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EXTENDED PROJECT PORTFOLIO

Academic Year 2016/2017

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Student NameYear 1 – Write the title of your

pathway Unit 8 – Extended Project

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS.........................................................................................................................................2

LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................................5

LIST OF TABLES...............................................................................................................................5

DEFINITION OF TERMS...................................................................................................................5

Unit 8 - Project Proposal.......................................................................................................................6

.......................................................................................................6

Project Action Plan and Timetable.......................................................................................................9

....................................................................................................................9

CHAPTER 1...........................................................................................................................................11

Introduction........................................................................................................................................11

..............................................................................................11

The Background of my Project........................................................................................................11

Who am I?...................................................................................................................................12

What did I learn on my course?..................................................................................................12

What is my project about?.............................................................................................................12

Why my project is important?........................................................................................................13

CHAPTER 2...........................................................................................................................................14

Literature/Resources Review.............................................................................................................14

........................................................................................14

Introduction....................................................................................................................................14

Media sources, literature search and evaluation...........................................................................14

Requirements for my creative media production project..............................................................15

CONCLUSION - Who/what was my inspiration? /Contextualisation of my study.....................15

CHAPTER 3...........................................................................................................................................16

Research Design and Strategies..........................................................................................................16

.......................................................................................16

Introduction....................................................................................................................................16

Research Questions........................................................................................................................18

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Research Design Evolution..............................................................................................................19

CHAPTER 4...........................................................................................................................................22

Writing and presenting my research findings....................................................................................22

..................................................................................................22

Findings/Data analysis....................................................................................................................22

Conclusion - How did the research help me with my project? (Interpret Research).....................22

CHAPTER 5...........................................................................................................................................24

My Project...........................................................................................................................................24

.................................................................................24

Introduction....................................................................................................................................24

Pre-Production................................................................................................................................24

Production.......................................................................................................................................24

Post-production..............................................................................................................................25

CHAPTER 6...........................................................................................................................................26

MY EXTENDED PROJECT - FINAL PRODUCT........................................................................................26

.................................................................................................26

CHAPTER 7...........................................................................................................................................27

Project Evaluation...............................................................................................................................27

...................................................................................................27

APPENDICES........................................................................................................................................28

Extended project in creative media production Learning Outcomes and Assessment.................28

1. Understand the requirements of a creative media production project...................................28

2. Be able to use research methods to inform ideas for creative media production...................28

3. Be able to use skills, knowledge and understanding in the completion of a creative media project.........................................................................................................................................28

4. Be able to evaluate a creative media project...........................................................................28

REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................29

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1- What is research...................................................................................................................15

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Figure 2- How to ask good questions...................................................................................................16Figure 3 - My exercise 1.......................................................................................................................16

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 - Project Proposal......................................................................................................................6Table 2 - Project Action Plan and Timetable..........................................................................................9Table 3- My research Plan...................................................................................................................11

DEFINITION OF TERMS

EP – Extended ProjectUAL – University of the Arts London

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Unit 8 - Project Proposal

Candidate Name Josh TitchnerCandidate NumberPathway Games development

Project Title Understanding and researching the use of 2D sprites.

Section 1: Rationale (approx. 100 words)

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I am interested in developing my skills in 2D sprites, whilst gaining an understanding of how different developers and publishers use what they produce; this will include AAA companies and indie companies. The reason I have chosen to do this as my project is, whilst being on this course. I want to enhance my skills in doing pixel work but also boosting my knowledge in pixel art. The inspiration for wanting to do 2D, is from one of the projects I previously done in the year. It was to make a game in GameMaker and it consisted of a lot of 2D pixel art. Section 2: Project Concept (approx. 200 words)

The idea for this project is based on my interest for 2D pixel art and what it brings to the gaming industry. The goal of this project is to design my own version of a sprite from a PlayStation 1 game (Psychic Force) whilst at the same time developing an understanding of how AAA companies and Indie companies use 2D sprites today and in the past. My research will help me when it comes to designing my own sprite for this project. The audience for this project will be fans of 2D pixel art and retro game fans, as well as fans of the game I’m creating a sprite for. My role in this project will be to research and create 2D sprites, for instance the history and what makes a good sprite viable. My research will mainly revolve around the game I’m creating a sprite for; Psychic Force. My technical requirements for this this project are a computer, Photoshop, some paper for sketching out ideas for my sprite and maybe a graphics tablet for creating sprites.

