500 words rational

Virtual Environments: "My Secret Lair"
My visual and conceptual influences for my piece where mainly based on 'Alice in Wonderland', both the 1950's Disney version and Tim Burtons 2010. This is very much in terms of the materials chosen and the design. The design of my four spaces is primarily influenced by the Walt Disney film. I created a long table with many chairs, teapots, cups, plates and cakes etc, just like the Hare who was celebrating his 'unbirthday'. This however was set in a garden. From doing thorough research, I realised most of the plot is based outside. This is why I decided to leave my lair without a ceiling/roof, so you could have a view of the outside world, almost bringing the outside in. Creating a garden almost within my lair was also based upon this reason. I feel this makes the lair look quirky, relating to the 'world of nonsense in wonderland'. Alice shrinks and grows numerous times within the film, therefore I designed various objects that are slightly oversized, such as a large chair and some flowers within the garden. This is also why I created a table with the key to unlock the small door, the drinking potion that makes her smaller, and a box of sweets that make her grow even larger. The other spaces created concentrated on the other main point in the story, the white rabbit. This is where the bedroom comes in. His house was quite small and content, with objects that symbolise its a rabbits home, such as rabbit shaped photo frames and clock. I added these features to my lair to symbolise the theme that revolves around Alice in Wonderland. In terms of semiotics, my work was designed to be contemporary. This is how I was influenced by Tim Burton's style. I applied textures and materials that felt very vibrant and modern, yet realistic at the same time. This was done by using bright colours, wall lighting, glassy objects and bumpy texturing. This definitely gave it more of a 3d look. I added other symbols such as hearts, playing cards and tart cakes. The brief states 'imagine yourself to be a super hero or super villain, what would your lair be?', therefore meaning I would be the one to live in this lair. As my prime influences have been Alice in Wonderland, she isn't the one my lair has been designed for. I was mainly influenced by her dream of wanting to live in a world of nonsense. I have designed in my own way of how her dream turned out, which seemed to me like a fascinating way to live.
When first receiving this brief I could instantly think of more villains than heros. My initial thoughts were designing a lair with the function of hiding out or displaying weapons, having a cell, fighting ring etc. However, my thought process had completely turned around once getting to know and familiarising myself with the software. Making things less violent was more me, so it was easier to adapt and interoperate my own style on things.

My Secret Lair Complete!

3d- Lighting and camera DONE!

I managed to use omni lighting on my lair, I used two main ones inside and one in the garden, and then I placed smaller ones on the wall lights. As my garden is half in the house, there is obviously a gap in the walls inbetween. As you can see out, I have put surrounding grass and sky outside. It has taken me foreverrrrrrrrr to do the camera. Firstly I tried using a target camera, but then the target points were to sharp and then it would jump forwards and back for some strange reason. So I was then showed the free camera. This was much simpler but could only go along one path. I tried the target camera once more and simplified it a great deal. Hopefully I can start to render tomorrow!

I forgot to upload..

Overall work progress

1 week before my presentation and my PowerPoint typically stops working, great. I don't know why but it just won't open. I've tried to download versions but it seems you have to download the whole Microsoft package....but even then they won't work. If anyone knows how I can get it back even if it's temporarily that would be good!

I'm going into uni tomorrow to meet Andy so he can show me how to finish off my lair in terms of lighting and the camera so hopefully fingers crossed that will all be finished by the end of tomorrow. If I manage to get that done I will use the Powerpoint and uni. Although I would prefer to be able to go over it back here to rehearse! So today I have written up exactly what I'm going to say and laid out how I'm going to display it in the mean time. I have 9 slides - not including a title page, all based on the learning outcomes.

I have 3 edits of the Moving Image, and also 3 versions of my quiz all done and dusted so I think after putting all these hours in I'm back on track.

In terms of the essay I'm almost finished, referencing was a right pain, I swear that took longer than actually re-making the actual essay. I have a few more bits to add in and I'm hoping I can then arrange a day with Jools to see what I need to change - which is probably everything knowing me!!

Visual Essay: Change of plan

I was working on my visual essay in premiere pro, but I found it hard to stick to a structure this way. I've started it in Flash (god knows why), but this way I feel there is a structure to follow that directly links you to each element.

Title page.

The structure of the essay.

Practitioners split into different elements.

