How to design/re-design on a existing IP - part 1

Hi Folks,
Seeing as I am probably not allowed to share anything commercial for the next ten thousand years, lets go one better than look at the thought that undergoes the design of design.
Hopefully, this can be more of a interactive conversational aspect that may pique folks interest.
Lets start with a look at sacred cows - IP franchises

How to design/re-design on a existing IP 



Above is a comparison of two stills. On the left (Prometheus) and the right (Alien 1979)
When the original film is re reviewed (minus the lens of nostalgia), it stands up to the test of time, admirably well. This is primarily because of good old school basics, good use of live action, miniatures (kit bashed0 built with skill and  a good eye of maximising (the most from conventional means - another great example was the recent movie Moon)
Sometimes less is more, and although Alien probably represents cutting edge VFX in 1979, you could say we have advanced the pioneering front further. BUT, in many many ways we have lost (collectively) our cutting edge eye in the unholy name of digital

Digital, is just like another tool, akin to a a saw or a hammer or a screwdriver. Each has its purpose, although sometimes commonsense seems to be lost - much like trying to drill a hole with a screwdriver, instead of a drills or worse, emptying a bathtub with a thimble

Developing a Good Eye
Some of the great visual artist have a rock solid foundation in basic art skills (be this traditional or being able to sketch down one's ideas effectively) and being able to communicate this coherently to the viewer (client)
What is lacking of late, is the critical eye
There is sometimes a total dis continuity  of practical applied design, favouring wild fanciful aesthetics, or whatever is used to make a image look "pretty". As a illustration that is totally the right approach, but the forethought on design is often missing. And it is this aspect, that can really sell and enhance the believability of any illustration or design further

Much akin to allowing someone to run, without going through the steps of learning to stand, walk or crawl - have you ever noticed that its only toddlers who run around aimlessly with pure joy. but as soon as it confronts obstacles or needs to stop, it becomes hesitant/unsure what to do. This is the fundamental crux that may confront most current artist - they enjoy the flight of painting pretty pictures, sometimes just going into the zone (but this is really painting on autopilot like a mindless zombie, without much active cerebration)
Getting back to design and fundamentals, it is thus vital to instill a sense of practical design and reaching a nice blend of design forethought without getting too bogged down in a illustration.
Once a illustration gets too firmed up, its far too easy to render and noodle details and before you know it, some parts of a image may look great in isolation, whilst other elements languish
So, with that lengthy preamble, let us analyze the idea of tackling a existing IP

Body Suits
The newer Prometheus body suit designs tend to reflect a more contemporary slimline look and feel. The bubble helmets become suddenly clear thoughout, and the more conventional cosmonaut look/feel has been ditched.

For a producer, this can create some creative pains.

Does one stick faithfully to that of old for the sake of continuity, or does one re intepret it totally from scratch eg. JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot and give it a new lease of life (in a new alternate timeline)
Ridley Scott keeps some of the main defining cues, and probably with the lens of experience has decided to ditch that which is clunky (that may look quite out of date) and go with a compromise of new and old

Reintepreting existing old IPs in a new lens is a total minefield, and if one is faithful to the source, there can still be space to produce somethign fresh and liberating as long as one has a skillful hand to curate what is needed to tell a good story

Next time: Old CRT and monitor displays vs newer flat panel displays, sexy holographics and User Interface. 

Wacom Cintiq 24HD | Flagship process

Here is a simple developmental process for the collaboration with Wacom's new flagship Cintiq 24HD launch

July Updates

Hi Folks,

We've been busy at Opus Artz and I thought I'd add a small update and thoughts.

inFamous2: Production Design & Concepts

With the launch of inFamous 2, we're finally able to share a load of character concepts and designs over at our Opus Blog.

Now, what I would like to add is these character developments also share a snapshot of how a concept undergoes an iterative design during production, called production design. And as such, one will be amazed and the large combined effort required to produce a sum total better than its parts.
Which is why, one should always remember that the concept artist alone, is not a rockstar or works in isolation. And rather, the combined input, feedback and artistic, creative efforts are what help produce the character, creature, transport or environment into the current end game result that you as a gamer enjoy.


PRODUCTION DESIGN

To help elucidate this less glamarous but core essential duty of the game artist, I have penned some aspects of game production at our digital art eduction site to help share and put a spotlight on the challenges and rewards of producing game art.

