Re: Storyboard
With my Storyboard, I wasn't too comfortable with creating a traditional storyboard used for animation and film. However, I was aware that this isn't the only kind of storyboard used in creative production. I was also aware of another kind: Level Storyboards. The idea of this style of storyboard is to quickly summarise elements and parts of a level to allow a streamlined process when creating the level itself. I then had a revelation - I wanted to make a 2D game that this could be applied to. So, I decided to take my ideas for my own personal game to create my initial storyboard.
The initial storyboard:
The idea was this level storyboard was simple - it was the introduction/beginning of the first level for a game. The player would appear at the 'portal' and proceed through the two areas in question. The details of each part of the level explained in extended sticky notes, linked by lines.
Now, as you can probably tell, I would've preferred to have created this digitally. As with all workshops, however, our only choices were traditional methods.
After creating this initial storyboard, I proceeded to move to digital tools - things that I am most comfortable with - to create my next iteration of the design. After reiterating on my visual appearance of the level area, I recreated the notes with lines pointing to their respective places. These notes contain information about the element in question. The use of pixel art to represent this is to match the design of my personal game, which also uses pixel art designs. However, it should be note that this would not be final visuals, as all storyboards are never intended to have the final visual appearance of the product in question.
My next level storyboard:
Now, I have been talking about this in the context of current. In truth, all the above was created during my original submission (There has been additional writing, however). As part of my resubmission, I was asked to create 'another version of your storyboard, but make it appropriate for your platformer game'. I was initially confused of this, but then I realised that what my tutor was talking about. He was referring to a later project, the platformer project, which I was much more successful in than this project.
At the time of creating this workshop piece, the idea for my platformer game was not even conceived. So this may feel out of place, but I was suggested to do this. I decided to make use of the assets of my platformer project, but make it for use of this storyboard workshop. With the same design in mind, I was to retheme the storyboard in a way that's more befitting of my Platformer project. For context, the platformer project ended up looking like this:
Yes, these are most of the assets I used to create my Platformer project, what you see in the gif above. Most of the environment assets are shown here - I created a large amount of the level through the two rocky blocks in the lower left of the image. The rest was used for decoration and variance.
With these images, I decided to try and roughly recreate the storyboard I had above in Unreal Engine 4. I decided to keep a simple white background, as this matches the source material and allows clarity in the design.
You can very easily imagine this being a rather unorthodox method of creating a storyboard - which I definitely agree with you in, if you do. However, I feel like this storyboard could be given this context - rather than being a pre-production storyboard like most are, this storyboard could be seen as a mid production one. For example, a storyboard like this could be shown during a meeting to get down the rough idea of what a level would look like - think of it as a mix of early prototyping and final model introduction. You could use this in the context of most of the practical visual assets being created, but none of the background art having been made. This would allow the designers/artists to work on the practical and interactive side of the level being made while the final background art is still being produced.
I can imagine this being the context of this storyboard. However, this is obviously not common in the industry, and would be a unique way of going about things.
Now, you can easily notice one thing is missing - the labels. Rather than taking a similar approach to before, with straight lines and standard text, I thought it would be better to instead actually make it seem like a meeting. This also gives me the opportunity to actually criticise my design. I know this method can feel rather... pointless - as it's just a false authenticity. However, even then, it may help prepare me for the future. I know, stretching things a bit, but it's something.
The initial storyboard:
The idea was this level storyboard was simple - it was the introduction/beginning of the first level for a game. The player would appear at the 'portal' and proceed through the two areas in question. The details of each part of the level explained in extended sticky notes, linked by lines.
Now, as you can probably tell, I would've preferred to have created this digitally. As with all workshops, however, our only choices were traditional methods.
After creating this initial storyboard, I proceeded to move to digital tools - things that I am most comfortable with - to create my next iteration of the design. After reiterating on my visual appearance of the level area, I recreated the notes with lines pointing to their respective places. These notes contain information about the element in question. The use of pixel art to represent this is to match the design of my personal game, which also uses pixel art designs. However, it should be note that this would not be final visuals, as all storyboards are never intended to have the final visual appearance of the product in question.
My next level storyboard:
Now, I have been talking about this in the context of current. In truth, all the above was created during my original submission (There has been additional writing, however). As part of my resubmission, I was asked to create 'another version of your storyboard, but make it appropriate for your platformer game'. I was initially confused of this, but then I realised that what my tutor was talking about. He was referring to a later project, the platformer project, which I was much more successful in than this project.
At the time of creating this workshop piece, the idea for my platformer game was not even conceived. So this may feel out of place, but I was suggested to do this. I decided to make use of the assets of my platformer project, but make it for use of this storyboard workshop. With the same design in mind, I was to retheme the storyboard in a way that's more befitting of my Platformer project. For context, the platformer project ended up looking like this:
The first thing I knew I wanted to do was gather the most relevant assets I used for my platformer project. Specifically, ones that could be applied to this 'storyboard'.
With these images, I decided to try and roughly recreate the storyboard I had above in Unreal Engine 4. I decided to keep a simple white background, as this matches the source material and allows clarity in the design.
You can very easily imagine this being a rather unorthodox method of creating a storyboard - which I definitely agree with you in, if you do. However, I feel like this storyboard could be given this context - rather than being a pre-production storyboard like most are, this storyboard could be seen as a mid production one. For example, a storyboard like this could be shown during a meeting to get down the rough idea of what a level would look like - think of it as a mix of early prototyping and final model introduction. You could use this in the context of most of the practical visual assets being created, but none of the background art having been made. This would allow the designers/artists to work on the practical and interactive side of the level being made while the final background art is still being produced.
I can imagine this being the context of this storyboard. However, this is obviously not common in the industry, and would be a unique way of going about things.
Now, you can easily notice one thing is missing - the labels. Rather than taking a similar approach to before, with straight lines and standard text, I thought it would be better to instead actually make it seem like a meeting. This also gives me the opportunity to actually criticise my design. I know this method can feel rather... pointless - as it's just a false authenticity. However, even then, it may help prepare me for the future. I know, stretching things a bit, but it's something.
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