Post 25 - Task Three Completion

My Task Three ACM Report has now been finished. The word count is 3494 excluding references, or 3372 excluding references and sub headings. I am very pleased with the result and feel that it encompasses research, which backs up any significant states made. The addition of more game examples was a good move. 

My only regret is that I feel that I should of addressed more of the practical, technical side of what I am proposing to do. However, this has to an extent been elaborated on in my time line, which was also submitted at the same time.

I will update this blog once received the marks.

 

> I'm so happy, but my hands and feet have fallen off.

Post 24 - Objective Update: TESTING

Now that I have started work on the final editions to the ACM report, I have just updated the objectives. I have included a 'Testing' phase. This is very important and is the result of completing my task one NSD project proposal. This required a detailed set of objectives and various testing phases. Testing will be important as it will allow me to gain feedback and develop constructive strategics to improve the animations.

Post 23 - ACM category additions

After looking into the additional research and materials, I have decided to include a couple of extra passage headings. The following is the new structure of my ACM report:

1. INTRODUCTION
2. PROJECT AIM
3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES  
3.1 Objective One - Industry Context
3.2 Objective Two - Theory and Methods
3.3 Objective Three - Technology and Actuation 
3.4 Objective Four - Applied Research 
4. THE PROCESS
4.1 Research
4.2 Actuation
4.3 Testing
4.4 Documentation
5. RESEARCH
5.1 Current Industrial Rationale
5.1.1 Emotion and character traits in Games
5.2 Gaming and Conveyance
5.2.1 Progressive Narrative & User Engagement
5.2.2 Hybrid, Moral and Emotional Consequence
5.2.3 Emotion Led Informative Structure
5.3 Animation Fundamentals
5.3.1 Game and Animation Evolution
5.3.2 Progression through Animation
5.3.3 Flaws, Archetypes and Motivation
6. CONCLUSION
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
8. REFERENCES


5.2.2 and 5.3.3 are new additions I plan on making. 5.2.2. will be concerned with looking into more of the additional ways in which a video-game's progression is driven by the characteristics and by the gamer's own moral code. I have chosen two additional game examples to describe these different types. Value's Half Life 2 uses the 'Cypher' method, where by the protagonist has no influence onthe gamer and so allows: 

-the gamer to immerse themselves and empathise with the character in the game.
-Develop a moral and emotional connection with significant characters through the need to save and rescue. 

Bioware's Mass Effect 2 is another great example for exploring different ways in which games utilise character traits. The good to bad options and responses the gamer is given also add an extra element of moral understanding and humanity. This in turn requires character to be all the more believable, as well as successfully conveying a persona (whether a good or bad one).
 5.3.3. will be concerned with animation concerns and what is needed for a convincing and engaging performance/sequence.


I plan to continue my research into these fields in order to complete the task three.

Post 22 - Useful Web Document

I have just stumbled upon an interesting, if not quite brief academic conference article. It is titled: Why We Play Games: Four Keys to More Emotion Without Story. This is written by Nicole Lazzaro, at the time of its establishment Founder and President of XEODesign, Inc. This paper describes a series of 8 forms of emotion that a game can evoke in a gamer. These are as follows:

• Emotion: Common Themes and Triggers
• Fear: Threat of harm, object moving quickly to hit player, sudden fall or loss of support, possibility of pain
• Surprise: Sudden change; briefest of all emotions, does not feel good or bad, after interpreting event this emotion merges into fear, relief, etc.
• Disgust: Rejection as food or outside norms. The strongest triggers are body products such as feces, vomit, urine, mucus, saliva, and blood.
• Naches/ Kvell (Yiddish): Pleasure or pride at the accomplishment of a child or mentee. (Kvell is how it feels to express this pride in one’s child or mentee to others.)
• Fiero (Italian): Personal triumph over adversity. The ultimate Game Emotion. Overcoming difficult obstacles players raise their arms over their heads. They do not need to experience anger prior to success, but it does require effort.
• Schadenfreude (German): Gloat over misfortune of a rival. Competitive players enjoy beating each other especially a long-term rival. Boasts are made about player prowess and ranking.
• Wonder Over whelming improbability. Curious items amaze players at their unusualness, unlikelihood, and improbability without breaking out of realm of possibilities. 

