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The Regulatory, Ethical and Legal Constraints

Cyber security; the protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software, and to the information on them, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

This is important to games as it affects micro transactions. Customers need to know the cyber security of the company is safe in order to trust their information won't be stolen or sold to another source. They need to know their servers won't be hacked into and people won’t have identities stolen or forged.

Censorship; the act of setting a restriction on who can buy a game due to its contents. 

This is so it is viewed by the correct audience as to not scare younger viewers. For example, blood, violence, gore, drugs and sex are usually given the age rating of 16-18 depending on how much is in the game.

Child protection on the internet; the act of rating a game by the appropriate age group for the audience of the game in order to protect children.

This is to give the right age rating so the right audience will view the content. For example, Disney Infinity is rated E meaning for everyone. Whereas GTA is rated 18 or M meaning for mature audiences of 17+. This is so children are protected against what they should and should not see.

Age Ratings (BBFC and PEGI); the act of rating a game by the appropriate age group for the audience of the game. 

This makes sure a 15-year-old cannot purchase something with content in aimed towards an 18-year-old and makes sure they are not allowed to purchase until over the age of 18. 

Environmental Policies; refers to the commitment of an organization to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues.

This means that a company must review and follow the laws of the country they chose to film/base themselves/base a game in as to not offend anyone or cause conflict in the country.

Pixel gypsy; A person who will constantly move location in order to complete a job. Once the job is complete they will move again to start another piece of work.

This means it can break relationships with family and friends as they are constantly moving over the country. Also periods of time without work may be financially hard on the family.

Government subsidies;  A subsidy is a benefit given by the government to groups or individuals usually in the form of a cash payment or tax reduction. The subsidy is usually given to remove some type of burden and is often considered to be in the interest of the public.

Fixed bid contracts;  A contractual agreement to provide specific software services (requirements) for a specified price or price range. Time & Materials: A contractual agreement where a client will pay the provider based on the number of hours put into the project plus any added material expenses.

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History of Games Consoles

Generation 1: This consisted of the following consoles - 

Magnavox Odyssey - Magnavox (1972 NA, 1973 EU, 1974 JPN - Nintendo)  

Magnavox Odyssey series - Magnavox, Philips (1975 - 1978) 

TV Tennis Electronics - Epoch Co. (Sep 12th 1975) 

Binatone TV Master - Binatone (1975 UK, 1976 NA - Magnavox)

Colour TV-Game Series - Nintendo (1977 - 1980) 

Home Pong - Atari, Sears Tele-Games (December 1975) 

Telstar Series - Coleco (1976 - 1977)

Since the Nintendo Color TV sold the most of all first generation consoles it hugely impacted the gaming industry and new games were constantly coming out. Shortly after its release, they began creating other consoles ending the Color TV’s series with the Computer TV-Game. This meant many more games could be created and marketed at a wider audience. This shows that game design developed to create improved platforms for people to play on as well as creating upgraded games.

This meant more people could get into gaming by starting on their home tv system instead of walking all the way to the arcade. By utilizing the black and white graphics of tvs, this meant many of the games released could be played on every tv, meaning everyone had the opportunity to own a console. However, the consoles did not have that long of a lifespan, resulting in people paying more for the newer consoles being released. Many games were also quite similar, lowering  the value of the original by releasing cheap remakes, meaning the original creators wouldn't make as much money as the company who had made the rework,

Generation 2: This consisted of the following consoles -

The Atari 2600 

Magnavox Odyssey² 

Atari 5200 

The biggest games of this generation includes: 

Pac Man(Atari 2600)

ET: The Extra Terrestrial(Atari 2600)

Space Invaders(Atari 2600)

Frogger(Atari 2600)

Pitfall(Atari 2600) 

Generation 3: This consisted of the following consoles - 

Sega Genesis SG-1000

Nintendo Entertainment System

Sega Master System

Atari 7800

This series of events gave rise to iconic story-driven games like the Legend of Zelda and forever changed the landscape for game design. Although it wasn’t the first home console, the NES and Nintendo’s approach to orchestrating its content made gaming at home a common pastime. As gamers were spending hours playing games at home, rather than minutes in an arcade, they demanded deeper experiences.

Nintendo’s success changed the world’s view of gaming. In America, the word Nintendo became synonymous with playing games. People didn’t play on their computer, they “played Nintendo”. The advertising, however, caused a few problems. For years, gamers were stereotyped as nerdy teenage boys in their bedrooms.

Generation 4: This consisted of the following consoles -

TurboGrafx-16 - Launched in Japan on October 30, 1987 and In North America sometime during August 1989.

Mega Drive/Genesis - Launched on October 29, 1988 and in North America August 14, 1989

SNES - Released in Japan under the name Super Famicom on November 21, 1990. North America on August 23, 1991 and Europe in April 1992

CD-i - Released in 1991 and discontinued in 1998

Neo Geo - Released by SNK in 1990.

