Work 1: Game
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Kolibri
Designer: Ed Annunziata
Developers: Sega, Appaloosa Interactive
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Shoot 'em up
Release Date: November 1995
Platform: 32X
(Bibliography Page 2CA)
Kolibri was made by the same creators that made Ecco The Dolphin and thus carries many of its elements from it. This game uses the same idea of giving control of an animal that needs to complete an objective.
Much like Ecco, the game plays a heavy focus on its environment visuals rather than its story or underlying messages. The backgrounds are highly detailed with pixel art and there is life everywhere, such as other birds and even bigger animals like frogs that act has hazards.
As said above, this games is a Shoot 'em up, and this is the biggest difference between this and Ecco. Ecco's controls are simple and completely link with the physiology of a dolphin, but Kolibri decided to make the controls more hyperbolic as the character Kolbri gains powers and is able to shoot many different types of projectiles which you use to attack other animals.
Another factor about this game is that the story is completely non-linear. While there is an overarching plot, there are no cutscenes or scripted events joining it all together, also much like Ecco. However, what's different here is that Ecco had NPC's to help guide you to your destinations, while in Kolibri it's completely up to the player you work it out.
Apart from the things mentioned above, there's not much else to the game but it has given me extra things to think and reflect on based around the theme of my game. (Reflective Journal Page)
Network: Nat Geo Wild
Youtube Channel: Wild Nature TV
Topic: Sea Community
(Bibliography Page 3CA)
Subject Area
This documentary explores the life of multiple creates within the Red and Gulf sea. Showing their characteristics, physiology and how they interact with their world and each other. It does its best to identify the seas as a personification of a community/Cites that us humans have. It has a heavy focus on how the animals get sustenance, help each other out and even the struggles that they endure and how they cope with it.
Environment
Many different shots and viewpoints of parts of these underwater habitats are presented. Showing the life of the Sea itself and not just the animals. There were many different types of plant and all having unique and distinct appearances and features. This plays a large part in the environment these creates life in and its what gives these bodies of water its own internal life. You can see the beautiful plants in scenes like this.
Its also becomes apparent that these plants aren't only for show, and many inherit special properties that affect the world for the creatures in different ways. Such as the plant Anemone which apparently paralyses most prey fish unless they have natural protection as shown here.
One of the most interesting parts of the video is how it showed how the plants help sustain the life underwater and the cycle it takes part in. As the sun shines through the shallow water it provides sustained too many of these plants. Specific types of plants use this sunlight to produce things like sugar which also sustains the fish which sustain other fish that eat them. The video describes it like if it was a solar-powered town.
Fauna
A lot of attention is brought to the animals itself. displaying their place in their world, what they do and ext.
Similar to the plants, some of these creatures also have unique properties about them and it's shown how what benefits it provides for them. Such as the Damselfish as they appear to be resistant to the plant Anemone. As I stated, Anemone can paralyse most fish but the Damselfish appear to be able to hide in the from predators. It's not described how they are resistant but it very possible it's due to their size. There's also the Annulated Sea Snake, described as one of the most venomous creatures in the world. Despite this, its normal diet is small fish, eels and gobies, showings its venom is mostly a defence mechanism rather than to catch prey.
The animals in this documentary all take part and interact with the world and each other in unique ways. There are little fish everywhere, some fish camouflage themselves as rocks when resting and some make their homes on the sea's floor. Some of them even engage with interactions that benefit each other, such as the Wrasse Fish that groom other fish like the Sweetlip. Doing so provide sustenance to the Wrasse and provides more compatibility to the Sweetlip.
All of these assets help construct this vast habitat and effectively show the kind of community and society that the sea world has. These have helped inform how I can construct my world and I've described this on my Reflective Journal Page.