Section 3: Evaluation (approx. 50 words)Through the entirety of this project I will be constantly monitoring the quality of my research and writing to ensure I’m am working to the best of my capability. After each week, I will go over the work I have produced, to see if I went wrong when researching or writing. I will be doing all of my writing in Microsoft Word before moving it into WordPress to minimalize the risk of any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes. I will try to plan each week beforehand to prevent me wasting any time during the following week. I also intend on making a Subreddit for the game, and to use it for getting feedback on all my work, since there are no online communities based around my game, so this will help me reach out. I will use any peer feedback I get to improve my work on the following week.

Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)

BibliographyUNKNOWN, 1997. Psychic Force Review. [Online] Available at: http://uk.ign.com/games/psychic-force/ps-57[Accessed 28 4 2017].

Table 1 - Project Proposal

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Project Action Plan and Timetable

Project Action Plan and Timetable

Week Date WeekBeginning

Activity / What you are intending to do - including independent study

Resources / What you will need to do it - including access to workshops

29th March Wednesday

to Friday

Produce a piece of work that shows the skills developed over the year so far.

Create a mind map describing me

Photoshop, Microsoft Word and Internet access

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19th April Wednesday

to Friday

Come up with three separate ideas for my Extended project.

Microsoft Word

26th April

Wednesday to Friday

Conduct research into my audience. Demographic and psychometric research, Equipment requirements, Job roles and health and safety requirements.

Internet access and Microsoft Word

4th May

Wednesday to Friday

Planning research and Literature review Internet access and Microsoft Word

10th May

Wednesday to Friday

Designing and interpreting primary research

Internet access, Microsoft Word and SurveyMonkey

17th

May Wednesday to Friday

Create a proposal presentation and present it, polish project goals and focus.

Internet access, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint

24th May

Wednesday to Friday

Complete any work prior to this week, in preparation for my practical work.

Microsoft Word, Internet access

7th June

Wednesday to Friday

Sketch a sprite, then create it in photoshop.

Photoshop, Drawing materials.

14th June

Wednesday to Friday (Continuing to 21st June)

Using the sprite I created I would then create an animation using my sprite.

Write my final evaluation for my project.

Photoshop, Microsoft Word, internet access

Table 2 - Project Action Plan and Timetable

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Write an introduction to the Chapter - This opening section’s main function is simply to get the reader into the chapter somewhat gradually rather than jumping directly into the first section.

It can be as brief as one paragraph; it can be as long as three or more pages. If you prefer a briefer introduction, then begin with a paragraph something like this:

For example:-

This project portfolio is a report of my Extended Project for my first-year UAL Diploma in

Games development pathway. My project is to develop an understanding of the use of 2D

sprites, and with this research I will create my own sprite using the research I got. This first

chapter of the project portfolio presents the background of my project starting with writing

about myself, what I learned on my course and who or what inspired me for my project. This

is followed by explaining what my project is about and why it is important. The chapter

concludes with my research plan and everything I have carried out.

The Background of my Project

The reasoning behind my project.

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Since joining this course, I was never too certain in which pathway I wanted to follow within the gaming industry but through the year I got to experience some of the different pathways, and doing so made me realise I have a passion for pixel art. Since I discovered what I like within the gaming industry, I decided to try and base my entire project around it. Doing this will hugely increase my understanding in pixel art as well as my skills in pixel art.

My personal experiences that have influenced my choices.

Having been a gamer for a long time, I have played a range of games with a wide variety of art styles, including pixel art, such as; Pokémon emerald, Pokémon FireRed, Evoland etc. I believe pixel art can still have a strong impact on gameplay as well as story, and I hope to understand why, by the end of this project.

My projects basic premise

The basic premise for my project is to produce a character that would fit in a PlayStation 1 game called psychic force, it will be made in a pixel art style and I will be using the research I conducted to form my sprite.

Who am I? This mind map is a brief summary; showing my interests, values, and background etc.

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What did I learn on my course?

What is my project about?

Over the past few decades video games have come a long way, especially in terms of graphics

starting from PIXEL art coming to realistic art, as this development in graphics has come about more

people want to experience the nostalgic feel of a retro game, this can be achieved by using pixel art. I

want to develop my knowledge of pixel art and the effect it can have on a player, this is when my

research plays a key role in creating my sprite.

Why my project is important?