 
It is my intention to introduce this information early on in my report, and refer back to it when discussing these types of emotion. These will be done so when discussing details of the individual video-game examples and situations that I will be using.

Lazzaro / XEO Design - LINK

Post 21 - Thinking Animation Book

A book which I noticed Darren Wall had on his desk I have now taken out of the library. 

• Jones, A. & J, Oliff (2007) Thinking Animation, Thomson Course Technology, MA, U.S.A.

   

Thinking Animation by Jones, A. & J, Oliff

 This book is fantastic and features several chapters, which can be applied to other fundamentals (both video-game and animation). The chapters which I will be using in particular include information on archetypes, character motivation and ‘flaws’.

Flaws are something which can prove to be extremely useful in my report as flaws are what make a character interesting. An interesting section of the book states:

"Survival is the core of human nature. Flaws are those traits that will get in the way of our achieving the goal of survival."

Jones, A. & J, Oliff. (2007)

This is great as it ties in with two areas of my paper that I wish to elaborate in. Firstly, survival and fear are easily recognisable human traits and ones which we can relate to. If we see a character who we are initially invested in, then it is our basic instinct to empathise and try to help, or rescue. This is one main draw which video-games use in the their narratives and characters.

The second point to make from this is that 'flaws' are often depicted through secondary, subtle motions. These can be gestures, facial expressions, or when pauses in animation, replicating a thought process. These can be applied to all of the video-game examples that I am using in my paper, but in particular, the relationship between the gamer and the character Alyx in Half Life 2. There are other sections in this book which will also help in my understanding of what aids a character's development, as well as what works in a scene.

Thinking Animation blog - LINK

Post 20 - Software Training Stuff

In Addition to the Richard Williams Book and DVD set, I have also acquired a set of animation training DVDs. These are by the Gnomon Workshop and are presented by Chris Kirshbaum.

• The Gnomon Workshop (2008) Character Animation: Fundamentals [DVD], Hollywood, CA: The Gnomon Workshop.
• The Gnomon Workshop (2008) Character Animation: Mechanics and Emotion [DVD], Hollywood, CA: The Gnomon Workshop.
• The Gnomon Workshop (2008) Character Animation: Acting and Lip Syncing [DVD], Hollywood, CA: The Gnomon Workshop.

 
These DVDs are oriented around the 3d software Autodesk Maya. Although I have suggested that I wish to use 3ds Max, the conventions of animation are not bound by software, or even technology, so I feel that these DVDs will still help in giving me a visual reference to how animation can work.

Once the project gets in motion, I will look more closely at these DVDs and note any useful tips and tricks for my emotion ideas.


Fundamentals - LINK
Mechanics and Emotion - LINK
Acting and Lip Syncing - LINK

Post 19 - Useful Online Research

Here are a couple of interesting on-line resources, which I neglected to post information about until now. They both featured in my task two draft and have been kept in for the task three.

First of all, Jonathan Frome wrote the paper titled : Eight Ways Video-games Generate Emotion. This is a very well written paper, which does shine some light on how video-games are able to evoke emotion. This paper also suggests reasons why this may be the case and explains them in a categorical fashion.

Another article was one titled: Pegboards vs Polygons:Animating for Video Games by Mark Garabedian. This gave me a lot of information into what is involved in creating game based animation, which are both successful and are able to a level of engagement.

The website from which this article was found has since been very useful and is similar to that of the Eleven Second Club site in that it is a central hub for animators from every level of animation.


Animation Arena - LINK
Frome, J - LINK

Post 17 - Discussion with Darren Wall

In my regular meeting with Darren Wall, we discussed the results of the Task Two submission. We talked about the themes explored in my report and where I should expand on. I feel that I could expand on:

How the video-game evokes an emotional response in from the gamer. Other considerations such as character investment and morals would also be interesting areas to include. All of these I feel are important as they can be shaped and manipulated to an extent by how characters are portrayed in video-games.

Post 18 - Task Two Results

I received the marks back from the Task Two ACM report draft. I got 17 out of 20, which I am very happy with. These were split up into four sub-marks, each category being marked out of 5, so for the first criteria I got 5 out of 5 and for the remaining three, I got four out of five. This is a great result, but as I would like some feedback on the content / anything I should be avoiding etc, I have emailed this document to Darren Wall; my supervisor. I don't expect an immediate response as it is Friday and it would be extra work for him, but any additional input would be welcomed. I believe that I am on the right track, but it is just me wanting to make sure.

