3001 Haunted House Pt. 0 - The Concept

For my second project, I chose the Haunted House brief (Faculty of CEM at DMU). 

My initial research of other haunted house environments made me want to branch out to something more unusual, and I've decided to explore designing a high-end, haunted hotel staircase instead, with an elevator in the centre and 'something' happened on each floor that left a lingering atmosphere, with echoes of each unsavoury occurrence. Each floor would be caught in a particular era: one in the 1800s, one in the 1930s maybe. I imagine this hotel to be around 6 stories tall, but only design a maximum of 3 floors of it's staircase and elevator shaft.

[Initial Reference and Research - Pinterest]

I was inspired to explore hotels for this project because I think that their lighting, while intended to be warm and inviting, can sometimes look oppressive and claustrophobic, like every wall is looking at you. At least, that's how obscure horror games like 'Hotel Remorse' and 'Dark Deception' have made me feel about those settings.

My idea for this setting is that all manner of people stayed in this hotel, as if it's a crossroads of the world, opening the door to telling any kind of flavourful story. At first I defaulted to setting the hotel in England, but after some initial research, I've become enamoured with the Pera Palace hotel in Istanbul (not Constantinople). It might be the most beautifully aged and warm hotel I've ever seen images of. As of now, I'm planning to use this real hotel as my main reference and inspiration for the hotel (or at least its founding building blocks).

[Initial research, Pera Palace hotel]

While the geographical location of the hotel isn't final, having it in Istanbul would be more fitting, considering my first statement - since Istanbul (due to it being in the limbo between Europe and Asia) is often called the 'crossroads of the world'.

While I've settled on the manner of setting I'd like to create, the flavour of haunting is also something I want to consider. An initial idea I had was for each floor to be stuck in a separate time era, with the era dependent on what occurred on that respective floor and when.

[Initial pencil sketches]

Floor Idea #1 - Art Deco and the Dawn of the Great Depression:

Initial Art Deco Reference - Pinterest Board

I think I want one of the floors to be stuck in the 1920s or 1930s, perhaps the exact year 1929 - the year of the famed stock market crash and the dawn on the Great Depression. An initial idea I had for a previous guest of this hotel was a man (perhaps nearing his mid 30's) who is a businessman, or investor, someone who handles money and riches for a living. He receives a phone call after checking in to this hotel for a business trip - or more devastatingly, a vacation maybe - informing him of the stock market crash. Realising that he's financially ruined, he can't bear the idea of living a life in poverty. In a state of complete hopelessness, he lets himself fall down the elevator shaft to his swift death.

I think that it's doubly important to make the hotel high-end, immoderate and luxurious, to hammer home the idea that this was likely the last of an extravagant lifestyle this man would experience, before he would return to a life with nothing to his name. I think that the juxtaposition between the hotel and his sudden circumstances will be more pronounced and hopefully profound.

Floor Idea #2 - Gas-lighting and Art Nouveau:

[Initial Reference and Research]

I really like the film 'Gaslight' (1944), about a married woman in the Victorian era who begins to fear her house is haunted. In precedence to every haunting, the gas-lighting in her room dims, then she begins to hear noises above her. Her husband constantly dismisses her claims as mad ravings, when he is in fact trying to drive her mad so he can acquire her family's treasure from the attic covertly, and while searching for that property every night, he turns on the lights in the attic, causing the other gas lights in the house to dim. This film is also where the term 'gas-lighting' comes from - to make someone think they're seeing things or persuading them that whatever they saw wasn't there and the like.

I like the idea of one of the floors being stuck in the 1890s with gas-lighting that dims infrequently, and audible whispers of a woman's voice desperately trying to calm herself, with the context of her husband planning to have her death look like the result of fright or an accident in the hotel. Having this floor of the staircase in the style of Art Nouveau would create a rich, vintage atmosphere and help situate this time in the hotel's life in the 1890s.

Floor Idea #3 - 1940s and the Blitz:

[Initial Reference and Research]

This was more of a throwaway idea, since there wouldn't be much of a floor to design, at least in comparison the other floors. The rough plan with this one is for most of the upper structure of the staircase landing to be destroyed, as if a bomb or aircraft hit it, and left the interior of the hotel floor to be flayed, with no ceiling remaining and the surviving structural supports to be embers. This floor would be situated above the others, and would not affect them, damage-wise.

