As one of my 4th semester exam projects, I was tasked to create a fully stylized environment with the condition that it has to have a bridge playing a relevant role.
I took this concept beyond just a usual physical bridge.
4 weeks
Summer 2020 - 4th Semester
PC
Solo Developed
Prof. Jan Berger
DE:HIVE @HTW Berlin
My first approach on this topic began with simple sketches and concept ideation as well experimenting with methods to get an idea of what I actually wanted to create.
The very first approach that came to my mind was about taking a symbol and use it as a layout map for the environment. For this, I used the ritual symbol from the first Silent Hill game to define a base map.
By creating a layout out of the symbols lines and using the spots for spots where I could place stuff, I quickly realized by sculpting out the first landsape inside Unreal Engine, that this would not work well and would also take way too much time.
It was too big, too time consuming and in the end, it wasn't really an idea related to the main topic.
That was the moment I ran out of ideas which is why I grabbed my little sketchbook and just draw mindlessly around. With that I had basically everything what I needed now.
The map layout was drawn, what objects I would need for it and what the main point of interest shall be.
I thought of just a wind mill in the middle of a sea within a small tale.
After that, I finally began creating an actual environment. I played around with styles for trees, ground textures and cliffs and also created a generic wooden bridge and the mill itself.
Due to the limited time, I was stuck with simple hand sketched placeholder texture for the entire environment. This however did come quit handy as I had an idea for a nice twist for the whole project.
Within our courses, our professor Jan Berger told us about his career at Disney and about the stylized environments of "A Small World" known from the disneyland parks as well as disney infinity.
I personally have made my experience with this ride at disneyland and I feel very mixed feelings hearing this song. This however sparked an idea I had back at the Grünau Trainstation project. Blending the entire environment into something alternative
The motivation was set and the shader experiments started. It's a very basic effect, but done right, it might have a cool visual representation. Also I finally had found another interpretation for a bridge as well.
Since most textures where just scratched black and white images, I could easily manipulate the colors in various ways within the materal editor.
And so I came up with a burned down wasteland interpretation of the same environment.
A year later, I heard from other students, that my project was taken as example for going over the top of what was expected in the course. I was also told Jan Berger gave my project the nickname "Moria in Flames" as he told them he was hoping for small world like environments.
Sometimes a nightmare can be fun too ^^