I think this is working much easier and better. I have been able to place all of my images in places I need them and have surprisingly been able to import videos that work via the use of keepvid.com (3GP format)

Finished Lair (except lighting and camera)

I thinkkkk my lair is complete. I've been solely focusing and working on my 3d project this week to leave me with a free week next week to work on and finish my essay.

I realised there was quite a lot of floor space so I created a large rug. To keep the theme of Alice in Wonderland I made it as a '10 of hearts' playing card.

One space - the bedroom.

View of the lair - moving the garden outside, separate from the lair.

Second Space. After receiving feedback suggesting that the garden looked better within the lair, I moved it back. It's slightly more quirky and different to other lairs- Alice and Wonderland is mainly based outside so it kind of ties in too. I added another small door to get into the garden as Alice had to crawl through a small door after drinking the potion on the table, which I have also created as another space within the lair.

Third space - 'Tea party' room. I've added some photos on the wall based on research images of the rabbits who runs late. I had the idea to make an oversized chair - for when Alice shrinks/grows large. As this looked odd on its own, I noticed through research that in images of the rabbits house there were a lot of lights. As I have many on the wall already I added a lamp on a table next to the chair. This also helped fill some floor space.

Fourth Space - potion room. Stayed pretty much the same since yesterday, just added a mirror to the wall.

Last 3ds Max seminar

LAST SEMINAR!!!! not quite ready to use what we learnt today about the camera as I've still got one more space to fill. I filled more within the garden today and started on a bedroom based upon the bedroom in the house of the rabbit. I was also playing around with the layout and adding a few bits in such as a secret door. I still feel that there is a lot of floor space bare, so I created a rug made from a hearts playing card, but its still doesn't feel finished. Need a few more ideas and I can get to grips with the camera and hopefully be done soon.

Visual Essay - stop motion

This is a stop motion I created to go into my visual essay. I didn't really know where I was going with it, I just kind of made it up on the spot - kinda my quick thought process to why I have chosen Virtual Environments and not Interactive Media or Moving Image.

3ds Max Progress

I've been playing around with the different types of lighting and I think the Omni lights work quite well with lighting up the entire room, however I have made wall lamps which would work better with spot lights. This would create a different mood that I'm not sure would tie in with my lair as I've finally decided to base it on an Alice and Wonderland theme. I'm feeling much more comfortable with 3ds Max now but I think I'm too much of a perfectionist to be able to speed the process up! Here is some shots of my progress:

Testing with omni lighting.

Target lighting experiment.

'Tea Party' ; experimenting with materials.

'Secret garden' at the side of the house - this fence took me forever. I'm sure there is a more logical way than cloning like 168 times.

The table with the potion and sweets with the key to the secret door.

Deviantart

Can anyone pleaseeee tell me how to upload a flash file to deviantart? I have obviously done it before but I'm either forgetting something or it's decided it just doesn't want to work. I publish it as an swf file and then upload in the category of flash/interactive/games, but then it will tell me only flash files are allowed, IT IS!!!!! please feel free to help!

Visual Essay so far

I've been working on my Visual Essay - focusing it on Virtual Environments, even though I'm still not 100% sure that is the pathway I will be choosing. I'm producing it on Premiere Pro. I could only manage to find CS5 for a 30 day trial, I don't see much difference between CS4 just the general appearance, so no problems so far. KeepVid.com works for downloading youtube videos, so I've selected a few adverts I like to put into Premiere Pro. I'm still in the middle of producing a stop-motion video which will hopefully sum-up in one why I have chosen the pathway I have. I also have other years work that is inspiring, so all I need to do is decide on my practitioners and put it all together. I will write up my essay structure once I have finalised my practitioners and ordering.

Slow working progress - 3ds Max

I'm finding 3ds Max really difficult to get to grips with, but unlike Flash, I am still enjoying it. It's much more of a challenge than I first anticipated, so I haven't produced much so far, although I have been going in most days to try and get used to the program. I've decided to make a lair that is quite elegant and grand. In the last seminar we were focusing on lighting. I combined the previous weeks seminar on materials with this weeks to make a lamp. I didn't get a chance to place the actual type of lighting where I want it, but I will work on that next week. Here is the lamp created, how it took me 3 hours I don't know, I really need to pick this up quicker as I don't have remaining weeks like other groups to finish it. Very time consuming!!