Storyboard and environment sketches

In the games industry, pre-production such as concept sketches and storyboards are an important step which sets the project in the right direction.

As this unit is a cutscene, I have created a storyboard sketch to guide the flow of the scenes and to direct the shots and camera angles.

This can be seen below.

I feel this sketch, while basic, is clear enough to communicate the direction of the cutscene.

I will compare my final shots with this sketch near the end of the project.

As there is an environmental area central to the scene, the arcade, I have created some concept sketches to help with the look, design and layout of the interior and some of the exterior elements.

This top-down view gives an idea of what I am aiming for with the environment and the layout of the arcade, though these are obviously just guides and the final versions are subject to change as the project evolves.

Here is a sketch of the top-down bike section depicted in the first panel of the storyboard.

Mind Maps and Mood Boards

Very early pre-production in the games industry involves hashing out ideas very quickly to get a sense of what the project is about.

One of these methods is to create mind maps, with the central point being the project and ideas for what might be desirable or required coming off the central point.

I have created a mind map for the cutscene project here.

Another major element of pre-production in the industry is to use mood boards.

These are selections of images which help to define the direction for the look and feel of a project.

I have used Pinterest to create some mood boards to help with defining the look and feel of the cutscene.

Introduction and Unit Brief

In this unit, we have been tasked with creating an environmental level design and Storyboard using industry standard software and practices.

I plan to use Unreal Engine 4 as the game engine, as I have the most experience with it.

I will be using Maya for any models I may need to create as well as Photoshop to create any textures for the scene.

I will be sketching the storyboard by hand.

This unit runs from 21/09/2017 through to 02/02/2018 and I have created a weekly timetable to help with time management.