An Elaboration on How the Floors Would Work Together - and Apart:

[Some rough sketches of how it'd work]

While the floors would be stuck in different eras of the hotel's life for every horrible thing that occurred on those respective floors, I envision the boundaries between these different floors to be a gradual transition instead of a 50/50 border. For example, the balustrade and stair railings on the 1890s floor would be wrought iron curly patterning, then between its landing and the 1930s landing, it's pattern would gradually change and snake into different shapes, which by the second landing, would be fully transitioned into an angular, Art Deco balustrade and railing. This is the principal I'd employ when designing any other continuous asset in the environment: The carpet would have a gradient of eras between floors, just like the wallpaper. The furnishings, light fixtures and decorations would simply be different on each floor: The 1980s landing would have gaslights, while the 1930s floor would be fitted with sconces and be powered by electricity instead. There could even be different styles of paintings adorning the walls or perhaps the same painting in different states of disrepair or aging varnish and discolouration.

A brief history of domestic lighting - Lucy Worsley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau

Test lighting in Unreal Engine 4:

[Screenshots of lighting tests in UE4]

Downsizing the Project:

Considering that I only have 5 weeks set aside for this project, designing 3 different floors is likely an unrealistic goal. As per the advice of my tutors, I'm going to change my plan to only 1 floor (my chosen favourite of the three) and focus my efforts on that single smaller space.

I'm considering the idea of having some objects or furnishings that seem out of place, or switch places with their era-appropriate counterparts, or even jitter and phase in and out with complimenting effects, similar to Dishonored 2's 'Crack in the Slab' mission set in a manor where time is broken and distorted. However I only plan to attempt this later and only if time allows.

[Final initial sketch of the landing]

Here's my new sketch and design of the downsized environment.

I also had another idea for how to make the landing more haunted and 'off' or unnatural: I mentioned in my initial notes on my choice of setting that hotel lighting can make it feel like every wall is looking at you.

While I like environments, I've little passion for creating them in comparison to how I feel creating characters. There's little for me to become emotionally attached or invested in, which is often what motivates me to see a figurative project through to completion. I don't feel invested in this 2nd project like I did in my 1st, but maybe I could change the way I'm approaching designing this environment and therefore the quality of the result: perhaps I could try thinking of the hotel as a character, in a vague sense.

This isn't exactly a revolutionary way of constructing a setting for a story. The Shining (1980) depicts a hotel that wants to keep its denizens forever, and The Haunting (1963) is about a house that becomes seemingly attached to one of its guests and manipulates her into staying. Of course, these are only interpretations of the mysterious happenings in these films, but they are popular interpretations, and I like the idea of this approach to this environment's design, although I don't plan to make my haunted hotel so nefarious a presence. (But I think that I could treat it like a presence when designing it none the less.)

My more revised idea is that the hotel as a space is actually scarred and affected by these horrific occurrences and that's the reason for its chambers becoming stuck in those moments, like the space is unable to let go. As for the more individual elements, I think that maybe the light fixtures - the figurative ones as seen in my sketch, could have sullen or mournful expressions, and perhaps even be looking in particular directions (either the player or elevator shaft, the place of the man's death).

3001 Ubisoft Art Brief: The Captain Pt. 0 - The Concept

As always, I'd prefer something figurative over anything else, so I'm choosing at least one character brief - it's something I deeply enjoy, and I like to think It's my forte. Choosing this brief from our selection of options was a decision I made easily, although I think I'd like to experiment and explore designing an environment for my other brief during this module.

The Beginning of a Captain:

Nailing down the specifics of what my 'Captain' would be like, look like and his environment were hard, initially. However, as in my previous projects, I quickly decided to start brainstorming ideas by first noting the definition of Captain, a myriad of synonyms, and pre-existing types of Captain. Though seeming a bit literary of a practice, I've found that this works for me and my creative process, since it aids in loosening my assumptions of what the brief - in this case, a Captain - can possibly be, and brings me closer to designing something that I find soulful and personable, as well as unexpected and interesting.

Initial ideas and Choosing the One I Want to Develop:

Initial Sketches

Despite it being my first idea, I feel the most interested in the Firefighter Captain. I've never designed or drawn anything to do with fire before, and this could yield a striking and unusual Captain character. I'm currently thinking that his surrounding environment (and where he's encountered by the player) is a recently put-out forest fire. My initial rough idea for his story is that he was in a forest fire, but was killed inside his suit by something supernatural. I did also consider altering the design of his uniform to make it look as if he were from an older time period like the early 20th century or late 19th, but unless I have a reason to add that, other than just to force the design to be more interesting, I don't feel comfortable doing that. This character's narrative (and soul) definitely needs more life and development.

Visual inspiration and reference:

Firefighter Captain Pinterest Board

Poly-count and Texture Budget Research: What is Appropriate?