People will always want to experience that nostalgic feeling, I chose to do pixel art because I want to develop an understanding and the ability to create pixel art. Doing this project will give me the ability to educate myself in the field of pixel art.

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CHAPTER 2

Literature/Resources Review

Introduction

This aim for this chapter is for me to have a large range of sources that I could use for my secondary research that will be used to develop my understanding of pixel art; like the different aspects of it such as, shape, colour and size and how it’s portrayed through pixel art.

Following up on my previous work, I will be listing all my technical requirements, health and safety and the legal requirements of my project. Research will be done, going into my ideal audience for my project.

Media sources, literature search and evaluation

  Literature review

For this task, we have to find relevant sources that we could use for our research. This is useful because when we come to research we will have a list of sources we could use. To start I will be making a list of topics relevant to my project and gather sources for them.

Anatomy, pose and gesture

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/human-anatomy-fundamentals-drawing-characters-consistently--cms-22112 - This article explains everything to make a character unique, using features, pose and dress sense.

Drawing basics and video game art (Book) – (Solarski, 2012) – Has a whole bunch of different information into different aspects of character design.

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-the-line-of-action-make-your-character-poses-more-dynamic--vector-5554 - More in-depth information into pose.

http://www.innerbody.com/image/musfov.html - This has all the information into human anatomy that I will need.

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/human-anatomy-fundamentals-learning-to-see-and-draw-energy--vector-17027 - Learning to see and capture the energy of a body.

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/human-anatomy-fundamentals-advanced-body-proportions--vector-19869 - An advancement into human proportions.

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https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/human-anatomy-fundamentals-basics-of-the-face--cms-20417 - Things to keep in mind, when doing the proportions of a face.

Character design

Drawing basics and video game art (Book) – (Solarski, 2012) – Has a step-by-step tutorial on learning character design.

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/human-anatomy-fundamentals-drawing-characters-consistently--cms-22112 - This article also helps me with games design overall, as It has key information on every aspect of character design.

http://pixar-animation.weebly.com/character-design.html - Has some great tips for character design, including key features to include when making a character.

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/10-top-tips-for-creating-unique-character-designs--cms-25966 - Great tips for creating a unique character.

https://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/1052-Beginners-Guide-to-Concept-Sketching - A beginners guide to sketching, when creating a character.

https://youtu.be/u3g6OANZyxM?t=2m00s – Goes through all the steps on creating a character, including multiple sketches, putting them into to photoshop and deciding what type of character it’s going to be.

https://www.retrosupply.co/blogs/retrosupply-blog/retro-vintage-character-design-tutorials - Many different tutorials, on how to create different type of characters.

Creating sprites

https://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/how-to-create-an-8-bit-pixel-character-in-illustrator - An easy to follow guide on how to create an 8-bit character in illustrator.

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-an-animated-pixel-art-sprite-in-adobe-photoshop--cms-20428 - A guide on making an animated character in photoshop.

https://www.raywenderlich.com/14865/introduction-to-pixel-art-for-games - Another tutorial on making a sprite, but this time in Photoshop. They go over what makes a sprite good, eye-appealing, and nostalgic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GECdvBzkaCs&t=187s -  A more in-depth way of making a sprite in Photoshop.

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/learn-how-to-draw-hand-crafted-pixel-art-in-photoshop--psd-5284 - This is very useful for when I’m trying to create any objects or assets for my game.

Formal elements: tone, colour, shape, line, texture, form, and lighting

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https://graphicmama.com/blog/conveying-characters-personality/ - Explains how different shapes can reflect on a character’s personality.

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/02/color-theory-for-designer-part-3-creating-your-own-color-palettes/ - Using colour theory for your character.

Semiology

Character design in fighting games

http://conceptartworld.com/news/mortal-kombat-x-concept-art-by-marco-nelor/ - A lot of the concept art from Mortal Kombat, which I can use for inspiration.

http://fightingstreet.com/folders/artworkfolder/artworkpages/sf_art_pages/sfiv_art_pages/sfiv_pc_concept_art/sfiv_pc_concept_art.html - More concept but from street fighter, which has a slightly different art style to Mortal Kombat.

http://www.wwe.com/classics/superstar-sketches-round-2-photos - Very useful is I chose to do a human character.

Industry research

This task was to gain an understanding of how my project is relevant to the gaming industry and role it plays within it. To show this work I decided to make two separate infographics.