In the analyses above, I focused on how ecosystems work in general and how to boost my theme, this time I decided to analyse how other artists embed creatures into different environments and how are they treated within the realm of fantasy. I looked at 3 different art books at once in which Ill analyse now altogether
Fantasy World
Author: Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Publisher: F&W Publications Inc
Published: 2015
This book's art uses a watercolour style, not just for the background but also of the animals themselves. The way Stephanie embeds the animals in the environments she creates is consistent throughout. From observing the many different pages, I picked up on the pattern and I realised the method she uses is to merge the creatures with the theme/mood/atmosphere of the illustrations, making them an extension of the subjects within them.
This can be seen when you dissect and analyse them, key ones that I saw that support my observations are;
This illustration as women powering as the main subject. Being engulfed in a Ventus styled background and environment with a part of her dress flowing in a way that imitates the flow of a visible wind current surrounding her. The soring birds extend the scene, as they are linked with the wind with their ability to fly and it helps build something I call Invisible Momentum as a person who views this art can imagine the birds riding the wind currents that are possibly present in it. Thereby creating a link between it all.
Here show mythical style lifeforms within a patch of nature that is presented with many colours to show its beauty. Colours like green and white can help represent light and life which are positive aspects the viewer my subconsciously adopt. Some of the creatures in this image appear as sentient skeletons. Their material and appearance match the long bark of the tree that acts as an extension of it. You can describe the illustration as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" as its colours can display a sense of beauty at face value but negative connotations my hide just under that facade. The contrast present is further displayed as the trees themselves appear dead despite the bottom showing nothing but life. You can see arms coming from one of them as if they are beating a drum to the dance of the people below. Thus you can describe it as them being puppeted from the undead. It was never stated in the book, but its highly possible that it was inspired from the story Adam and Eve, as in that story, nature was shown to corrupt despite its implied beauty at the start.
With the majestic creatures running about and the subjects mainly composting white with their appearance which help with the implication that they are holy. The one unicorn in the middle is shown right below a crescent moon. This makes it appear almost as if it's conjuring it and thus not only further extending its magnificence but also showing its importance in the scene. This is even further implied the surrounding of the moon shows a silhouette of a massive tree, one larger than everything in it. You can take this as the tree is connected to the life of everything there, and thus so as the moon, and thus, same as the Unicorn.
In this illustration, the background is pitch white but partly engulfed in a consuming shadow. By the fact that the bird as a white mask that presents a sinister look, you can imply that the white in the picture is negative. With the white silhouette of a bird on the right, you can say that the shadow is also negative as it causes this white appearance. Thus, the main bird that is sprouting some of the shadows from its head can be seen as if it's the main negative in the scene, showing that it doesn't belong with nature as it's an extension with the unnatural background.
The way this unicorn is an extension of the background is very apparent. Its horn becomes a source of light equal to the ones in it and helps to show that it truly matches and belongs in the environment. Quite the opposite possible interpretation to the previous.
This last one once again extends the environment to the creatures. The flying beasts in the air normally would be seen a sinister or intimidating. But this is circumvented with the fact that they are the same colour the one patch of land in the foreground and the person themselves who can be seen as a "hero" in the scene. As the green is one of the only proper colours, it gives off a sense of security from the creature and by linking them with the background, they are given a new like and perspective. This is in contrast with the dark silhouettes creatures in the background.
With all of these analyses, it's apparent that the animals and creatures within these illustrations do a good job at extending or complement the environment/backgrounds. This can aid the implication that they match or belong there, evoke emotions or thoughts about the creature itself or even just to present a point. A very effective method.
Author: Vincent Zhao
Publisher: Gingko Press, Incorporated
Published: 10/01/2013
Series: Fantasy+ Series , #5
The content in this book also like art that has a consistent method/style used throughout almost all of the illustrations despite it compositing many different artists work. The method is very similar to the previous but there is a clear disparity. While the former focuses on making the creatures and extension of the environment they're in, the art in this book flat outs designs them and the background to match seamlessly. Using similar colours, theme and mood presentation for each almost to emphasize that they're all one piece of work, but each with their own possible reasons. Examples are;
The creatures here match the setting perfectly. The atmosphere is made to be quite eerie, mostly accomplished by the sky with its dull and saturated colours. The scene uses prehistoric animals, but instead of using their regular recognised appearances that can already be seen as intimidating, they design them to match the zombies at the bottom. This eliminates any disparities between everything within the illustration as all of the subjects add to the uncanny theme and thus cements their place there.