Game Boy - Released in Japan on April 21, 1989 and in North America on July 31, 1989

Sega Game Gear - Released on October 6, 1990 in Japan and 1991 in North America and Europe in 1992

Generation 5: This consisted of the following consoles - 

3DO Interactive Multiplayer

Neo Geo Pocket

Gameboy Colour

Nintendo 64

Playstation

Sega Saturn

Some features that distinguished fifth generation consoles from fourth generation consoles include:

3D polygon graphics with texture mapping

Optical disc (CD-ROM) game storage, allowing much larger storage space (up to 650 MB) than ROM cartridges

CD quality audio recordings (music and speech), PCM audio with 16-bit depth and 44.1 kHz sampling rate

Wide adoption of full motion video, displaying pre-rendered computer animation or live action footage

Analog controllers

Display resolution from 480i to 576i

Color depth up to 16,777,216 colors (24-bit true color)

3D graphical capabilities such as lighting, Gouraud shading, anti-aliasing and texture filtering

Generation 6: This consisted of the following consoles -

Nintendo Gamecube

Dreamcast (Sega)

Playstation 2

Xbox (Microsoft)

For the Gamecube, Nintendo started to focus more on the games rather than the audience because the stereotype that everyone who played video games was a teenage boy started to become more and more irrelevant. Its released around 3900 titles with a combined sale of 1.5 billion copies. Despite being technically weaker than its rivals the Xbox and game cube the PS2 dominated in the market using game exclusives and almost total third party support. The xbox is the first console created in the xbox series also the first games console created by Microsoft. It was released in North America in 2001 and released a year later in Japan, Australia and Europe and it was officially discontinued in all countries in 2009. The xbox was the highest quality graphics wise out of all the consoles of the 6th generation.

Generation 7: This consisted of the following consoles - 

Wii

Xbox 360

Playstation 3

DS

PSP

The Wii, released november 2006, introduced the Wii Remote controller, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and which detects movement in three dimension. The Playstation 3 is a home video game console was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment and is the successor to the Playstation 2.  The Xbox 360 is a home video game console was developed by Microsoft and is the successor to the Original Xbox. The Nintendo DS is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and released by Nintendo in 2006. The Playstation Portable is a handheld game console developed by Sony. All apart from the DS use  CD’s and Digital Downloads to play games, whereas the DS uses specially engineered DS cartridge.

Generation 8: This consisted of the following consoles -

Xbox One was released November 22nd 2013

Nintendo 3DS was released February 26th 2011

PS4 was released November 15th 2013

PS Vita was released February 22nd 2012

Wii U was released November 26th 2013

In the 8th generation, games are being designed for all ages and audiences. For example the FIFA collection has been rated as 3+ which is for all ages as football is loved by many countries, ages and both male and females. This fits a universal audience unlike games such as Outlast, which is a horror for 18+ because of the game being made to scare people and the mental effect it may have on younger ages as those things are not understood as well and can leave a bad mark. Back in the earlier generations, games were more stereotyped for boys rather than unisex. But recently there has been a significant increase in the spotlight being placed on female characters in video games as it is bringing in a wider audience of females as well as males. For example Call of Duty has brought in the option to play as a female in the online play which makes the competitive scene for these types of games a lot larger because of more players of both genders playing. There are lots of indie games being brought out that are enjoyable for everyone as they are more simple games that tend to be a lot more fun and in some cases are more appealing than the big titles such as Battlefield, CoD and Counter Strike. This is because they have a type of gameplay that can appeal to both audiences, kind of the same effect a board game has. It’s made for fun rather than competitive play.

Ever since the kickstarter project of the Oculus Rift in 2012, virtual reality has really spiked an interest with the public audience. Due to this, many different Virtual Reality platforms are being created, such as Playstation VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. However right now there aren’t many games that have been made exclusively to the VR Headsets due to it still being perfected however it still allows you to play some games if you adjust the settings in the games such as Skyrim or Mirrors Edge.

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Action Plan

To become a Concept Artist and eventually Lead Concept Artist. I must: 

have up-to-date knowledge of computer illustration software packages

be skilled in film imagery

understand what Directors, Directors of Photography and Editors require from a scene

have excellent illustration skills

be a strong communicator

visualise perspective and 3D space

have a keen interest in design, architecture and film

visually interpret other people's ideas

be flexible and adapt to change when asked

work as part of a team

know about relevant health and safety legislation and procedures

To achieve this, I will:

continue to discover new artists and develop my own style by the time I leave college.

develop my own methods and ways to create and to imagine artwork by the time I leave college.

I would like to have a series of original characters and environments created and draws by the time I leave college in 2017.

