Monday 15 March 2010

Week 21

What do I want to do with my life? If I’m totally honest I still really don’t know. I currently enjoy drawing and painting as it’s what I’ve known for a long time. I do want to better myself though; I don’t want to rest on my Loral’s. Before joining the course I had no prior experience with 3d design having come from fine art. The problems I currently have aren’t from shape and form but getting the program to do what I want. The way forward is to obviously to spend more hours on it progress to a better level very much the same as with my visual stuff. I’m not on the course to mess about (even though this is debatable at times) I’m here to learn skills that can help me get employed area that I’m passionate about. A basic understanding of 3d modelling and working at urban tiger doesn’t interest me. I want to produce ideas that people can appreciate and enjoy through 2d or 3d modelling.

I think for me it’s too early to say what I want to do at the end. It seems although I’m pointing towards concept art but I want to more than just a concept artist. Obviously this all depends on my development over the course, and I suppose my career path depends upon it also.

Week 20

Creativity again….

Creativity can’t be defined in one sentence I’m certain of this. The only way even comprehend this human phoneme is to understand all thoughts and explanations for it. It can be summed up as a mental process involving the discovery of new ideas or concepts, relating to existing ideas or concepts conceived through either conscious or unconscious thought. This definition doesn’t explain everything though. It doesn’t just apply to the arts; it can be applied to everyday life. The way people deal with certain situations in life like a road block can be classed as creative.

Creativity can come through reflection of process and life experience. It’s the process in which we as race look to solve problems that affect us. The Neanderthals didn’t sit back whilst they froze and starved to death, they made tools and went hunting. Leonardo Da Vinci saw a problem with travel during his life time so thought how else he could travel so designed the submarine and helicopter. The difference between Da Vinci and the Sci fi writers in the 50’s is that Da Vinci’s ideas where obtainable at the time of there conception. Whereas Isaac Asimov’s ideas of Artificial intelligence are still not attainable to this date in the case of I Robot in particular. This takes nothing away from Asimov’s creativity; his ideas have opened up new pathways for new minds to find creative solutions to his ideas. My point being that creativity can’t be measure in its relativity. If Asimov’s ideas at the time are measured are in relativity on a scale of 1-10 they’d probably be measured 2 or 1. The idea of creating machines with unique traits was very low on people’s agenda at a time when the world was recovering for WWII and the cold war was warming up (poor joke I know). So what is the line between an idea being considered creative or just madness or stupidity?

My dad used to work for a model car company until I was 10 or so. I remember drawing ideas for cars and handing them to him when I was little and asking him to show his boss if he would make it or not… stupidity of a little boy yeah? Madness to show your boss the drawing? Or seeing it as a creative idea? A different take on a problem was seen as a creative idea and put into production.













So how will I show my creativity? I feel I can portray my thoughts and ideas through the mightiest weapon of them all, the pen. So I will continue to portray what is in my head in this manner and be judge purely on what has come before hand in the genre. If I draw something that resembles a chicken walker it won’t be considered creative but maybe my jet hovercraft will be? Yes it’s a combination of existing technology but the concept is new, less friction faster speeds and surface doesn’t matter? Creative? In the eyes of the viewer I think.

Week 19

What the industry wants is a bunch of all round superb artists. If you have a ten people who can do fifty peoples work better and more efficiently, you can pay them more than those fifty people earn and still save money. With companies looking to maximise profit and cut expenses this surely makes perfect sense why they want all singing and dancing artists.

Is it achievable though? I think so, but not on the scale the industry wants. I think as we move into a more technology based society the arts with suffer as people spend more time starring at computer screens. Added to this the governments plans to cut funding to the arts and focus on English, maths and science will mean an increase in less talented artists coming through. On the other hand, you could have someone who is completely computer based learning artistic skills at a late point in time. I think that in the next few years some of the greatest artists the industry will ever see will make and appearance and then there will be a lull in standards there after (Not saying I’m going to be one of the best ever)

If the industry wants all round artists I think they should start investing some money at early education and save the arts before they are pushed out the curriculum completely.