Here, the environment is presented to be tranquil and prepossessing with all of its greenery and gentle animals and the women peaceful expression. The dragon-like creature would normally be expressed as daunting, but here it's the complete opposite. Its Scales match the colour and texture with the Plantae almost to the point that it looks like one itself if you were to take out the eyes. Using this, Dilettantes can interpret the creature as gentle and amiable without needing any context or conformation from the artist.
With the icy rugged ground, strong- high contrast colours/shades and the visuals of the chilling fog make it apparent that this is supposed to be a harsh and punitive location. However, upon observing the wolf, its clearly evoked that it's in its comfort zone, through its facial expression and its armour. As its shows, it's prepared for this extreme habitat and thus, matches with it.
The atmosphere here is very extreme. The vibe that the vigorous and dark clouds in the back give are uncanny. The Lycanthropes were painted in a way that makes them appear gaseous, making their complexion resemble that of the clouds and thus matches with the eerie ambience. The connotation relating to wolfs attachment is further evident judging with the towering moon. As in folklore, Lycanthropes transform into their wolf-like states upon a full moon.
This was the one illustration I found that was an outlier to the ones I analysed. While the others design their creature to seamlessly integrate with the background of the scenes, this one does the complete opposite and uses that same method to show why this one doesn't fit the environment. The strong colour that red is makes it clash with the much gentler colour that green is, making it stand out more instead of it blending it like the other illustrations. This help boosts the implication of what the creature is, as it appears demonic and devilish which are normally portrayed as beings from hell and thus unearthly.
The content in this book showed many different illustrations from different artists. As stated, they all make the creatures and the envious become one, getting them to perfectly match the environment they are in and in doing so can evoke certain characteristics and qualities about them without the need for context.
OAO
Author: John Robertson
Publisher: Indie By Design
Published: April 2019
Series: Oddworld
In Abe's Origins, all characters are anthropomorphic abstract creatures with different species. This book is an encyclopedia to the game series Oddworld. Some of it presents the concepts and decisions they made with the designs and the art of most of them. This also has a pattern, but instead of making them an extension to the environment itself or to make them completely match/clash with it, the art of the characters are made to directly complement and promote the theme of the sires as a whole;
Abe is the main protagonist of the whole series. His design is made to making him appear frail and weak. This is to present him as an unlikely hero, one who at first glance would sprout any suspicion that he would achieve the things that he ended up achieving. As the beginning was about his species, the Mudokons were used for slave labour, their lack of a vigorous body helps sell how this could be. Abe also has unique markings on his chest that are supposed to brand him as the unique specimen of his species and used to further display his important role within the story. The physiology of the Mudokons leads them to have only 4 fingers and large feet. This can be to show that they aren't very coordinated to create a link between them and a child, as just like a child, they were defenceless to change their circumstance and was under the control of others.
This species is called the Scrab. They form one of the "snacks" in the series as they are hunted and made into processed food. Their design perfectly integrates with this theme. Their lack of eyes can symbolise to how they are blind to their fate within the series and the lack of arms symbolises their lack of any ability to control said fate.
The Steef are a race that's evolved to obtain unique traits. Their lower body resembles a horse/giraffe, their upper body is almost gorilla-like and their heads resemble a lion with horns. These traits provide them with enhanced physical qualities like agility and strength. These link with the theme of Oddworld as such traits would normally allow them to have a protected life bust said traits makes them for more of a target. This expresses the message that Oddworld presents constantly, that within a corrupt system, being special/gifted can be detrimental as your traits can and will be exploited.
The book of Abe's origins created designs for the many different species all in one way or another assist with selling and portraying the many theme and messages that the series attempts to portray. Very similar to the first method of getting the creatures to be an extension of the environment but goes more in-depth than that. An effective method for boosting the immersion for players within the universe.