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Requirements for my creative media production project

This is work you have already produced for Understanding the Requirements of a Creative Media Production Project (1.1) in this section, you should present your findings of the media industry and jobs related to your media project.

Detailed job analysis – core skills and abilities required for my project

2D Animator

Qualifications - animation, film or illustration degree.

Skills - self-motivated, being able to work in a team and independently.

Experience - Having past experience working with 2D animation, 1 year minimum.

Knowledge - Computer literate, Knowledge in animation and acting skills, have knowledge of the requirements of the relevant health and safety legislation and procedures

Personal attributes - good time management, being able to follow deadlines, good imagination.

Existing Practitioners -

Graphic designer

Qualifications - a degree or HND in 3D design, communication design, graphic design

Skills - passion and enthusiasm for design, with a creative flair, being able to work in a team, presentation skills.

Experience - Having done an internship or placement can be extremely useful, also having a professional looking portfolio.

Knowledge - design, being able to use industry software.

Personal attributes - Good social skills, being able to take criticism and use it to improve your work.

Existing Practitioners - write a short bio, show some of their work and how they have inspired graphic design (include a picture)

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Games Designer

Qualifications - Qualifications are not necessary, although most people in the industry are graduates from Games development or creative computing.

Skills - Have advance knowledge of 2D and 3D graphics and animation packages, such as 3DS max, NUKE and Maya. Have some programming skills to a "scripting" level.

Experience - Having completed past game projects or a games design documents and proposals.

Knowledge - Knowing about various gaming platforms and different technologies.

Personal Attributes - Being able to showcase your work visually, taking constructive feedback and using it to improve your future work.

Existing Practitioners - Alan Kertz

Detail the equipment, technology, relevant to the project and chosen media

For this project I will need access to...

Consumables (i.e. Stationery)

Drawing Pencils - I will need this to be able to sketch when it comes to creating my sprite, so I have a good idea on what to make when I move over to Photoshop. A pack of sketching pencils can be bought for £4.99 at WHSmith.

Graph paper - Instead of using normal white paper, I chose to use graph paper when sketching for my sprite, the squares make it a lot easier when it comes to drawing pixel art. Buying a pad of graph paper starts at £2.49 and increases depending on the size of the paper. My current college has some available for students to use.

Technology (Recording Equipment, Computers, Peripherals)

Graphics tablet - Using a graphics tablet can be extremely useful whilst creating work on my sprite and provide better control over a mouse. To buy a Wacom graphics tablet, it will cost you £54.99 but the college has some available to lend.

Scanner - I will need to use a scanner to move any physical drawings I do onto a computer, so when it comes to me making anything in Photoshop it makes it easier. Buying scanners can range in prices, the cheapest starting at £49.98, however my college has one for all students to use in the library.

PC - My home PC is where all of my college work is conducted outside of college, which would mean it needs to be able to run all of the programs I need to use for this project. The specifications of my PC are more than capable of running any program for this project, so doing work from home should be no problem.

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Software (General software and Specific software)

Internet Browser - Most of this project will consist of me using Google Chrome, as it is extremely effective when conducting research, as well as being reliable and fast. Running Chrome does not require a lot to run only; Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or later and An Intel Pentium 4 processor or later that's SSE2 capable. Downloading Google Chrome and Internet Explorer is completely free of charge.

Photoshop - One software I will be using through this project will be Photoshop, to create my sprite. I will need access to a computer that is capable of running Photoshop. It will need these requirements:

I am able to use this program from home since my PC is capable of running Photoshop. To use Photoshop, you will need to have a license to use it. When I'm at college I can Photoshop for free as my college has a license but if I would want to use it at home I would need to purchase a license, prices start at £16.44 a month for me as I am a student.

Microsoft Word - The reason I need access to Word, is to do any of my research work, before moving it into WordPress. Using word is free for me as a student since I can use word via my college email. Word also has very little requirements for a PC; SSE2, 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit), 3 GB HD, Windows 7 or later (Microsoft, 2017) as well as a functioning processor. Word is completely accessible for me, since I can use it when I'm at college or when I'm at home as I have a student license.

Health and Safety – risk assessmentThrough this task, I will gain some knowledge based around creating some artwork and the health and safety side of it, this will give me some perspective of the risks around my project.

Health and Safety

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My work space is mostly at a computer desk so the risks for that would be, loose wires and cables, overloaded plugs, etc. To minimise the risks of these I would; organise the wires and tape any loose cables down, and make sure the plugs are evenly spread out.

