Okay - well, I suppose I'm a bit worried in terms of your frame of reference, as sometimes when cgi students don't look too far beyond the pre-existing worlds of sci-fi and genre tropes - and what they already 'like', their work can feel a bit generic - a bit 'seen it all before'. When I talk to you I do get the sense sometimes that your cultural 'diet' might be closing off other, more exploratory ideas - but all of that said, underneath your 'destroyed, apocalyptic earth' scenario, there is an idea that shines brightly and feels fresh; and that's the notion of these mutant wolves with shared genetic memory, who are being forced to 'got to war' with the humans because the smog is filtering down.
In terms of your mood and lighting - it's effective - though I'm still confused as to where the design 'comes from' for the throne and interior architecture and technology. This, I suppose, is what I mean about genericism; you have indeed created a moody environment here, but is it particularly wolfen? If wolfen imaginations built this place, would there not be some lupine imprinting going on? Wouldn't they make things in their own image - as opposed to in the image of the race that hates them?
I don't want this to sound unduly negative - for instance, this digital painting is your most resolved yet (everything is still very soft and blended though - something I want you to try and steer away from or at least think about enlivening in future work), and the idea of the throne is a solid basis for your hero prop. I guess the upshot of my feedback is simply about how truly does this environment reflect your character - which is basically me saying how truly does this environment reflect your internal logic of mutant wolves making a life for themselves under the earth - living in secret, creating a world (excavating it how and with what?). It is the difference, Lekti, between looking at lots of pre-existing images from film/game and genre expectation and thinking about the logic of your own narrative as a means of innovation. The idea of your 'magic crystal' is okay, I guess - but I can't help thinking that had you gone with the 'stealing from the surface' idea in terms of energy, you might have been able to better communicate the 'exile' of your wolfen race and the tension between above and below. Your 'power crystal' just feels like a bit of a get out clause in terms of design - a 'cure all' for those trickier questions about light, energy and food - which, had you answered them more 'logically' might have given your space a bit more character.
Something to think about perhaps as you move toward the final phase of the project... can you bring a bit more character and back-story to your environment?
And finally - Lekti - you REALLY need to commit to a weekly plan in terms of project managing your various tasks more effectively. You need to speed up, I'm afraid and make a determined effort to complete tasks on a day-by-day basis. If you're not posting work already completed - then please do so - if you're not completing the work, or struggling to do so - then you should acknowledge this now so lessons can be learned and new working habits formed. The pace is only going to pick up, Lekti - and I want you to be ready.
OGR 16/11/2012
ReplyDeleteMorning Lekti,
Okay - well, I suppose I'm a bit worried in terms of your frame of reference, as sometimes when cgi students don't look too far beyond the pre-existing worlds of sci-fi and genre tropes - and what they already 'like', their work can feel a bit generic - a bit 'seen it all before'. When I talk to you I do get the sense sometimes that your cultural 'diet' might be closing off other, more exploratory ideas - but all of that said, underneath your 'destroyed, apocalyptic earth' scenario, there is an idea that shines brightly and feels fresh; and that's the notion of these mutant wolves with shared genetic memory, who are being forced to 'got to war' with the humans because the smog is filtering down.
In terms of your mood and lighting - it's effective - though I'm still confused as to where the design 'comes from' for the throne and interior architecture and technology. This, I suppose, is what I mean about genericism; you have indeed created a moody environment here, but is it particularly wolfen? If wolfen imaginations built this place, would there not be some lupine imprinting going on? Wouldn't they make things in their own image - as opposed to in the image of the race that hates them?
I don't want this to sound unduly negative - for instance, this digital painting is your most resolved yet (everything is still very soft and blended though - something I want you to try and steer away from or at least think about enlivening in future work), and the idea of the throne is a solid basis for your hero prop. I guess the upshot of my feedback is simply about how truly does this environment reflect your character - which is basically me saying how truly does this environment reflect your internal logic of mutant wolves making a life for themselves under the earth - living in secret, creating a world (excavating it how and with what?). It is the difference, Lekti, between looking at lots of pre-existing images from film/game and genre expectation and thinking about the logic of your own narrative as a means of innovation. The idea of your 'magic crystal' is okay, I guess - but I can't help thinking that had you gone with the 'stealing from the surface' idea in terms of energy, you might have been able to better communicate the 'exile' of your wolfen race and the tension between above and below. Your 'power crystal' just feels like a bit of a get out clause in terms of design - a 'cure all' for those trickier questions about light, energy and food - which, had you answered them more 'logically' might have given your space a bit more character.
Something to think about perhaps as you move toward the final phase of the project... can you bring a bit more character and back-story to your environment?
And finally - Lekti - you REALLY need to commit to a weekly plan in terms of project managing your various tasks more effectively. You need to speed up, I'm afraid and make a determined effort to complete tasks on a day-by-day basis. If you're not posting work already completed - then please do so - if you're not completing the work, or struggling to do so - then you should acknowledge this now so lessons can be learned and new working habits formed. The pace is only going to pick up, Lekti - and I want you to be ready.