Monday, 18 June 2012

End Dialogue


1: Manifest
2: Tom

1:Where am I?
2:Who….?
1: What have you done to me?
2: I….understand….you
1:What the hell happened to me?

2: I’m sorry
1: What? Let me out!
-
2a: I cant do that…
b: I’m sorry, there is something we both must do…
c: That is now Impossible

2: I fed on you, I didn’t mean to….
1: God! What are you??
-
2a: I….am the Manifest
b: I …am you
c: You couldn’t possibly understand…

2: Quiet!
1: How is this possible? How can I talk to you?
-
2a: Silence, I have seen into your mind, I’m sorry, but I may have use for you…
b: I am not sure, you are the first human to be consumed
c: Due to your complexity you have merged with my cells…call it ‘Telepathy’

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Character Name Explanation

"Manifest"

man·i·fest

  [man-uh-fest]  Show IPA

adjective
1.
readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident;obvious; apparent; plain: a manifest error.
2.
Psychoanalysis of or pertaining to conscious feelings, ideas,and impulses that contain repressed psychic material: themanifest content of a dream as opposed to the latent content that itconceals.

-I named him this because he is able to change his form almost Limitlessly to embody his emotions or his thoughts, and both of these things are child-like and thus unconstrained and dangerous, he is completely instinctual on a natural level.

Econtra- E-con-tra

  • Latin word for 'against' or 'opposite'
-This is because he is an opposing force to return balance to a ruined world 


Quite simply, Manifest embodies "Life"...

Slogan/Hook

Manifest Econtra
-The World Changes-


Emphasis on the word 'changes', for obvious reasons to do with Manifests 'ability and the double entendre eluding to him making a difference to the world and human race in the future through his existence.



Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Story Research

My story is a prequel, an origin to the Manifest character and his relationship with the human, Tom.

I took inspiration from such story narratives as:


  • Assassins Creed
  • Dead Space
  • Prototype
  • Star Wars the Force Unleashed
  • The Matrix
  • The Spectre (comic book character)-http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Spectre 

Prodomenently in Assassins Creed the story layout is told in the way of making changes within the human society in order to create a new equalibrium and balance. This is the way I would hope to go on to create Manifest Econtra, taking on a political chain of events carried out by Manifest to save the human race from self destruction.

The Heros' Journey (1st section because of the prequel)
Taken from http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html

The hero's journey : summary of the steps
  1. Departure
    1. The Call to Adventure
      The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not.
    2. Refusal of the Call
      Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances.
    3. Supernatural Aid
      Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known.
    4. The Crossing of the First Threshold
      This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known.
    5. The Belly of the Whale
      The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself.

Manifest Econtra Parallel narrative steps
  1. The call to Adventure for Manifest is in fact his creation, when he is thrust onto planet earth completely unaware of the strange world
  2. Manifest then hides in the woods and takes time to learn and explore 
  3. Manifest encounters mankind and becomes aware of the mess he has to deal with
  4. Manifest infiltrates the farm in the form of an injured animal, he proceeds to enter the real of the unknown: the humans home
  5. Manifest absorbs the man and the man becomes a part of him, he sees into his mind and knows what he must do, he knows his purpose and what needs to be done. He takes on a literal metamorphosis.


I was advised to only produce the opening of my story because of its complexity and I achieved what I needed for the scratch project. Because we were using scratch I feared that I would not reach the deadline because of overcoming many software limitations, for example it would take many many scenes to just get the narrative to the point of meeting Goredome. I was ambitious with my story but its something I've had in mind for a few years and have great faith in it, I hope to continue it with other projects and refine it to a professional standard, maybe even pitch the idea to someone.

Assassin's Creed

Desmond Miles is a bartender who is kidnapped by a powerful corporation called Abstergo. While captive, Desmond is informed that he can use a machine called the Animus, created by Abstergo, to relive his ancestors' memories. He consents to use the machine, and relives the memories of his ancestor, Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad.
Altaïr, Desmond's ancestor, is a disgraced assassin because he broke the three tenets of the Assassin's Creed. These being, 1. Never kill an innocent person, 2. Always be discreet, 3. Never compromise the brotherhood. In order to regain his former status Altaïr must hunt down nine key targets. Altaïr reluctantly agrees and he slowly hunts down the men. He realizes they all have something in common. After assassinating all nine targets and discovering that his ninth target was in fact a trap, Altaïr confronts Robert, the leader of theKnights Templar, in front of King Richard I of England, leader of the Crusader army. Altaïr informs Richard that Robert is plotting to betray and kill him, which causes him to encourage a duel to the death between Altaïr and Robert. Richard then believes Altaïr. Upon dying, Robert confesses to Altaïr that there were not nine, but ten Templars conspiring to take the Piece of Eden. The tenth being Al Mualim, who wanted to keep the Piece of Eden for himself and therefore sent out Altaïr to kill the others. Back at Masyaf, the assassin's fortress, Al Mualim had taken over the minds of the people inside. Altaïr manages to defeat and kill him in a duel. The memory Abstergo was searching for, which located the Piece of Eden, reveals it is only just one of 28 that are scattered across the world.
Back in 2012, Abstergo sends a team to recover as many Pieces as possible. Deciding they do not need him anymore, they give orders to kill Desmond. Lucy Stillman, an Abstergo employee who revealed to Desmond that she is an undercover Assassin, convinces them not to kill Desmond until they recover the Pieces, buying him time. Desmond is left alone in the Animus room, and by the use of Altaïr's Eagle Vision inherited from the "Bleeding Effect" caused by the Animus, he sees many symbols drawn in blood on the wall in his room and on the floors of the lab. These symbols contain references to the end of the world in many different languages.