Potential risks:

Since a lot of my project is being at a desk, there is a not a lot that can happen, however you still need to prevent them. Loose cables and exposed cables are the main concerns whilst working at a desk, as well as bad posture if you’re working for long periods.

Solutions:

For the loose and exposed cables, I would make sure that all cables are neat and in a orderly fashion, for the exposed cables I would speak to my teacher and get them replaced. To avoid any type of back pain or eye strain, I will take a break every hour to prevent any type of risk.

Detailed Analysis of Target Audiences

Since the game I'm making my sprite for is not well known, my audience will most likely be niche, however it is part of the retro and 2D art genre, which has its own audience. Considering my is the work of a AAA company they will have a fan-base which could attract people towards my work.

Profile 1 - Michael Scarn

Age - 28 Gender - Male Occupation - Pixel game artist Salary - £50,000 Education - BA in Games Design Hobbies - PC gaming, Pixel art, Horology, Coding Dislikes - Virtual reality, Call of Duty, Metal Music Favourite Games -  Portal 2, Hearthstone, Super meat boy Personality - Relaxed, Well-mannered, immersed

Profile 2 - Indy Evans

Age - 29 Gender - Female Occupation - Pixel Artist Freelancer Salary - £20,000+ Education - BSc in Computer Games Design And Programming Hobbies - Console Gaming, Reading, Concept Art Dislikes - FPS games, Sport activities, Cliche games Favourite Games - Battlefield 1, Skyrim, Evoland Personality - Outgoing, Energetic, Dedicated

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Legal and ethical requirements

Identify and explain the legal requirements of the project.

The plan for my project is to create a sprite for a fighting game called Psychic Force. The legal requirements for this project would be to make sure I don't breach any copyright laws, and to make sure my own work is copyrighted to prevent other people from stealing it.

Identify paperwork you will need to produce

As I'm creating artistic work, the only requirements for me to copyright my work are; to include the copyright symbol (©), my name and the year I created it.

Explain how copyright law is relevant to you, your work and the work of others in the context of your project:

As I am a student I'm protected under the student copyright law, which lets me use books, photography, music, etc. However any work I produce legally belongs to the college I'm studying at. Copyright exists for the reason that nobody can steal work created by others and use it as their own, as someone who is doing character design this is really important to me as I don't want any of my work to be stolen.

Use of trademarks

A trademark can be classed as letters, words, slogan, symbol and other devices, that represents a company or product.

Use of music

As my final project is designing a sprite I don't have any use for music in my project. If I did, I would need to get license/ permission to use it if it belonged to anyone.

Use of intellectual property

Intellectual property is something unique that has been physically created. The intellectual property created would be protected under the copyright law where you would need permission to use the work as well as claim that is isn’t your work.

Detail the Design/Style/Form/Genre/Aesthetics of your project Detail the Skills/Techniques needed for your project

Through this task I will be going into detail of all the skills required to complete my project and techniques needed to produce the highest quality work I’m capable of.

Skills-

Basic computer operation:

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This includes being able to turn one on, as well as opening certain programs required for this project.

Photoshop: Since all my work is going to be produced in Photoshop, I will need to have a range of skills in order to produce the work, I’ve been assigned to do. I will need to be able to execute certain commands and be able to make a canvas suitable for pixel art.

Research:

Before doing and during my practical work, I will need to conduct secondary and primary research techniques, such as doing surveys and gathering my own data. Doing this will show I’m well informed in my subject.

Sketching:

Before doing any type of work in Photoshop, I will first need to sketch out my character, to prevent me wasting any time whilst working in Photoshop, I will need to be able to have basic drawing skills, as well as knowledge of how to use ruler, this will be used to outline the grid I will be working in, when sketching my character.

Having completed this task, I have been able to go over each skill and technique I will need in regards to my project. I now know the skills and techniques I need to focus on in order to produce the best quality work.

CONCLUSION - Who/what was my inspiration? /Contextualisation of my study

Answer the following questions

What are similar media products and how is my work related to them? (position yourself in relation to similar media products)

How similar media products influence my project? How they shaped my project? (Thought and action)?

What did I learn from similar media products? (compare similar media products, how it influenced my perspective and ideas for the project)

Identify requirements for your media project

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CHAPTER 3

Research Design and Strategies

Introduction

This chapter goes into details as to what type of research I have conducted through this project; this includes primary and secondary research. I will be breaking down any activities I do, such as surveys and interviews.

