1991 Throwback!

The Aim:

The aim of my project is to use primarily Zbrush, Maya, and Photoshop to create a believable sci fi horror world. The idea being to push the boundaries of what makes animation and character design really stand out as unique style.

Methods and Processes you ask?

First i want to research into how different companies have already tackled this style. I want to look at EA games processes for designing Dead Space, Bethesda processes for developing The Evil Within, and, just for kicks, the process behind the development of movie classics such as Alien and The Thing.

Having learned how and why these people are so sick in the head, I intend to apply said recently learned attributes to my own design and come up with something unique to me.

To do this I need to get a more advanced understanding of Zbrush, Maya and Photoshop and i believe working on something I'm so passionate about (presumably. We'll see how feel after 12 weeks) will help drive me to gain these skills.

But Richard, What about the intended outcome?

Glad you asked.

I want to end up with the skeleton, if not a bit more, of a pitch bible that can be used in my major project. This pitch bible will have a collection of varying different characters and environments portraying the mood and atmosphere of the world I'm trying to create.

I want to have 3 fully rendered characters from different factions or areas of the world. One with a walk/run cycle and the others with standing cycles.

I want to have 3 fully rendered 3D environments using effective lighting and environmental effects in a believable, realistic fashion, with ambient sound.

And how exactly is this useful?

The drive to learn more about the programmes in a design aesthetic I thoroughly enjoy can help broaden my understanding of processes and design tactics so I can be of greater worth in the industry. The aesthetic is really just something to make sure i don't get too sick of losing myself in Zbrush everyday, so I can learn more skills that i can put to good use next year.

So now that you've explained that, what exactly do you want to do? Any ideas yet?

Yes, Richard, as a matter of fact i do.

i have a collection of sketches and ideas, including a scrappy little script of different parts, of a world already rattling inside my head. A main character, James, is sent to explore an old mining outpost in the himalayas, only to discover its actually a top secret biological weapons experimentation facility, that has recently been overrun by an escaped virus; the Abyssal virus.

The facility is divided into different levels of research, including but not limited to:
- rapid healing
- long life
- mass genocide
- terror spreading tactics
- advanced weaponry
- advanced specialty horticulture
- advanced crowd control

The world is meant to push the ideas of how badly things can go wrong in the name of protection.