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Legal entities – Types of companies

Sole trader - Sole traders are people who are self employed, sole traders run their businesses as an individual, this means that they keep all the businesses profits after the taxes have been paid on them. Sole traders can employ staff and don't have to work alone, but the sole trader is personally responsible for any losses the business makes.

Limited company

Private limited company limited by shares (LTD) - Look after everything to do with their business, its finances are separated from your personal finance.DIrectors often own shares but they don’t have to.Shareholders cannot sell or transfer their shares without offering them first to other shareholders for purchase.Shareholders cannot offer their shares to the general public over a stock exchange.

Private limited company limited by guarantee (LBG) - A private limited company limited by guarantee, (LBG)  is an alternative type of corporation used mainly by charities and other non-profit organisations. LBGs usually don’t have a share capital, nor do they have shareholders, they instead have members that act as guarantors. It is common for companies to retain their profits within the company in order to re-invest in its operations instead of distributing the money to its members.

Public limited company (PLC) - A limited company is a system that you can set up to run your business -it has its own responsibility and is reliable for everything it does, its finances are also separate from the owners. Any profit that the company makes it owned by the company until it pays corporation tax when it can then be owned by the Owner of the Company.

'Ordinary' business partnership - In a business partnership, you and your business partner (or partners) personally share responsibility for your business.You can share all your business’s profits between the partners. Each partner pays tax on their share of the profits.A partner doesn’t have to be an actual person. For example, a limited company counts as a ‘legal person’, and can also be a partner in a partnership. If the partnership has debts, the partners are jointly liable for any amounts owed and so are equally responsible for paying off the whole debt.

Limited partnership - The standard legal designation of a company which has offered shares to the general public and has limited liability. A Public Limited Company's stock can be acquired by anyone and holders are only limited to potentially lose the amount paid for the shares. It is a legal form more commonly used in the U.K. All Companies in the stock Market are PBL’s.

Limited liability partnership (LLP) - A  limited liability partnership (LLP) requires at least 2 other designated members, they can either be a person or company and will be known as a corporate member.Each member pays tax on their shares of profit like an ordinary business partnership, but aren’t personally liable for any debts the business can’t pay. E.g. One partner cannot be responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct.Unlike Limited partnerships, LLP’s only pay debts by how much they invest in the company. Whereas limited partnerships split the debt equally among them.

Unincorporated association - An unincorporated association is an organisation that arises when two or more people come together for a particular purpose other than to make profit, but decide not to use a formal structure like a company. Most clubs, societies, groups, and some syndicates are unincorporated, as are most voluntary organisations.You don’t need to register an unincorporated association, and it doesn’t cost anything to set one up.Individual members are personally responsible for any debts and contractual obligations.If the association does start trading and makes a profit, you’ll need to payCorporation Tax and file a Company Tax Return in the same way as a limited company.

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How companies are funded and make money

Crowd funding - receiving money from fans online in order to create funds to make something. The most popular ones include:

Kickstarter 

Patreon

Creative England - http://www.creativeengland.co.uk/games 

CE Game Development Fund 

Greenshoots

Publishers - publishers giving a amount of money to be mentioned in the games credits and to release the game.

Grants - receiving money from the government to help create content.

Tax Relief - remission of a proportion of income tax normally due on earned income.

Business Angels - affluent and wealthy individuals who invest their personal capital in start-up companies.

Private funding - a particular company helping to fund the creation of content but would not like the public to know.

Loans and Credit cards - borrowing money from others before paying it back, usually friends and family. 

Sales (Games, receipts, merchandise) - using profit sales to fund more content for the company.

Contracts (fixed cost) - a written or spoken agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law.

Early Access - releasing part of the content early for a price to be able to fund the end result.

Advertising and sponsorship - being payed to mention a name or brand during an event, this can include mentioning the name or wearing some merchandise from that company.

UK Games Fund – Prototype funding 

 FIG - https://www.fig.co/about#how-fig-works 

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SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is used to help identify strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) to an individual depending on their personality type.

From taking personality tests, I found out I am INTJ. Using this, I can easily apply this to my SWOT analysis for accurate results of strengths, weakness, etc.

Strengths

I am well organised.

I have excellent attendance.

I always turn up on time.

I am self motivated.

I am determined to become a Concept Artist. 

Weakness

I often plan more than perform.

I often take longer to do work as I am a perfectionist.

I don’t share my methods with others and dont often talk about how I do my work, therefor I find it harder to learn new methods.

Opportunities

I am learning under Next Gen Skills Academy which allows me to visit events and network with professionals and employers while learning new methods and facts about the industry.

Being on the course allows my work to be viewed by companies which can give me industry feedback and allow me the opportunity to gain a work placement in the future.

People who work in the gaming, animation and visual effect industry often visit us and present their work and information about how the industry works, as well as providing professional feedback on our work.

Threats

Others work may be better quality than my own and I find it hard to improve mine to the standard I would like it to be at. 

Competing for a job against my friends will be a hard thing to do.