Survey Research

The purpose and goal of my survey was to reach an understanding of people’s opinions on various styles and colour palettes. This will later help me, when designing my character.

Survey (   https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HLZ9LN3 )

For part of my primary research I decided to create a survey to gather people’s opinion on various questions, to do with pixel art and fighting games.

Survey Questions:

1) Do you play fighting games?

Yes [ ]

No [ ]

2) Which fighting games do you play?

3) What characters do you play as?

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4) Do you consider looks important when picking a character?

Yes [ ]

No [ ]

5) Do you buy skins for your characters?

Yes [ ]

No [ ]

6) Do you prefer heroes or villains?

Yes [ ]

No [ ]

7) What visual elements do you think make a memorable character?

8) What do you think makes a memorable villain?

9) Who are your favourite villains and why?

What I was trying to achieve from each question

Question one:

This question gives me perspective to see if people still play fighting games today. I wanted to know this because my project is based around creating a character for a fighting game, which gives me an understanding as to know if people still actively play fighting games.

Question two:

I chose to do this question because I wanted to know what type of fighting games people play; from realistic games like Mortal Kombat to Street fighter, which is Japanese styled western cartoon. The answers I got, gave me a range of games, including Mortal Kombat, Streets of rage, Super smash bros, Soul calibar, Street fighter, Tekken, Marvel vs Capcom, Bayonetta, Killer instinct, Double dragon and Dragon ball xenoverse 2. All of these answers tell me that there is not one specific type of fighting game people play, so I don’t have to base my character around a certain art style.

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Question three:

Question three was based around finding out what characters play in fighting games, this was for me to see if there was a similarity in the characters, this included shape, style and colour. None of the characters that were in my answer had any obvious similarities, although a majority of the are characters from Mortal Kombat, could this tell me that people are more attracted to a Mortal Kombat art style?

Question four:

Question four was a simple but effective question, asking people if they consider looks important when picking a character. I done this to see if people focus on looks rather than story and abilities. 1 in 6 answered that they consider look important, I will use these answers to try and focus on looks when creating my character.

Question five:

This question was more personal preference, to find out if people buy skins for their fighting characters, this question links back to the previous question, asking if people consider looks important when picking a character. Four out of three people said they wouldn’t buy a skin for their character.

Question six:

Question six was something that played an important role when thinking about what character I want to design. This question gave me an understanding as to what people prefer out of heroes and villains, four out of six people prefer villains instead of heroes, with this information I decided to make my hero villain and thus began working on another survey.

Question seven:

Question seven was a question to discover any key features people look for in a fighting game character. The answers have no obvious connections between them, however something that is common among them is colour choice and scheme, as well as unique features/design. I will incorporate these answers when creating my character, in making a unique character.

Question eight:

Following up on question six, I wanted to know what makes a villain a villain, so I asked what makes a memorable villain, in terms of colour and features. Something that was common among the answers was a villain with back story and why he/she acts the way they do.

Question nine:

This question was made for the sole purpose of finding any similarities between peoples favourite villains. I looked for similar colour schemes, designs and past traumas. Two out of the seven answers said Joker as their favourite villain

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The results from my survey showed that 100% of the people who responded play fighting games, and they all play different fighting games, ranging from streets of rage to mortal kombat.

Four out of seven responses said that they prefer villains over heroes, to me this shows that villains are becoming increasingly popular over heroes. Seeing this research gave me confidence in my choice to make my character a villain.

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Figure 1- What is Research

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Research QuestionsStart with stating the intent of your Extended Project.

What are the key aims and objectives of your project?

Outline the key characteristics of your project.

Write about your questions? You have to base your research design on questions and interests.

Ask yourself: “What do I want to find out?” Write to the reader clear research questions, what you wanted to find out?

Figure 2- How to ask good questions

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Figure 3 - My exercise 1

Research Design Evolution

In this chapter, you will expand on what you wrote in your project proposal. Write about what you researched and how you collected your information/data (research activities). Remember, in this chapter, you will only write what you have researched and what research activities you used. In the next chapter, you will write about your findings, analysis and conclusions (2.2). In the following chapter, you will write about your findings and analysis using the same themes (see below) for the sub-titles.