Week 18

Computer games and films have become ever closer with technology in recent years. They have both learnt from each other. On the gaming side of things, one thing they have learnt is the use of music. Music is used to add drama and reinforce the atmosphere of the scene taking stage. Jesper kyd has worked on the Hitman and assassins creed series he explains well the difference between composing for games and films

“When writing music for films, you have to pay close attention to what happens on the screen 100% of the time and so it's difficult to fit lots of crazy ideas into a film score. For games I like to add lots of subconscious elements in order to further develop the game’s atmosphere. My job as a game composer is to immerse the player in the world and enhance the vision of the director and producers.”

Kyd is one of my favourite composers at the moment. I first gained respect for music in games when playing Street fighter 2 with was composed by Capcom’s house band Alph Lyla. The music is so good I can listen to it comfortably now, this is also true with the music of streets of rage II by Yuzo Koshiro (that I’ve mention in earlier blogs). I’m sure these games have sculpted my love for electronica and digital sounds. Good times by Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards is undoubtedly an important piece of music of the 20th century. It can be argued it single handedly saved funky house (disco) from extinction from the mainstream. I don’t think any music can be handed that title due to some great records being produced to name two; travelling without moving – Jamiroquai, Thriller- Michael Jackson.

Week 17

Game engines are something that before joining the course knew existed by didn’t know how or what they did specifically but where essential for games. Very much like alcohol for courtship. Game engines from my understanding are software programs that allow people to create computer game environments. They are different engines to work with different operating systems so the information isn’t corrupted or lost in transfer. Engines allow you to render objects and set in game physics along with sound and animation. Basically there are the foundations that allow games to work.

So a variety of game engines exist in the world for a few reasons. One reason is that some clever fella decided to make one and sell it to people to make games. The second reason is that people making the games thought the engines available where pants so made there own tailored to there needs for their titles. Modern game engines have the task of running a multi used map that can be affected by anyone in it (MMO’s). Thousands of finely tuned calculations are needed to run online games to the standard the public now expects.

Vague I know, but I just like drawings pretty pictures really. I’m learning all the time so maybe in 2 years time I’ll write something that is accurate.

Week 16

Game culture in the last 10 years has come to the fore front of society. I remember at primary school trying to explain mortal kombat to classmate who thought I was part of a silly Fad. Now 16 years on from that, he has an Xbox 360 and plays COD thinking he is MLG pro (major league gaming). Xbox live and PSN have defiantly made a major impact on modern society. I think most important is the effect it has had on the current generation of youngsters. The term internet warrior has been created thanks to the squeaky voiced ragamuffin calling you gay and insulting your mother via his headset via one of these online gaming systems.

I have experienced the same in real life which is worrying. I remember going to secondary school and giving the upmost respect to the people in years above me because they’d beat the crap out of you. And now that respect has been lost, not just in school but in every day occurrences with youths. This obviously can’t all be blamed on the gaming or media in general but it does add to the problem.

You can talk to people via the internet without seeing a 3d image of whom you are speaking to and I think people forget there is a real person behind the other side of the screen. Just my opinion, I don’t sit awake at night thinking what insult I’m going to get next time I log on, as I mute everyone 

Week 15

The game industry has recently been in almost main stream news as of late. This is due to the heads of Infinity Ward (makers of COD modern warfare) realised that they wanted a bigger slice of the pie than what they were getting. And rightly so in my opinion as Infinity Ward are the guys who make the biggest selling game in history MW2. Basically Activision pulled a police state move and just fired the two guys responsible and said FU. But in America the land of dreams, you can put together a pretty tasty law suit.

I have been lucky enough to hear people’s views on the industry via guest lecturers on my Uni course. Both reiterated the amount of the time and patience needed in the industry. You are expected to be unemployed as much if not more than you are actually working throughout your career. Whilst living on peanuts and working ridiculous hours. Will this ever change? I don’t think so. Everyday there are more and more people learning the skills required to work in the industry. This will only lead to more work being done by freelancers working for less than Mr Salary.

I hope I’m wrong and as per usual have no idea what I’m talking about; otherwise I’ll go back to stripping.