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Personality Tests

Over the past few days we’ve been taking personality tests which will help us better understand ourselves and help us to improve certain areas. 

These are the results from our first personality test.

The high levels of openness suggest I am imaginative and creative as well as comfortable with change and variety. But I can sway towards individualistic behavior which I can improve over time. I am good at thinking actions over before performing them as this helps avoid unnecessary stress or trouble, however this leads me to being a perfectionist which I will improve on overcoming. High levels of extroversion suggest  that social situations make me experience positive emotions so I seek them more often. I tend to get along well with others and am willing to compromise my interest for the benefits of the group around me. 

We also took the Honey and Mumford quiz. My result was ‘Reflector’. This means I have a “look before you leap” attitude. I take my time and think over things before acting them out. I listen more than I talk and think about what I’ve learned from past experiences. I think I could improve on talking more and sharing my ideas and thoughts with a group instead of sitting back and listening as this will help when sharing my strengths and doing work. 

We took the Myers Briggs personality test, this involved us choosing between 2 letters and 4 questions, this together forms a personality type. This is the result I received:

INTJs are analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes with their innovative ideas. They have a talent for seeing possibilities for improvement, whether at work, at home, or in themselves. (http://www.truity.com/personality-type/intj) I often like to follow traditional methods, things I already know how to do a certain. I can improve this by trying new methods when performing a task such as drawing or modelling. 

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Transferable Skills in VFX, Games and Animation and how to develop them.

Specialist skills – be a generalist with specialist skills

Team work - communication with others and being able to work with others well.

Creativity and Efficiency - constantly thinking of new ideas and new ways to create things.

The ability to think about the big picture -thinking how your small ideas effect a bigger idea. 

Meeting deadlines! - complete the work as soon as it is given out, meaning it will be finished sooner and before the deadline.

Working to a brief - sticking to an idea you are given an keeping as close to it as possible.

Respond well to criticism - take criticism well by accepting it and trying to use it to help improve your work.

Presentation skills - speaking with a clear voice, knowing what you are about to say, and the layout of your work.

Knowledge of cultural references - being aware of references to different con tries by researching key characteristics of historical fashions and methods.

Observation skills - being able to see clearly what you are being told and how to achieve it.

Planning - draw out models before modeling, sketching down rough ideas, being prepared before acting out the main task.

Be able to draw - practicing drawing live models as well as still objects, focusing on perspective, lighting and creating your own style.

Be proactive and self motivated - always keep learning!

Be confident – ask questions

Know the language - know basics of coding and modeling terms.

Awareness of cinematography - basic understanding of how films are made.

Maths – trigonometry, matrices, vectors,applied mechanics, algebra, scripting, learning(and physics).

Computer literacy - knowing computing terminology.

Film theory - history of films.

Knowledge of VFX history - knowing the first movie created with vfx and who created it.

Knowledge of Editing - knowing who first started it and how.

Style and vision - having your own style with artwork and your own look to things you create.

Understand optics

Be innovated

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Game Pitching

Induction Week:  When we first joined the course, we created a game in our tables to show what we knew how to do already. We chose to create a RPG game in RPG Maker as this software allowed us to easily create a game with basic knowledge of how to create code and characters. The art style was pixelated as to give it a retro feel. Considering this was the first time we had pitched a game, I think it went very well. We were all confident and knew exactly what we wanted to say. The only improvements we could apply was the layout of the images on the slides as some had a different background colour instead of being transparent. We listened to our feedback and made sure to apply it to our next pitch.

Stephen Hey: We were told we had to create a game to pitch to Stephen Hey,  a project manager at Chillingo, Electronic Arts. We had created a first person horror game named ‘Patient 0′. We had put time into research of horror games and what is most likely to apply fear to someone. We used this research and applied it to our own game, making it more unique to the others in our class. We then pitched to both Stephen and our class as well as the other class. Stephen gave us some good feedback, saying he liked the idea of the game and how the research had made it different in a way compared to the others presented that day. He commented on how our pitch was strong and how we covered everything needed for a good pitch and it was well presented.  

I went into detail about the game in this blog post: http://megangamedesign.tumblr.com/post/135376393522/unity-game-patient-0-update

Game Jams: During this year, we have taken part in 2 game jams. Our best game was created in the Global Game Jam 2016. Here, a theme is given and you must create a game revolving around this theme. This year was ‘Ritual’. We each split roles evenly depending on our strengths. We also applied a similar way of creation to our last game as we researched different things to see what we could apply to the game. Overall we were confident on our game and very pleased with the outcome. We presented a live demo showcasing the environment and showcasing our hard work. We covered all aspects of the game when presenting as well as gameplay, story, and aim. 