Detailed below are possible methods you are could use for your research. This will be the research activities you have conducted. The secondary research about your subject will be in your Literature Review. (Chapter 2)

This is anything done by you, and it could be such as:-o Online questionnaire – you could ask your Facebook friends to comment on your project

idea and give you some additional ideas how you can make it better.o Get the feedback from your lecturers and peers and reflect on it in relation to your

journey.o You can contact companies, council, artist depending on what is your project about to

get their opinion on your project idea. o You can use your phone or tablet to research, take photos of possible locations and

places that you can use in your project. o Practical activities such as creating models, drawings, recording, filming, working in

Photoshop.

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You could use the following research themes as separate sub-headings

• Target audience

Ask yourself questions: Who? What? Where?

o Who is your target audience? Who are you aiming your product at?o What type of audience is it? Investigate the target demographic and record the

type of media or entertainment they consume. o Where can you find this out? You can use, ‘YouGov Profiles’ site to find out

about your target audience demographic. (secondary)o You can set up interviews or record a ‘Vox Pops’ (primary) to find information

about your audience.

• Skills and techniques

o Come up with the plan of what skills and techniques you will need to research to produce an effective, original and to near professional standard project.

o For example, you can watch tutorials or read about how to achieve specific skills and techniques that you will need for your project (secondary)

o Experiment with range of skills yourself (primary)

• Production research

Explain what and how: o People needed for the production/availability (how: emails, Facebook, Skype

conversation, etc.) o Research production roles that you will need to carry out and how to do it

successfully (how: the internet, media books, etc.) o Production schedule (how: create your own) o Budget (How: secondary internet, primary ask yourself) o Recce research/location needed (how: take images, contact individuals for

permission, etc.) o Health and safety research ( How: take images, check locations yourself, ask for

permission) o Visual ideas (storyboard optional) (How: take images, create sketches, get

inspired by other people ideas, etc.) o Props (how: make a list, ask to borrow, make it, buy it, use what you have)o Production (techniques, hardware, workflow) ( how: research what you need /

how: try it yourself) o Post -production (Edit, colour correction, VFX, etc. ( how: read, watch how other

people/professionals do it, try it yourself)

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List all research activities

What activities did you conduct to answer your questions and collect the data? Write about information/ data you collected; your choice of data presentation and how you structured your information/data analysis.

The research activities should be identified such as:

Observations (observational drawings; using photography, video and audio to collect data)

Documents analysis (written, but also video and audio documents) Workshops Interviews Focus groups Surveys (visual, audio, etc.) Experiments Tests and measurements

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CHAPTER 4

Writing and presenting my research findings

In this chapter, you will summarise the collected information/data and the statistical treatment, and/or mechanics, of analysis. You should start this paragraph by briefly restating the topic/theme of your project (take it from Chapter 1).

Explain the object of each question, research activity, point out results, and present those results in a chosen form of summarised information/data. Select method of presenting data carefully.

In a quantitative study, the results usually begin with a description of the sample (e.g., sample size, description of participants who were excluded and why, handling of missing data). Next, descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies/percentages for categorical variables, means, standard deviations, and ranges for continuously measured variables) are presented.

In a qualitative study, the results often include many quotes from participants who were interviewed. Here you should also present your non-textual elements such as photos, videos, audio files, maps, tables, charts, mind maps, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, etc.

Findings/Data analysis

What strategies did you use to analyse your data?

What did you find out?

Conclusion - How did the research help me with my project? (Interpret Research)

What did you learn from your research and how it informed your project?

Present explain and contextualize findings

Background and context of the work (refer to work produced in Chapter 1)o What is it that makes me do my project?o My personal experiences that influence my choices (idea for the project, my role

in the project, how it relates to my future possible career)o What is the basic premise of my project?o What do I seek to achieve and how it relates to my target audiences?

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Use Findings to contextualize my Project (Present and Discuss Findings) (refer to work produced in Chapter 2)o What are similar media products and how my work relates to them (position

yourself in relation to similar media products)o How do similar media products include my project?o How they shaped my project? (thought and action)o What did I learn from similar media products? (compare similar media products,

how did they influence your perspective and ideas for the project – talk about both script and techniques)

Organise and express your idea (Pre-Production Portfolio) (three ideas from week 2)o Originate a range of ideas – list all ideas you had and explain how you chose the

final idea o Analyse each idea for viability - use focus groups and lecturer to supporto Map and analyse your Ideas (Mind mapping, SWOT analysis - strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities and threats).