I received a response from Darren and he suggested to bring it up with whoever marked it. As I had previously tried to gain some feedback, I decided to discontinue this line of enquire and will now focus on assessing what needs to be done to make the ACM draft in the final hand in. 

Post 16 - Task Two ACM Draft Hand in and info

Since the last post, I have completed and submitted the task two ACM draft report for my final project.
I feel that this was a good start and briefly describes what I'm going to be doing, how I'm going to do it, and the relevant research undertaken around the subject. The research focused on the progression of a narrative through character traits and emotions. This was coupled with research into what is important when animating and acting. This was backed up using the correct referencing and formatting.

Once these have been marked (although at this time it is unclear as to who will be), the feedback will be used to refine the idea even more, and add additional research.

In the mean time, here is a link to one of the useful websites, which I have been visiting every once and a while.

The Eleven Second Club - LINK

Post 15 - Task Two development

I have continued to construct my task two: ACM draft report. I have chosen to use Halo Reach, Dead Space and Bioshock as video-game examples. These will be used to highlight the use of character traits and the various styles of showing these motions. These are mainly done through the use of cut-scenes and in-game dialogue. 

There are also some additional books, which I have recently gained access to. These are as follows:

 

• Neuhahn, C. & J. Book (2006) Professional Short Films with Autodesk 3ds Max, Hingham, MA: Charles River Media.
  
• Kerlow, I. (2009) The Art of Computer Animation And Effects, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 
• Kundert-Gibbs, J & K. Kundert-Gibbs. (2009) Action! Acting Lessons for CG Animators, Indiana, U.S.A. Wiley Publishing Inc.

These books give a useful insight into some of the fundamentals of both animation and character development.

Professional Short Films - LINK 
The Art of Computer Animation And Effects - LINK 
Action! Acting Lessons for CG Animators - LINK

Post 14 - Research Tailoring

Second meeting between me, Darren Wall and this time Omar Khan about our Research Practice module. We discussed the idea of the low resolution character in conjunction with videogame cinematics. This went down well and seems to be a good idea (although the next stage is to quickly find some relevant research).

This is the major issue I have with the structure of the module. Task one was concerned with researching the area of interest / study. At the time, mine was modelling, plus animation so I was looking primarily at other people's work, modelling in the industry as well as animation technology. However, as I wish to focus on animation; specifically emotion conveyance and characteristic, I will now need to gain fresh research and a lot of past research will no longer be required or relevant.

This does not make task one's research redundant or useless as it is that research which has led me to where I am now with my project. However, as what I wish to do is a lot more specific, I need to hastily construct a draft report using new resources. However, it is a learning curve and the report will be all the better for it. A couple of interesting resources so far include:

Williams, R. (2008) Richard William's Animation Survival Guide: Animated (DVD)

Williams, R. (2009) Richard William's Animation Survival Guide: Expanded Edition

 Chong, A (2008) Digital Animation

These are very interesting and provide both contextual information about the role of digital animation, as well as fundamental principles/methodologies of animation. I will find more sources later on this evening, as well as several great examples of games which use cut scenes to convey characteristics.

However, I am aware that many recent games use less cinematics and a lot more in game dialogue (Half Life 2, Bioshock series etc)

One example which springs to mind is Halo Reach. This uses cut scenes, featuring characters which for a lot of the time are wearing helmets, so a lot of the emotion must be conveyed elsewhere (body, head motion etc).

The next step up to the hand in (Friday 18th 23:59) is to find more research, (library databases, relevant studies etc) as well as find some key game examples.

I have begun to construct the draft report, but it is very much in its infancy.


Animated Survival Kit - LINK
Animated Survival Kit: Animated - LINK
Digital Animation - LINK

Post 13 - Meeting with Darren Wall & Idea

 

I had a meeting with my supervisor for both the Negotiated Skills module, as well as the Research Practice module. I pitched an idea to him that I had recently. The original idea was to explore effective emotion conveyance with an basic object, or in a full figure rig with very few features (effectively featureless). This would result in a set of animations with the high resolution and low resolution characters. I would then compare the two for effectiveness of motion. However, as we both discussed this idea, it didn't seem to have much in the way of substance, rationale or purpose. So after researching this more, I have come up with the following proposal:

Emotion Motion - A Study into the effective techniques and methods for expressing emotion, character and motive driven action in game cinematics.