Overall, these 3 different books have very similar patterns with how their art integrates their animals/creatures within their retrospective environments/universes but have clear disparities between them. There are many different aspects to draw from these analyses, all of which I display on my Reflective Journal.
Developers: Sega, Appaloosa Interactive
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Shoot 'em up
Release Date: November 1995
Platform: 32X
(Bibliography Page 2CA)
Kolibri was made by the same creators that made Ecco The Dolphin and thus carries many of its elements from it. This game uses the same idea of giving control of an animal that needs to complete an objective.
Much like Ecco, the game plays a heavy focus on its environment visuals rather than its story or underlying messages. The backgrounds are highly detailed with pixel art and there is life everywhere, such as other birds and even bigger animals like frogs that act has hazards.
As said above, this games is a Shoot 'em up, and this is the biggest difference between this and Ecco. Ecco's controls are simple and completely link with the physiology of a dolphin, but Kolibri decided to make the controls more hyperbolic as the character Kolbri gains powers and is able to shoot many different types of projectiles which you use to attack other animals.
Apart from the things mentioned above, there's not much else to the game but it has given me extra things to think and reflect on based around the theme of my game. (Reflective Journal Page)
Work 2: Documentary
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Desert Seas National Geographic
Network: Nat Geo Wild
Youtube Channel: Wild Nature TV
Topic: Sea Community
(Bibliography Page 3CA)
Subject Area
This documentary explores the life of multiple creates within the Red and Gulf sea. Showing their characteristics, physiology and how they interact with their world and each other. It does its best to identify the seas as a personification of a community/Cites that us humans have. It has a heavy focus on how the animals get sustenance, help each other out and even the struggles that they endure and how they cope with it.
Environment
Many different shots and viewpoints of parts of these underwater habitats are presented. Showing the life of the Sea itself and not just the animals. There were many different types of plant and all having unique and distinct appearances and features. This plays a large part in the environment these creates life in and its what gives these bodies of water its own internal life. You can see the beautiful plants in scenes like this.
Its also becomes apparent that these plants aren't only for show, and many inherit special properties that affect the world for the creatures in different ways. Such as the plant Anemone which apparently paralyses most prey fish unless they have natural protection as shown here.
One of the most interesting parts of the video is how it showed how the plants help sustain the life underwater and the cycle it takes part in. As the sun shines through the shallow water it provides sustained too many of these plants. Specific types of plants use this sunlight to produce things like sugar which also sustains the fish which sustain other fish that eat them. The video describes it like if it was a solar-powered town.
Fauna
A lot of attention is brought to the animals itself. displaying their place in their world, what they do and ext.
Similar to the plants, some of these creatures also have unique properties about them and it's shown how what benefits it provides for them. Such as the Damselfish as they appear to be resistant to the plant Anemone. As I stated, Anemone can paralyse most fish but the Damselfish appear to be able to hide in the from predators. It's not described how they are resistant but it very possible it's due to their size. There's also the Annulated Sea Snake, described as one of the most venomous creatures in the world. Despite this, its normal diet is small fish, eels and gobies, showings its venom is mostly a defence mechanism rather than to catch prey.
The animals in this documentary all take part and interact with the world and each other in unique ways. There are little fish everywhere, some fish camouflage themselves as rocks when resting and some make their homes on the sea's floor. Some of them even engage with interactions that benefit each other, such as the Wrasse Fish that groom other fish like the Sweetlip. Doing so provide sustenance to the Wrasse and provides more compatibility to the Sweetlip.
All of these assets help construct this vast habitat and effectively show the kind of community and society that the sea world has. These have helped inform how I can construct my world and I've described this on my Reflective Journal Page.
Works 3/4/5: Book
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the analyses above, I focused on how ecosystems work in general and how to boost my theme, this time I decided to analyse how other artists embed creatures into different environments and how are they treated within the realm of fantasy. I looked at 3 different art books at once in which Ill analyse now altogether
Fantasy World
Author: Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Publisher: F&W Publications Inc
Published: 2015
This book's art uses a watercolour style, not just for the background but also of the animals themselves. The way Stephanie embeds the animals in the environments she creates is consistent throughout. From observing the many different pages, I picked up on the pattern and I realised the method she uses is to merge the creatures with the theme/mood/atmosphere of the illustrations, making them an extension of the subjects within them.