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CHAPTER 5

My Project

Introduction In this chapter you should present the level of self-direction, personal initiative and commitment necessary to progress ideas and find solutions, and the practical, theoretical and technical comprehension, appreciation, knowledge and proficiency necessary to achieve identified goals. The ability to plan and organise work within a given timeframe and the efficient production of outcomes both individually and collaboratively.

Pre-Production

Produce Pre-Production Portfolio, which will formally define your project (location survey; risk assessment; treatment; script; budget; schedule, character bibles, design documents etc depending on your project.)

Identify your role - directing (managing the team) crew, actors, games designer, concept artist, foley artist, sound design, model maker, camera, yourself etc depending on your project

Collaborating and working as a team – do not worry if you are working on your own!

Dealing with production problems (delays, equipment breakdowns, changes in schedule, etc)

Use of visual, audio and interactive media skills to complete your media project Pitch your proposal to the production board (video recording of your production

board presentation) Analyse your target audience. Investigate the target demographic and record the

type of media or entertainment they consume

Production Management techniques, (notes of team meetings, or daily diary reflections if

working on your own, production and post-production schedules; call sheets, etc.) Team and individual performance monitoring (weekly check against schedule) Development – Demonstrate development (photos from the shoot, screenshots

from computers). Keep daily production and post-production diary and reflect on your production

process. Feedback from Lecturers and Peers and Social Media

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Post-production Describe post-production of your project. Assess your production and post-production process. Describe, and critically

analyse any production problems and the solution you experienced. Prepare material for edit and further manipulation QA Testing Critique of visual art User Testing Render Presentation and Publication (walk-throughs, voice over, portfolio) Use and clearing of copyright protected material (music and licensing) Preparing credits if applicable Editing (manipulating) Fine tuning special effects, mixing, colour correction, rendering, compressing, etc

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CHAPTER 6

MY EXTENDED PROJECT - FINAL PRODUCT

Here present your finished practical project

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CHAPTER 7

Project Evaluation

Critically evaluating your final media project against the agreed requirements and parameters.

Answer the following questions:

Introduce the project in your own words What was the purpose of the project?

o What did you hope to learn? How much reference material did you find?

o Do you think you could have done more? If so, explain what you think you could have done

How did you develop your ideas? List five strengths and five weaknesses in your final design Was there a theme for the design ideas?

o Can you describe it? o Can you reference any influences here? - art movements, designers,

media companies/campaigns, etc. What experiments and exploration did you do?

o How did it affect your development? Find a similar type of design publication - place it next to your own - what

comparisons/difference can you identify? What were the key areas of development in this project? - use your daily

reflections to help you with this Which technical skills, processes, methods and techniques did you use? Review your proposal - what changed, what developments did you make, did

you manage to complete everything you set out to achieve? What did the client/lecturer think of your original concept/idea?

o How did that make you feel? What could you do to adapt the work produced to improve and develop it? Is the final work appropriate for the needs of the project?

o Does it sufficiently answer your brief? (Project Proposal) Reflect on your pitch to the board; how did you feel about it before? #

o Did the pitch go better or worse than you expected?

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o What was the feedback from the client/lecturer about your pitch?o What do you think you could improve next time when doing a pitch?

Did the project as a whole, go better or worse than you expected? What was the feedback from the client/lecturer on the project as a whole? What do you think you could improve about the project as a whole, if you did

it again?

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APPENDICES

Extended project in creative media production Learning Outcomes and Assessment

1. Understand the requirements of a creative media production project.1.1 Analyse the requirements of a creative media production project.

2. Be able to use research methods to inform ideas for creative media production.

2.1 Review a range of research sources to support a creative media production project. 2.2 Interpret research to develop ideas and effectively communicate to an audience

3. Be able to use skills, knowledge and understanding in the completion of a creative media project.

3.1 Apply practical skills, knowledge and understanding to complete a creative media project within an agreed timeframe.

4. Be able to evaluate a creative media project.4.1 Critically evaluate a creative media project against the agreed requirements and

parameters.

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REFERENCES

Make sure you use Harvard referencing. The bibliography should be continuously updated as the project progresses.

Anon., 2017. BBC News. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Smith, c., 2017. Fun with Flags. 5 ed. canterbury: media.

Anon., 2017. BBC News. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

modley, a., 2017. fun with face. 5 ed. canter: zoran .

Smith, c., 2017. Fun with Flags. 5 ed. canterbury: media.

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