Next-Generation of Character Concept Art: Creating photo-real people who dont exist Chip Sineni Vince Proce MIDWAY GAMES Goals + Issues of Next-Gen project We want realistic characters. Cant spend indefinite time on R&D; Need to be fast- cant tweak forever. Next-Gen consoles not as powerful as we would like- avoid problems in the Uncanny Valley. Target of Next-Gen Photorealistic surface materials. Memorable characters with subtle exaggerated memorable features. In real-life, similar to movies like: City of Lost Children Sin City Previous Character Experiences Concept Defined: Proportion. Mood and Attitude. Rest was solved Brute Force Art Direction Team not sure of final objective. Difficult to get approvals. Endless tweaks. Environment Concept Success For environments we realized we needed to spell out: Architectural relationships, structure and perspective. Mood, Lighting and Atmosphere. Material and Texture. Starting Next-Gen Case Study of Thug 1 Concept Work Case Study of Thug 1 First Pass 3-D Character Case Study of Thug 1 Second Pass 3-D Character Case Study of Thug 1 Realizations Faces and cloth did feel real. Next-Gen tech did not solve issues as much as we hoped (normal maps, subsurface scatter simulation, etc) Preproduction of textures and materials were not specified to a degree that there were agreed upon instructions. Midway Current-Gen Detail PS2 generation likenesses of athletes looked more real and believable than our Next-Gen heads. Case Study of Thug 1 New Direction Couldnt CyberScan imaginary people. Using real actors reference did not meet goal. Finding the right materials. Casting call for heads. Case Study of Thug 1 New Direction (2) Producing the high resolution photos of facial features that match the original approved sketch. Creating a photo composite mug shot. Case Study of Thug 1 New Direction (3) Exaggerating certain features to illustrate the characters identity- bad or good, dumb or smart, etc. Clothes research & gathering to match original sketch. Blending, painting, and compositing in final painting. Case Study of Thug 1 New Direction (4) Paper doll approach for multiple concept ideas for thugs in orthographic pose. Case Study of Thug 1 Final Concept Case Study of Thug 1 New Direction- Results Case Study of Thug 1 New Direction- Results (2) Case Study of Thug 1 comparison heads Case Study of Thug 1 comparison body Further Example A- Concepts Further Example A- Models Summary WYSIWYG- Art, Design, Tech, Production. For our Next-Gen Characters we now specifically define: Proportion. Mood and Attitude. Material and Texture. Process works well with outsourcing. Questions?