This can be seen when you dissect and analyse them, key ones that I saw that support my observations are;
This illustration as women powering as the main subject. Being engulfed in a Ventus styled background and environment with a part of her dress flowing in a way that imitates the flow of a visible wind current surrounding her. The soring birds extend the scene, as they are linked with the wind with their ability to fly and it helps build something I call Invisible Momentum as a person who views this art can imagine the birds riding the wind currents that are possibly present in it. Thereby creating a link between it all.
Here show mythical style lifeforms within a patch of nature that is presented with many colours to show its beauty. Colours like green and white can help represent light and life which are positive aspects the viewer my subconsciously adopt. Some of the creatures in this image appear as sentient skeletons. Their material and appearance match the long bark of the tree that acts as an extension of it. You can describe the illustration as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" as its colours can display a sense of beauty at face value but negative connotations my hide just under that facade. The contrast present is further displayed as the trees themselves appear dead despite the bottom showing nothing but life. You can see arms coming from one of them as if they are beating a drum to the dance of the people below. Thus you can describe it as them being puppeted from the undead. It was never stated in the book, but its highly possible that it was inspired from the story Adam and Eve, as in that story, nature was shown to corrupt despite its implied beauty at the start.
With the majestic creatures running about and the subjects mainly composting white with their appearance which help with the implication that they are holy. The one unicorn in the middle is shown right below a crescent moon. This makes it appear almost as if it's conjuring it and thus not only further extending its magnificence but also showing its importance in the scene. This is even further implied the surrounding of the moon shows a silhouette of a massive tree, one larger than everything in it. You can take this as the tree is connected to the life of everything there, and thus so as the moon, and thus, same as the Unicorn.
In this illustration, the background is pitch white but partly engulfed in a consuming shadow. By the fact that the bird as a white mask that presents a sinister look, you can imply that the white in the picture is negative. With the white silhouette of a bird on the right, you can say that the shadow is also negative as it causes this white appearance. Thus, the main bird that is sprouting some of the shadows from its head can be seen as if it's the main negative in the scene, showing that it doesn't belong with nature as it's an extension with the unnatural background.
The way this unicorn is an extension of the background is very apparent. Its horn becomes a source of light equal to the ones in it and helps to show that it truly matches and belongs in the environment. Quite the opposite possible interpretation to the previous.
This last one once again extends the environment to the creatures. The flying beasts in the air normally would be seen a sinister or intimidating. But this is circumvented with the fact that they are the same colour the one patch of land in the foreground and the person themselves who can be seen as a "hero" in the scene. As the green is one of the only proper colours, it gives off a sense of security from the creature and by linking them with the background, they are given a new like and perspective. This is in contrast with the dark silhouettes creatures in the background.
With all of these analyses, it's apparent that the animals and creatures within these illustrations do a good job at extending or complement the environment/backgrounds. This can aid the implication that they match or belong there, evoke emotions or thoughts about the creature itself or even just to present a point. A very effective method.
Fantasy+
Author: Vincent Zhao
Publisher: Gingko Press, Incorporated
Published: 10/01/2013
Series: Fantasy+ Series , #5
The content in this book also like art that has a consistent method/style used throughout almost all of the illustrations despite it compositing many different artists work. The method is very similar to the previous but there is a clear disparity. While the former focuses on making the creatures and extension of the environment they're in, the art in this book flat outs designs them and the background to match seamlessly. Using similar colours, theme and mood presentation for each almost to emphasize that they're all one piece of work, but each with their own possible reasons. Examples are;
The creatures here match the setting perfectly. The atmosphere is made to be quite eerie, mostly accomplished by the sky with its dull and saturated colours. The scene uses prehistoric animals, but instead of using their regular recognised appearances that can already be seen as intimidating, they design them to match the zombies at the bottom. This eliminates any disparities between everything within the illustration as all of the subjects add to the uncanny theme and thus cements their place there.