The need to communicate the essence of a character is very apparent in current generation computer games. Unlike film, games usually use short cut scenes to tell a narrative in between game-play. This means that all content within a cut scene must communicate emotions, expressions and characteristics as clearly as possible. An interesting quite to confirm this is by writer Heidi Landgraf.

"To further involve gamers in the plot, more cinematics are being used so that gamers can see exchanges between characters and the subtext of what a character is thinking. It’s in a cinematic where an animator must control how users see the scene and where the animation is created through the lens of a camera shot, which is similar to watching a small ‘movie’ unfold."

Landgraf, H. (2009)

The aim is to create a series of short animations (or scenes, depicting a clear emotion, gesture, or motive driven action. This will entail a significant amount of research into subtle and secondary motions, as well as body language and the conveyance of feeling. This will be accomplished using a rigged character (or characters where appropriate), which also includes facial rigging. Roughing out of the animation will be done using the 'low res' feature of the rig in order to assess the level of success in the full body expression and emotion being conveyed. Areas to look into will include:

- What could be gained from a study of this nature?

- What is required to communicate clear character traits?
- What information is lost with the low resolution character in comparison to the hi resolution character?

- What actions or movements would need to be emphasized to communicate a great level of
emotion?

The final artefact/s of this project will be a series of animations depicting varying emotions, gestures and motive driven actions, which should be easily recognisable in the context of cinematics.


Important areas include: 


-Weight, timing, anticipation, and emotion
-Game cinematics. (short space of time, need to learn the character, follow them and empathize with them).

Landgraf in the same article also includes a quote from Animator Mentor graduate Bill Buckley, who said:

"If you can get your audience to empathise with a character, they will follow you to the ends of the earth."


Buckley, B. (2009)





Animator Mentor article - LINK

Post 12 - Week 13 session

The session focused on task two (ACM Draft report) and we talked about finalising our final project ideas. At this stage, I am a little unsure about what I wish to do. I'm pretty sure that I wish to work for a games company, but whether its modelling or animation is still up for debate. I enjoy the sculpting in ZBrush, but I have a natural aptitude for animation and the motion capture suite is what drew me to this course so I am a little confused, but I'm sure I'll have a better idea in the next week or so.

Possible ideas at this stage include:

1) Construct and animate a character in a series of short films

This would involve rigging and possible use of motion capture.

2) Study the differences between key framing and motion capture

This would be leaning towards the animation side of the course and allow me to investigate both areas of the technology. Slight modelling may be applicable, but unsure at this stage. May use stock characters, or make my own depending on my own technical competencies.

3) Model a series of characters

This would require minimal animating, but would be modelling heavy so not sure about this option.

Ms Strudwick mentioned the XBox 360 Kinect. This would be a very interesting tool to use (granted it costs £130, but it is the latest in commercially available motion tracking software). Could relate to option 2, but again at this stage I'm keeping my options broad, until I am sure about what I wish to do.

Post 11 - Task One, plus grade

Since my last entry, I have completed task one (web diagram plus bibliography). in total, the bibliography has 49 separate references and have all been written whilst following the Harvard form of referencing.

Additional research which was not added to the blog had been added to the research diagram. This is due to the fact that some of these materials feature on my other blogs and I did not want to end up repeating informaiton.

The web diagram has been created with a kind of space / retro game theme. The idea was at every significant change in the web diagram's narrative to include a simple drawing. This would be a recognisable character, or gaming related icon (such as space invaders, power ups and son on). As the viewer progresses through the web diagram, the icons become more recent (i.e, icons start with Taito's 1978 classic space invaders and ends with 90's Mario style mushroom power ups). It includes and documents my research into the relevant areas of interest such as 3d modelling and animation. This was done using a large range of sourced materials and I feel that I did a thorough job.

Here is a link to my Prezi web diagram - LINK

I recently received my grade and was delighted to discovery that I was given a 70% grade. Very pleased with the result and hoping to keep up the good work. I did not get any feedback for this work, but I did work very hard on this and feel that the mark I got was fitting.