I went into more detail about the game in this blog post: http://megangamedesign.tumblr.com/post/138660606637/global-game-jam-2016

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Environment Concept Art - Grand Staircase *UPDATE - 17/05/2016*

I was inspired my Andy Walsh’s methods (http://www.stayinwonderland.com) to re-create a piece of concept art I had created to give it more realism and to help me with perspective and sizing of objects next to each other. This is something I have struggled with when drawing environments so Matty recommended that I give this method a try to see if it helps. 

I completed the model in 3DS Max and exported it into Unity in order to get the lighting and perspective correct. 

I then began to apply colour to the image, applying the base layer down for the colour. Once I had finished that for the object I began to add detail such as highlights and shadows. I did this on the arches and the stairs. 

I found this way to be much easier and it helped a lot with perspective of objects in the scene. I think in the future I will continue to use this method for creating environments and possibly apply this to character design by modeling the character then drawing over the image.

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Environment Concept Art - Grand Staircase

I was given the task of creating an environment to sketch into a concept. I chose to create a grand staircase of a abandoned ‘castle’ or ‘mansion’ because of the lighting techniques I could use. I created a mood board on my Pinterest (Link on blog page) to gather reference images to make it easier to visualize an idea. This is the original concept I came up with. 

I was then shown an artist known as Andy Walsh (http://www.stayinwonderland.com) He creates 3D models of his environments, then takes the image into photoshop before digitally colouring over the top. I thought this was a very different way to create an environment, but this was also an easier method to use as it would help with lighting and proportions of objects in comparison to others. This is the modeled environment below. 

I will now take it into photoshop and begin to colour the image. 

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Character Concept

This is a character I created for Matty when he asked us to create a character concept and an environment concept piece. 

My inspiration for this was Agito and his father from the movie Origin: The Spirits Within. 

The main scenes I took inspiration was the image above with his father as well as the scene where his arm turns into a tree.

For my character, I chose to incorporate the parts of the tree growing from their bodies out of their skin. This gave me inspiration to make my character have ‘leaves’ growing from her body, creating a clothing-like appearance on her body similar to Agito’s Father in the image above. I chose to go with a green/light yellow colour scheme for the leaves as to give them a realistic look. I used a pale yellow for highlights and a dark green for shading. I also added a layer of red/pink between the leaves and the skin to give it the appearance of irritation as they were growing out of her skin. I then chose red as her hair colour as red is opposite green on the colour wheel. I used oranges and yellows for the highlights and a darker red for shading and low-lights. 

I will eventually learn more techniques and methods for drawing and coloring and I will re-create this using those techniques to see how my style has developed.

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VFX Job Roles

Compositor - The role of a compositor is to construct the final image by combining layers of previously-created material. They need to be able to make an artistic judgement, have the technical skills to make practical decisions, be able to analyse and solve problems and possess extensive knowledge of current computing software. They must have a knowledge of various programmes such as Photoshop and understand the 3D animation process - particularly lighting. They must have a good eye for composition, colour, light, and shadow. Compositors require a degree in an art-related subject, such as animation, design, illustration, painting, drawing, photography or computer animation. You can progress from this role onto Sequence Head, a Senior Compositor or a Compositing Supervisor or even a VFX Supervisor.

Concept Artist - Concept Artists work on big budget movies where visual and special effects create design spectacles, fantasy creatures or other elements. There will be a number of concept artists on a team and each will be assigned a role such as an environment or character. They must have up-to-date knowledge of computer illustration software packages, be skilled in film imagery, understand what directors, directors of photography and editors require from a scene and have excellent illustration skills. They work closely with specific researchers to give the art more accuracy and will read the original source (book, play etc.) for reference to design and description. No formal training or qualification is required for this role. This can lead onto Lead Concept Artist as well as Art Director.

Layout Artist (3D Animation) - Layout Artists will break down 2D storyboards into 3D shots. They will use production designs and models as a reference to build specific locations and props, to block in the position of characters, select camera angles and plot camera movements. They are also responsible for establishing lengths of shots within a scene. For this you need to be highly film literate and be able to meet the needs of a production, have proven artistic skills including a strong sense of composition and perspective, good use of light, shadow and colour. They must be able to create atmosphere, understand editing, be able to apply motion capture to computer generated models and take direction and be willing to address constructive feedback. You need a degree in an art-related subject such as illustration, fine art, sculpture, computer animation, graphic design or in one of a variety of film or computer subjects. This can progress onto a Layout Supervisor or Layout technical artist, possibly it can lead into the animation department.