Google image Ripper 1.5

For those who have gotten used to your reference hunting via Google image ripper/greasemonkey but have been outfoxed by the upgrades of google to the way their image searches work, well some kind folks have upgraded the greasemonkey scripts to version 1.5

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/105523

And hurrah, full sized images are back again thus leading to a more sane way to search for your image referencing, as all responsible pro concept artist should for your day to day production.

Long Live The Art of Game Design

LIVE METRICS

With the advancement of social games, and networked blogging, folks in the game industry are constantly trying to quantize a gamer's experience via Live metrics. In the unholy quest to improve product placement, gamers experience and thus the overall game - metrics for everything is now available to a large extent....

BUT, this is only a tool.

It cannot replace hardcore experience of making and producing a good polished game.

Just look at the release of semi mediocre sequels of existing titles these days, and you will know personally that rarely do any of these series title improve on its predecessor in general.

SCIENCE - the new religion

There will always be those wanting to quantify an experience - be it the mystical, spiritual, the unknown, commerce, gambling, human behavior and pattern recognition.

To a extent, it can be observed and classified. But science is NEVER absolute. A law is only a perceived truisim. Newtonian physics only works to a certain extent. Gravity is a quantified experience but we still do not really know how it exists...much like electricity (that we were taught in school) we still do not really know how it works at the nano level.

We think we are reasonably good and labelling and categorizing our immediate everyday experience. that we have mapped out the entire known world. That everything can be rationalized and explained.

The fact is, the more we delve into out science, the more we seek to understand our experience. Our journey in live. And thus, similarly with games we seek this unholy grail of how to make a super game with metrics. But this is really not a great way to go about making games.

What was it our forefathers and early legends understood that made iconic games still a great experience to this day and age, re-birthed on portable gaming  and tablet devices.
No one really knows, but they will sure keep on trying.

THE ART

And then...there is the Art.

Intuition, a gut instinct, human amalgamation of life experiences, anaecdotal, science, humanities, perfect geometry...these all become distilled into the Art that is a greater sum of all its parts.

And thats what is great about being creative about Design. It does not adhere to some law or observe facts (for too long). Maybe it can help fine tune a experience..but it only goes so far. Because at the end of the day, its the individual uniqueness of each designer, each game team that makes a game product unique.

DONT fall for the sheeple sameness mentality.

Be strong, on your own. Design games for gamers.
Even if it means going in the opposite direction. Rules are just tools and with each shift in a game front, are made to be broken.

Metrics can help, but only so much. It should not be evangalised as the way to success or how to make a game good. Thats as naff as using focus groups to make a core character only for it to turn out vanilla 9/10 times (anecdotal evidence).





ENJOYABLE GAMING EXPERIENCES

Players want to enjoy the experiences and richeness we bring to the fold. So, lets just remember that.
Uncharted 2, Bioshock, Mass effect, Little Big Planet, World of Goo, Journey, Sword & Sorcery are gold standards of recent times we can allude to. It says, that in this short (gaming) life, we can achieve greatness by being true to your core audience and with polish, the experience and thus the end gamer enjoyment will enjoy true success.

Monetary gain is a beneficial side effect.

Long live the art of making games!

Game Art Jobs Strategy

Hi Folks,

I've taken time out to write a small topic about Game Art related jobs and how to be strategic in getting a new jobs or move on from an existing one

Check it out at our Digital Art Education blog!

In other news, we've just added additional news & art for the projects we have worked on for Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 and InFamous2 !

Have a great weekend!
Next time, I'll talk about photography and having the creative mindset switched on at all times, everyday to better improve your visual database through life experience.

Digital Art Education

Finally, we have gotten down to penning a few words of advice and the start of what will hopefully be a useful continuing education repository for fellow digital artist looking to start a career in the Entertainment industry through to useful advice/scenarios of working on the job as a professional games artist.

In addition, we will have guest editorials from various colleagues, and artist from the whole spectrum of the Entertainment Industry, to better educate ourselves in this ever blurring world of digital media.

Please feel free to add any useful feedback, or first hand experiences at your recent educational experiences or your journey as artist as a shared community.

Digital Art Education

Pen & ink - Architecture

Hi Folks,

Been a while upgrading skills the past few moons.

Here are some pen & ink architecture design from the recent steampunk/dieselpunk archives to share

Old London Bridge reimagined



Inland Sea Pier Village



D'Vinci Gran Cathedral
This set of illustrations are based on elements of ship breakers. I imagined in the distant past, a mountainous inland sea that has an ancient vessel thrust into the belly of the deep mountains, its waters since receeded and a city township that has since grown up around it, as purveyors of things ancient and obscure, and fine craftsmanship.