Meet the Team
Integrated Austin into our initial team. We discussed the core concept that turned into our preliminary draft. We debated between an AR application or website based interactions. The idea is to focus on 4 to 5 stories that will be whittled down to 2 or 3. Roles were also assigned.
Team Meeting & Concept Creation
Riley and Polly decided that the project would be made in Unity. The quilt will be created and placed in the environment as the centerpiece. The audience will interact with the quilt and change the environment when they do.
Key Question: "How do we bring an installation into the home, how do we translate a interactive physical experience to a digital space?"
Originally, we wanted to make a physical quilt, however there will only be a digital model of the quilt. The team worked together to make a production timeline that made sense to everyone. We also discussed what prototypes and music samples were needed for the final proposal.
Prototyping
Looked at the prototyping of the environmental walls. We liked the idea of the side walls but having them curve into the back instead of flat. We came to an understanding that the interactable objects of the quilt need to be separate. Austin made the decision to have the music not be the main focus of the stories. The quilt style was defined. It would be patches of clothes rather than square patches.
The user journey was outlined as clearly as possible. This helped us truly understand what work needed to be done from a programming and content creation POV.
Review Presentation
This week we practiced our first review presentation. We decided on focusing on the stories of Rana Plaza building collapse and its effects on workers. The tech team worked on the placement of the quilt and the camera view as well as the user journey. The content team decided on the color palette and quilt textures.
The music will be composed specifically for each piece, made to help push the emotion of the story. It will most likely be an orchestral piece like one that would be present in a documentary.
Link to Slides:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JDSC6ZrADXn-1yguAbySagwQ-zwrphyctZs_wH5RqH4/edit?usp=sharing
Environmental Discussions
We received the advice to focus one one story at a time. This help us really hone the visuals and stories. At this point in time, we discussed the importance of our environment for the story. We found the main article we will use to create the spine of our first and main story.
This week, we wrote the script and story boarded our first story. Hannah was able to record a rough script narrative from her phone. As we a team, we defined environment and screen to avoid confusion. Environment is the void or physical space of the game. Screen is a cylinder wall that content is placed on.
We truly finalized the concept of our experience this week. It will be a 360 degree immersive experience that highlights the stories of Chameli, a worker in Dhaka and the Rana Plaza Collapse. The color palette will be earth and jewel tones that conveys the mood of the stories. The content team spent the week completing the 2D assets for animation on Adobe Illustrator.
It was decided that the music would be somber and understated compared to the narrative. In the tech side, interactive models were created and demo content was incorporated to demonstrate the final experience. Completed the first draft of the music for Chameli's story.
The team took it easy this week and practiced our mid-term presentation. A draft of the animation was started.
First Animation Draft & 3D Quilt Draft
The first animation was completed but in need of more polishing. There was an understanding that script needs some reworking to make it smoother. The second story layout was 90% completed, but our focus was pushed to the first story. Content team sketched the ideas for the splash screens that appear at the beginning and end of the game.
As a group, we outlined the website design and what would appear on each page. In addition, we decided to use itch.io to distribute the game to others. The theme for the opening space was finalized, and the second draft for the music for Chameli's story was completed. A rough draft of the quilt was 3D modeled.
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Animation & Quilt Draft Two
The team loves the new iteration of the story one animation. We decided how the game is going to end. The video would stay up for 10-15 seconds then fade to the end splash cards. There was some feedback from the professor was given for the ambient theme, to introduce new elements, and this feedback was used in the next iteration of that music. The quilt was completed and textures were made. The tech team worked on glitches after importing the model into Unity.
Official Narration Recording & Splash Screens
The music for Chameli's story was retimed to fit the final recording of the narration. The team talked about how to call the audience to action. We decided to make an end card that gave people simple steps to complete.
After the splash screens were made it was decided to animate them in After Effects so it would be easier to place them in Unity. The ending of the experience was revised using the music as a cue to the end of the experience. We completed beta testing and started implementing their feedback.
Created Itch.io Page
This week, the itch.io page was created. The team discussed the demo reel and storyboarded it. The tech director generated cinematic shots of the game for the reel. We made changes to the textures on the quilt by adjusting the colors.
Website Focus & Demo Reel Stock Footage
The content focused on the website and demo reel. Stock videos were chosen. The tech side implemented the final video and musical changes based on instructor feedback.