Lighting Tech Director/Lighter - The role of a lighting technical director or Lighter is to make sure there is consistency in lighting, colour balance and mood between various elements of a shot or scene, they will add computer-generated imagery to make it look photo realistic to match the live action panels. You must have a strong sense of light and shadow demonstrated bt artwork, photography, theatre, film or CG work and have knowledge of colour theory, including through art history knowledge. They must be able to follow design reference and have sympathy with a ride range of styles and be able to light characters and environments, interior and exterior at different times of the day. A good working knowledge of 2D paint software and various industry-standard rendering programmes and computer animation packages is also required. You need a combination of arts and maths qualifications and a degree in computer graphics or computer science, you are also expected to have solid experience in at least one of the industry-standard 3D packages. This can lead on to you becoming CG Supervisor or VFX Supervisor

Marketing Executive - Marketing Executives work with other employees such as advertising, market research, production, sales and distribution staff. They are responsible for analysing and investigating price, demand, and competition.They must be good at devising and present ideas and strategies as well as promotional activities. They must write reports and be able to compile and distribute financial and statistical information. It is recommended to have a qualification or degree in marketing, business or statistics and some require a scientific or technical background. 

Marketing Producer - A Marketing Producer will effectively manage the project, making sure everyone is working to a deadline and is working correctly while also making sure the project is staying within budget and the project is profitable. They must be well organised, have great leadership skills along with a long history in VFX. They must also e able to spot problems before they happen and budget an entire project accurately while ensuring it stays within the budget. They must schedule and timetable, using various project management tools and techniques and be confident in their knowledge and abilities. It is heavily recommended that you have a degree in computer animation or a similar degree.

Match Move Artist -  Match Move artists will translate and imitate camera movements in live action shots and match those movements in 3D. They must be skilled in the use of relevant software as well as be interested in computer graphics and/or computer animation. They must be methodical with an appreciation for accuracy and play close attention to detail while having an understanding of both maths and physics. They have to be able to take direction and be willing to address constructive feedback and show respect for the procedures and requirements of a particular studio, production or pipeline.

Public Representative - A Public Representative, or PR, works to maintain a positive image of the client's product. They will usually promote the product through popular media such as social media websites and posters. They must be well organised and be able to keep calm in stressful situations. They must also be persistent and must have great written and verbal skills. Networking skills are also required as well as a good understanding of how the media works and how the target market works. 

Roto Artist - Roto Artists trace live action frames where computer graphics will overlap or interact with the live image. This creates clear areas, known as mattes, within the frame to allow all elements of the scene to be layered convincingly. Thy must have an understanding of fine art or photography and an understanding of composition and colour. They have to possess competent drawing skills, including good line quality and have a good eye for detail. It helps to gain a degree in an art-related subject such as animation, design, illustration, painting, drawing or computer animation. 

Producer -  A good Producer effectively manages the project, making sure everyone is working to a deadline and is working correctly while also making sure the project is staying within budget and project is profitable. They must be well organised and have great leadership skills. They must also have a long history in VFX. Considering this is a senior position, it is heavily recommended that you have a degree in computer animation or a similar subject.

Coordinator -  The VFX Coordinator is central to visual effects project management. The liaise with all aspects of production and post-production: Director, Editor, external VFX Supervisor and Producers, internal Producers and Supervisors as well as artists.

Assistant/Runner - A runner is the entry role to the VFX industry, they tend to do small jobs for some of the higher job roles but this role can get you the experience to get a promotion quicker. For this role, you need to work well under pressure whilst maintaining high standards and cope well under pressure. They must be able to respond quickly and prioritise requests as well as being well presented, tidy and efficient. No degree is required but some have a degree in a VFX related subject. 

Supervisor -  Working with the director or producer of a project, the VFX Supervisor will decide on the VFX needs for every shot. For bigger productions, sometimes prototype effects may be required for the director to examine before production. They must be able to display charismatic leader skills and have on-set experience and strong negotiation skills. They must be able to discern where VFX would be needed in production and how it will be created in the final composition. A qualification which proves your ability in visual effects is key in this role. Science, technology, engineering, arts and maths are also important for this role. 

Digital Effects Supervisor -  Working with the director or producer of a project, the VFX Supervisor will decide on the VFX needs for every shot. For bigger productions, sometimes prototype effects may be required for the director to examine before production. They must be able to display charismatic leader skills and have on-set experience and strong negotiation skills. They must be able to discern where VFX would be needed in production and how it will be created in the final composition. A qualification which proves your ability in visual effects is key in this role. Science, technology, engineering, arts and maths are also important for this role.

2D Supervisor - Creative, artistic, and technical responsibility in all 2D - areas (concept art, matte painting, compositing) of a VFX production (TV-, feature film- and commercials production). Previous experience as a 2D supervisor in international Profound social competence: leading qualities, capability of working in a team, inter-cultural competence, thriving under the pressure of tight deadlines. Basic understanding of a CG pipeline. A keen eye for picture composition, light- and colour design, as well as technical accuracy, excellent ability to judge.