I've contacted two professionals in the game industry that my module leader recommended, but in the mean time, I've done some research on what kind of poly-count and texture budget would be practical and appropriate for my character. My constant ideal is to model a character with a budgeted mindset; by that I mean I design my use of poly-count even around people with limited computers or who don't have access to the latest and most sophisticated console technology. I do however want to have this character fit in a game with very realistic graphics, and realism is the most graphically expensive art style. I dug among some models from games I own, Dishonored 2 (2016), Pathologic 2 (2019), and researched some I didn't, such as Read Dead Redemption 2, God of War (2018) and Ghost of Tsushima (2020). Protagonist and supporting characters in Dishonored (2012) ranged from 40,000 to 60,000+ triangles, depending on there surface area/complexity. Pathologic 2, the most realistic Indie game I've played in recent memory, has a protagonist built with over 28,000 triangles, with interactable characters ranging between that and 14,000. Red Dead Redemption 2's main character has been estimated at between 40,000 and 60,000 triangles also. Considering the 3-Dimensional complexity of the average firefighter and uniform, I'd currently estimate an achievable budget limit of 60,000-90,000 triangles at least.

As for texture budget, the texel density or maximum image size in the other briefs ranges from 1024, 2048 to 4096 pixels squared. I think that a practical decision would be somewhere in the middle of the road. Since I'm designing a character, I don't think I'll need anything bigger than that, and it might be excessive as far as game engine implementation also. However I also want my character to have sharp textures that would hold their weight in a AAA game with realistic graphics.

Current Idea: Firefighter Captain With A Story - The Antagonist Who Protects:

This Firefighter Captain lost his wife in a fire a while ago. When tasked with dealing with a forest fire, after being separated from his team, alone he finds the epicentre of the blaze. He encounters a group of figures, made of flames, partially ethereal, and he sees his wife among them. 

The rough idea is that anyone who dies in a fire lingers/comes back as a partial spirit composed entirely of fire (with a hint of a blackened body underneath), and it's now their nature to travel and migrate to find haven - leading to forest fires like this one.

When he recognises is wife, they hold each other (tightly maybe). When the player encounters the Captain, it's a small while after this has all taken place, most of the outer rings of the fire's centre have died and there's ash falling like snow. The firefighter, as far as the player's concerned, is an adversary, but he's actually trying to protect his wife and her group from anyone else's discovery of them, and also protecting others from their inadvertent threat.

I've decided that he should still not look quite like a modern firefighter: he should be designed more in accord with older firefighter uniforms and gear, but less for 'interesting's sake' now. I find older stories and experiences of love and connection in history more profound and legendary (not to say that people can't completely and utterly love each other now). Love letters you see in museums and love stories in older books are usually so interesting and endearing, like the way those people thought of and experienced love was somehow different. Attrition was more of a threat, life was more dangerous, people had less time to be together.

He's still going to be devastatingly injured and damaged by the heat (the idea being that the epicentre of the fire, where that fiery group are, is incredibly hot). He's still going to be partially burned or melted inside his suit, but the outer/more obvious fire damage is going to be more focused than before: There's going to be a rough but very present outline/silhouette of where his wife hugged him; the shadow of her torso on his, and deep hand-prints on his back. His hands are going to have little skin and some muscle left from where he held her, and his face is also going to mostly be gone. He's still somewhat alive. Nothing of his spirit is lost; he's not zombified, but his wish to protect and be with his wife are the strongest elements of his character and how it's represented.

My current idea for how he'd be introduced to the player is as follows:

In a horror game that prioritises suspense and atmosphere over gore, action and the dreaded jump-scare, the protagonist would be making their way somewhere and come to the edge of a forest, with their objective being on the other side of this forest. Left with no other way to make their way forward, they approach the forest's edge. When they have but 10 metres until they meet the treeline, a figure emerges from the forest's shadow. This is the first sighting of the Captain. If the player continues forward, the Captain will assume a more apprehensive posture, and shout in a somewhat muffled voice, "stay away!". Should the player attempt to walk around him or give him a wide berth, the Captain will mirror their path, and continue to block their advance into the forest. Finally, if the player decides to chance sprinting into the forest, the Captain will become hostile and give chase.

As an enemy to encounter, I want the Firefighter Captain to come across less as an aggressive monster or boss, and more like that of a Big Daddy as seen in 2K Games' Bioshock (2007); an enemy who will not become aggressive until the player provokes him (in the Big Daddies' case, it's someone going too close to the children they're tasked with protecting). I think that this approach to enemy design - as Bioshock taught me - lends to not only creating a character with implied story and intelligence, but also to generating a stronger sense of atmosphere in a horror game. 

