Some revising and rethinking...

After the presentation last Friday, it is now decided that I will go with the alien jungle idea. So far, I have been really enthusiastic for both ideas, but obviously I could only do one. So during the presentation, I stated that I could go either way with them. There’s good and bad points for each project. But one of the fundamental things with the alien jungle was that I believe I would have more fun doing that project. Both are environment based project, which is what I would prefer to specialise in, but also creature design, which I would be able to get my teeth into more with the alien jungle project than with Warwick. So with some encouragement from Mike, “alien jungle lives, Warwick dies” I will now be doing some concepts for the jungle.

I’ve found that it’s a relief that I can concentrate on the one idea now, it’s easier to think about it now that I have made my mind up between them. Honestly though, I still like both ideas, so perhaps it’s something I could come back to sometime in the future.

Of course, research for this project will be slightly more difficult, but I know how to approach it. I will be getting some books from the library on plants and animals in the amazon, as well as seeing if there are books on sci-fi creatures. I do remember reading one book a while ago which was all about how animals on Earth would look thousands of years in the future from now, and it had lots of very interesting creatures, all based on the animals that continued to survive long after humans left. I’m pretty sure that there was a TV documentary on this, and the book followed it. I will try to track it down.

Also, I will be getting photos of bugs and plants close up, and I’m considering a trip to the Eden Project, as that would provide me with plenty of references for jungle type plants.

Also need to start outlining specific things to model, setting out a time management plan for the overall project, a brief of course and tri and texture budgets.

So the plan of action is looking as follows:

Research! Need to get photos of plants and animals, look at jungle environments, particularly the Amazon. Visit the Eden Project if possible, or a local tropical garden.
Concepts! Need to draw and paint concepts that will show how the plants and animals look and the concepts should give a good basis for the modelling and texturing process.
Modelling and texturing! Need to make all the plants that will populate the level, create an asset list of everything that will need to be built and write out the brief.
UDK! Create the level! Design a layout, arrange all assets, build up materials and shaders, add post process effects, sounds and kismet sequences.
Also, rig and animate any creatures that need to be moving in the level.