Pre-Vis/Layout Artist -  In most cases, Layout Artists break down 2D storyboards into 3D shots. They use production designs and models as a reference to build locations and major props, to block in the position of characters, to select camera angles and to plot camera moves. They are responsible for staging every shot and plotting the action that will take place within each scene. They need to have proven artistic skills including a strong sense of composition and perspective, good use of light, shadow and colour and be able to create atmosphere. They must also understand the principles of cinematography including the use of lenses, positioning and moving the camera and be able to apply motion capture to computer-generated models. You must have  a degree in an art-related subject such as illustration, fine art, sculpture, computer animation, graphic design or in one of a variety of film or computer subjects.

Rigger -  A VFX Rigger is responsible for creating the “skeleton” of a 3D model, ensuring that all the joints and muscles work correctly and accurately so the animators can start to position the models creatively. They must be knowledgeable in anatomy, muscle and bone structure and Have solid animation experience. The should also are able to communicate with animators and artists, and create the best work as a team and understand the basics of animation as a whole, not just rigging as well as be comfortable in researching various anatomies, or even creating whole new systems. To become a Rigger, it’s wise to look to get a degree in Computer Sciences, Computer Animation or a similar subject.

Animation Director -  An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film animated segment for a live-action film. This may include directing the character design, background animation, and any other aspect of animation.

Effect Tech Director -  A Technical Director is a somewhat broad term for a range of disciplines within VFX. Generically, they are in charge of running simulations and programmes in order to create desired effects, but the science and artistry involved mean that nearly all Technical Directors are very specialised. They must be knowledgeable in Python and other programming languages and be able to display great patience during long render times. They must also create incredibly complex animations that would be almost impossible to do by hand and deliver work of a professional standard to a tight deadline. Technical Directors usually hold degrees in Computer Sciences or Art and Design.

Mo-cap Animator - Mo-cap Animators will record people's movement and will apply them to a 3D model or environment. They will have to have a basic understanding of 3D software as well as animation software. They must understand lighting and shadows as well as a basic understanding of human anatomy. A degree in an art-related subject such as illustration, fine art, sculpture, computer animation, graphic design or in one of a variety of film or computer subjects will help in this role.

Crowd Artist - Crowd Artists are responsible for creating a crowded area in a VFX sequence. This will involve a basic understanding of the software required for the company. They need to have proven artistic skills including a strong sense of composition and perspective, good use of light, shadow and colour and be able to create atmosphere. They must also understand the principles of cinematography including the use of lenses, positioning and moving the camera and be able to apply motion capture to computer-generated models. A degree in an art-related subject such as illustration, fine art, sculpture, computer animation, graphic design or in one of a variety of film or computer subjects will help in this role.

[megangamedesign]

Dream job

My dream job would be a Concept Artist for both characters and environments. I think this would be the best job for me as I enjoy looking into the art of how games and movies are created and compare the original idea to the end result and notice the areas improvement was applied. The company I would like to work for most would be either Square Enix or Disney.

No formal training is required for this job, and you do not need a qualification to work as a Concept Artist. Concept artists work at the beginning of pre-production which is roughly six months before filming is due to begin. If the movie or game is an adaptation of (eg) a book, they must analyse the descriptions of the characters and environments of the original source. They also work with specialist researchers who will also help source and supply relevant information. They work alongside draughtsmen and will produce their work on a computer using Painter or Photoshop software. After it is approved by the Production Designer, the artwork is presented to the producer, director, and visual-effect co-ordinator.

The skills you need are:

have up-to-date knowledge of computer illustration software packages

be skilled in film imagery

understand what Directors, Directors of Photography and Editors require from a scene

have excellent illustration skills

be a strong communicator

visualise perspective and 3D space

have a keen interest in design, architecture and film

visually interpret other people's ideas

be flexible and adapt to change when asked

work as part of a team

know about relevant health and safety legislation and procedures

They earn  £20,000-£45,000 a year depending on the employer and role. If you’re in a senior or lead role your salary will be over £25,000. If the work is of a high enough standard, they will get promoted to Senior then onto Lead Concept Artist or Art Director. You could start off as a graphic artist, illustrator or a graphic novelist and work your way up. Another option is to work in special or visual effects or animation and work to Concept Artist by storyboarding. 

http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/3072_concept_artist

https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWEbHost/jobdetails.aspx?jobId=1560997&PartnerId=25314&siteid=5290&codes=1-INDEED

Examples:

http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-concept-artists-who-should-be-working-on-their-own-m-1530717946

http://rossdraws.deviantart.com/

http://brosa.deviantart.com/

http://artsammich.deviantart.com/

http://conceptartworld.com/?p=7962

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Stair Concept Art

This is a model i decided to do based from concept art I created.

I chose this because I wanted to challenge myself to create something different. This will also help me to draw my art better, as there is an artist named Andy Walsh (http://www.stayinwonderland.com/), he has a methos of creating his art in 3D models first in order to help with both scaling and lighting and colour.

This is an example of his work titled Pike Place Seattle - 1920s.