Concept Sketches and Design Iterations; 1, 2, 3 Left to Right:

Firefighter Captain Iterations 1-3

My aim with the above iterations is to develop and refine my design of the Captain as a vaguely early 20th century (alternate timeline?) firefighter situated in either America or England, perhaps an alternate England that has large forests like the United States - sprawling and dense. (I initially thought that having wildfires in my concept would tie me to America, but after developing the world, I think that the alternate history aspect justifies the change of location to an alternate England.) I want his uniform to reflect its fire-protection purpose, but clearly be an old and outdated design, and convey that 1910s-1920s air.

^ Design No. 1:

I've chosen to develop the first iteration(s) just as silhouettes with linework for detail, because I want to sketch them out efficiently, and also with some focus on how the silhouettes read: is it harmonious with the character idea I have in my mind's eye? While I do think my first iteration is a vague mirror of what I want to see in the design, it needs some refinement. The aspects of this initial design that I may add to the final design however, are the cuffs/lower sleeves, but I don't want to make any more decisions about the final design when I've only sketched one iteration so far.

^ Design No. 2:

I think the two most interesting aspects of my second iteration are the jacket (with the collar) and the trousers. After doing yet more research, on 1910s firefighters from America specifically, I found some paintings and miniatures depicting them with these rolled-up trousers that terminated mid-shin with leather boots underneath. I think that these trousers are part of the more vintage silhouette that I've been looking for.

However I don't like that the new hood, as it adds to the silhouette in an unflattering way. It's also just an alteration of the more modern flaps you see on firefighter helmets nowadays. On the other hand, I think that the addition of the jacket being double breasted as seen in much older firefighter uniforms (circa 1800s England) adds what I wanted from the general aesthetic, which is a firefighter uniform that feels as if it has evolved from those of Victorian England, and is being worn by a man from an alternate 1920s.

^ Design No. 3: 

I'm not sure I like design 3's boots, as they look too authoritarian, and bring the design too close to the soldier end of the spectrum than I want. I think I'll revert back to the 2nd design's boots for the final concept. On the other hand, the ornate name plate on the helmet pulls the design too far back to the 1800s for me, so I'll likely alter that as well. 

I do however prefer the cowl hood underneath the helmet over the previous, more modern blinder flaps hanging from the helmet. It's more akin to older methods of protection. I'm confident about the decision to bring back the iconic firefighter coat clasps, as they're closer the style I want to portray and they're more eye-catching. Moving onto the biggest change in this iteration, I stand by my decision to give the Captain a simpler nose/mouth breathing mask, as those absolutely existed for firefighters in the early 20th century, and they were far less likely to have shaped glass visors as they do in the later half of that century. It also makes eventually designing his face easier, as I'd initially planned on having said visor shattered, melted, exposing his face, but also making the visor frame more right-angled and historically accurate, etc. This iteration of the mask will lead to a more visible, and therefore more appealing damaged face with greater clarity, and make the process of designing said damage/trauma more straightforward.

Photo-bashing the Final Design - Paving the Road Ahead:

Final 2D Concept

This is my final concept as far as 2D Digital concepting is concerned. Elements of his design may change along the way to his eventual 3D execution. As I planned, I've reverted to the 2nd iteration boots, 1st iteration clasps as well as 1st iteration kneepads.

I still don't yet know if I will have the human-shaped burn penetrate down his skin or below, since that may detract from the hands and face being the focal areas of trauma (and simulating how his gear would be damaged by it would perhaps make this 5 week project too complicated). My current strategy is to plan as if I'm staying with the hands and face idea, and later make a decision with time restrictions in mind.

Blender Mock-up of the Captain's Burns:

To better plan out the damage caused to the Firefighter Captain's figure, I decided to make my work easier later of by creating a rough-out of the scenario in Blender using character models I'd made previously for personal projects, colour-coding and a boolean modifier. The colour-code is as follows: Beige = least burned, yellow = moderately burned and dark orange = properly burned. I chose to use his wife's stand-in as a boolean object to more precisely estimate where the burned silhouette she creates terminates. I want her form's shadow to be the first thing the viewer notices about the Captain's design, as she is at the heart of his character design.

With Burn Mark:

Final 2D Concept - With Burn

The human burn mark is the primary conveyor of the character's story and soul in this project, and should by the main focus of the design. It's the aspect that makes him more than just a firefighter. Now he's a firefighter with a story. And while it took some time to develop his design on a 2D canvas, I feel that I've gathered momentum to complete the rest of this project with confidence, and I have faith in my idea.

In my own work, I find that developing a deeper concept like this informs the final outcome, and when encountered by a player in a horror game experience, I hope that the impression that my character would make stays with them and makes them wonder about the origins of their virtual adversary.