Here, the environment is presented to be tranquil and prepossessing with all of its greenery and gentle animals and the women peaceful expression. The dragon-like creature would normally be expressed as daunting, but here it's the complete opposite. Its Scales match the colour and texture with the Plantae almost to the point that it looks like one itself if you were to take out the eyes. Using this, Dilettantes can interpret the creature as gentle and amiable without needing any context or conformation from the artist.
With the icy rugged ground, strong- high contrast colours/shades and the visuals of the chilling fog make it apparent that this is supposed to be a harsh and punitive location. However, upon observing the wolf, its clearly evoked that it's in its comfort zone, through its facial expression and its armour. As its shows, it's prepared for this extreme habitat and thus, matches with it.
The atmosphere here is very extreme. The vibe that the vigorous and dark clouds in the back give are uncanny. The Lycanthropes were painted in a way that makes them appear gaseous, making their complexion resemble that of the clouds and thus matches with the eerie ambience. The connotation relating to wolfs attachment is further evident judging with the towering moon. As in folklore, Lycanthropes transform into their wolf-like states upon a full moon.
This was the one illustration I found that was an outlier to the ones I analysed. While the others design their creature to seamlessly integrate with the background of the scenes, this one does the complete opposite and uses that same method to show why this one doesn't fit the environment. The strong colour that red is makes it clash with the much gentler colour that green is, making it stand out more instead of it blending it like the other illustrations. This help boosts the implication of what the creature is, as it appears demonic and devilish which are normally portrayed as beings from hell and thus unearthly.
The content in this book showed many different illustrations from different artists. As stated, they all make the creatures and the envious become one, getting them to perfectly match the environment they are in and in doing so can evoke certain characteristics and qualities about them without the need for context.
OAO
Author: John Robertson
Publisher: Indie By Design
Published: April 2019
Series: Oddworld
In Abe's Origins, all characters are anthropomorphic abstract creatures with different species. This book is an encyclopedia to the game series Oddworld. Some of it presents the concepts and decisions they made with the designs and the art of most of them. This also has a pattern, but instead of making them an extension to the environment itself or to make them completely match/clash with it, the art of the characters are made to directly complement and promote the theme of the sires as a whole;
Abe is the main protagonist of the whole series. His design is made to making him appear frail and weak. This is to present him as an unlikely hero, one who at first glance would sprout any suspicion that he would achieve the things that he ended up achieving. As the beginning was about his species, the Mudokons were used for slave labour, their lack of a vigorous body helps sell how this could be. Abe also has unique markings on his chest that are supposed to brand him as the unique specimen of his species and used to further display his important role within the story. The physiology of the Mudokons leads them to have only 4 fingers and large feet. This can be to show that they aren't very coordinated to create a link between them and a child, as just like a child, they were defenceless to change their circumstance and was under the control of others.
This species is called the Scrab. They form one of the "snacks" in the series as they are hunted and made into processed food. Their design perfectly integrates with this theme. Their lack of eyes can symbolise to how they are blind to their fate within the series and the lack of arms symbolises their lack of any ability to control said fate.
The Steef are a race that's evolved to obtain unique traits. Their lower body resembles a horse/giraffe, their upper body is almost gorilla-like and their heads resemble a lion with horns. These traits provide them with enhanced physical qualities like agility and strength. These link with the theme of Oddworld as such traits would normally allow them to have a protected life bust said traits makes them for more of a target. This expresses the message that Oddworld presents constantly, that within a corrupt system, being special/gifted can be detrimental as your traits can and will be exploited.
The book of Abe's origins created designs for the many different species all in one way or another assist with selling and portraying the many theme and messages that the series attempts to portray. Very similar to the first method of getting the creatures to be an extension of the environment but goes more in-depth than that. An effective method for boosting the immersion for players within the universe.
Overall, these 3 different books have very similar patterns with how their art integrates their animals/creatures within their retrospective environments/universes but have clear disparities between them. There are many different aspects to draw from these analyses, all of which I display on my Reflective Journal.