I will then try and model some more of the environment, and try his method of colouring over a screenshot of the model to see if it will help me with the dimensions and point of view of the drawing. It may also mean I can draw the same environment from different angles giving a bigger feel to the image.

Another artist I wish to use as inspiration from his methods is Ross Tran (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLEVrhumRsK67JkP3G4w5cQ).

He uses different food to help with his art by using the colour pallet or, such as above, to give different textures or lighting. In the image, he uses as a banana to help give more light to the image by editing the banana image to ‘softlight’ and reducing the opacity to give a more realistic sunlight image.  

I will try both of these methods once completing the model and begin painting on top.

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12 Principles of Animation

Squash and stretch - This is defining how rigid/soft a body is. Used to show movement or face expressions. Some examples include a bouncing ball and the Genie from Disney’s Aladdin.

Anticipation - This tells the viewer something is going to happen. Some examples include throwing a punch, the wind up before the event or take off. Another example is in many cartoons, looking before something happens such as looking before falling down.

Staging - This is about presenting the idea and portraying a message clearly to the viewer. This can be done through facial expressions being exaggerated or the environment. An example is showing a cluttered desk to show that research has been happening for a long time.

Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose - Straight ahead is done by animating each individual frame of the sequence, such as a flip book. Pose to Pose is more common in 3D animation by animating the key frames first then filling in the rest, this is more commonly done by Disney.

Follow Through and Overlapping Actions - Examples of this are limbs and clothing of the character. This happens after the main action and physics are still occurring on the object. Making objects stop dead in place is unnatural and looks weird. References for this include anatomy as well as sports. 

Slow In and Slow Out - This is when objects speed up and slow down. A day/night cycle is a good example of this occurring. Certain software such as Maya will naturally apply this to animation. Another example of this is running, the character will not start at their max speed but will gradually ease up to it as well as slow down towards the end.

Secondary Animation - This supports the main movements, such as hands and face expressions. To show anger, stomping feet actions are good but will portray anger better if you add movements to the hands and facial expressions.

Timing - This determines how many frames to add to get the right speed of the animation. Having less frames means the animation will be faster, and having more frames will result in the animation being faster.

Exaggeration - This involves making movements more extreme and adding more impact. This can be added to facial expressions as well to give off different emotions and movements.

Solid Drawing - This involves using solid shapes instead of 2D shapes when animating, This can mean designing the character in 3D to make animating easier as you can animate from all angles. 

Appeal - This is about making the overall concept attracting to the viewer and making it more interesting to view. Designing characters in certain ways can be a part of this. It is also important to note that bad guys can be appealing too such as Scar in The Lion King.

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VFX Pipeline

When creating a VFX sequence there are many stages and steps to complete it. These include:  (in no particular order)

pre-production - ends when the planning ends and the content starts being produced.

production - the filming of the movie, the live shots

post-production - adding the effects in after the live shots have been created

modeling - creating objects in 3d space to add to the sequence

pre-vis - a rough look to the end result, usually of low quality

HDR photo - add more dynamic range to photographs by taking 3 images at different exposures

reference photos - gathering images to use as a guide to how you want the end result to look

LIDAR - a detection system which works on the principle of radar, but uses light from a laser.

texturing - applying a texture to a model to make it look more realistic next to the live shot.

rigging - digital skeleton bound to the 3D mesh

tracking - following a point in 3d space and usually adding or changing something about that spot later.

film scans - used turn 70mm film into digital images at a very high resolution so no quality is lost.  

tests - used test the shots and effects work together

animation - making the illusion of motion and change

rotoscoping  - transfer a piece from one live shot into another film sequence using a rotoscope.

grading - applying a wash of colour over the shot to give a mood or atmospheric effect.

compositing - combine two or more images to make a single picture

effects animation - animating effects to give a certain look

lighting and rendering - changing the look of the lighting in the shot or adding lighting into the shot.

plate preparation - preparing the plate for the shot to add the compositing and other effects on

element shoots - creating elements in a separate shoot and overlaying them on the main shot

look development - developing the look of the shot to portray a certain feeling or aura

research and development -  making sure the shot fits with the others in the sequence

When creating our own VFX shoot we have to follow these steps. 

We decided as a group it would be best to create ideas and gather reference photos before starting anything else. This is part of the pre-production stage.

 We created a moodboard which on Pinterest so we could all add photos easier. Once this was complete and we narrowed down the final reference photos then we began to create tests for the VFX in the shot. This involved basic shaped and movements in order to create a rough idea of what we wanted for the final outcome. 

The production stage came next as we began filming the shots needed for the sequence. While filming, we took note of things such as weather and location to make it easier when we edited later. While filming we also looked into research of the effects we wished to create, to get the shots right in order to make VFX easier to create. 

During post production, we will begin modelling and texturing in order to add effects. Compositing may be used as we can add it to the running sequence in the VFX. Effect animation will be added to create smoke and possibly fire.