I’ve made and was trying to generate interesting Frames. The final step was to collect my final scene renders and to embed UI elements, to complete the game design.
interface
UI Elements
From this point forward, once I had my characters and architecture models, I focused mainly on compositions and staging. I based my camera angles on the early research that I’ve made and was trying to generate interesting Frames. The final step was to collect my final scene renders and to embed UI elements, to complete the game design.
Final Thoughts
Personal Notes
I am very grateful that I have had the chance to participate in this course. At that time, it was the most thorough and complicated project I was taking during my Visual Communications studies. I have learnt many things during this process, but most importantly, it helped me develop techniques and methods that I have used later on in my work. Not only that I am proud of the final results, I also believe that this project helped me understand the importance of a wide spread research, and how it can tremendously improve a professional design work.