Much like Assassins Creed, I want Manifest to contrast to a group organisation, much like a conspiracy. However unlike the style of Assassins creed I will involve supernatural forces such as manifests creation/shape shifting abilities and the things he does with them. Also the action will be absurdly destructive and Manifest himself is more a force of nature rather than a personality, the personality that audiences can relate to with be born from the Human he fully absorbed living within him.

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Brief Evaluation

Due to the fact that my character does not talk, I used narrative changes that effected speech other than dialogue trees. My artwork is the main focus of my story, I found it difficult to make it visually impressive using this software so I decided to make the Artwork a focus, I however would like to create a high standard animation or character movement. A friend of mine created my soundtrack which I think works very well for the eerie atmosphere.

Monday, 14 May 2012

Link to scratch

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/Neeb/2536831

Basis of Game Story Dialogue




The matrix reloaded- The Burly Brawl: “I am no longer an agent of the system”

Team America- Bar Scene :“there are 3 kinds of people…”

Star Wars- Emperor scene: “strike me down”

Possible Dialogue

(Man finds injured deer)

Man:             ah no, come with me buddy (picking him up) I’ll look after ya…why is it always me?...

(at his barn house, puts deer on the table)

Man:             right then um… what am I doin here… Marge! Where’s the bandages!? (leaves)

1.(Deer transforms back and hides)
(man returns)

Man:             hmmm guess he must’ve been alright…very odd..

2.(Deer stays)

Man:             right then, just get this bandaged up I guess…
            Hmmm this deer…seems odd…like no deer I’ve ever seen
            Marge! Come take a look at this!

(Deer runs away and hides)

Man:            what the!? Come back here!

(after some time) (and narration)

Woman:            I saw it again; something is definitely out there, by the barn!

Man:            Look Marge I thought we were past this, there is nothing out there, I’ve searched so many times now, it’s probably a badger or something…

Woman:            It’s not a badger Tom, It’s a yellow man with a moving face!

Man:            …a yellow man…with a moving face…I think you’re spending far too much time in the house, now get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich woman.

(After Manifest has creeped into the house)



Kitchen

Man:             What the bloody hell!? Who’s there!?

Tv

Man:             Bloody Hell Marge! That TV’s playing up again.

Bedroom

Woman:             Its him!!!

Man:             My God…what is it?



Layers of a Digital Artwork

Here is a video showing the layers and development of my Final Artwork frame, I used layers to build up the image and then refined it using adjustments and a Graphics tablet. This was one of my first goes at using photoshop and looking back at it I see how I could have improved it, for example I dislike the use of black lines and would darken the edges instead next time.

Final Frames

Refined and altered artwork for use in scratch: 

This is the climaxing moment of absorbtion. I added to my first try at this image with more detail, I wanted to make this scene a frozen moment in time, and took the colour out of it to resemble a numb moment of possible death and shock.




Woodland backdrop
Manifest watches the house...I tried to make this like an un-natural storm within someones mind as if building up to a first climax.
I manipulated a picture of a barn house (no copyright) and added spotlights to focus the action below.
I made the house interior and exterior red to embody Manifests perception of it, danger and organic qualities.
This is when Manifest discovers Tom, He has a raised arm structure in defence yet he is in a curious stance. I made this later on than most of the others and I started primarily making up the blocks with white and then adding colour afterwards, this worked a lot better and I could work easier.

Here is a much better version of the Impact scene, I decided to make it a lot darker to co-inside with the narrative and eeriness. A lot of smoke and dust is dispersed because of the impact.
Main Title- I took an early stage (less detailed) version of the eye above to create this, some say you can see someones soul in their eye, and this is the first construct that Manifest creates for himself so that he can see the world. It is an instinct he has built into him and something that nearly all creatures have, he senses this in the atmosphere and mimics the message within the life forms. There are red organic tendrils forming the eye, red is the colour of blood and therefor a large part of his abily make up.

Monday, 26 March 2012

Backgrounds

3000 pixels x 3000 pixels

This was the first scene I attempted as a sort of warm up. As you can see...well...it's rubbish, but I had no idea how to even start something like this, my starting point was colour picking from a similar landscape but this went out the window. However some elements I like such as the scale and composition but the picture itself looks far too child-like, especially for Manifest.
This is the Climax 'Absorbtion' scene, I first drew a basic outline and then painted in the various sections. I did this in colour right away even before I knew about Highlights, Shadows and Midtones and found out a better technique (Painting in shades of black then adding colour with opacity). However I think this works well in black and white as an 'eye of the storm' moment, a frozen highlighted moment in time.


These are all early versions of my scenes, they were all done when I was very new to photoshop so I kept on updating them as best i could over time.


Monday, 12 March 2012


Character Name: ‘Manifest’

Full Name:
Manifest-econtra

Gender: Male
Age: 6 Months
Birthday/year: December 2012

Hair: Constantly fluctuating/changing

Eyes: Changing colour
Origin: Created from a universal imbalance, never questions where he is from, he accepts he does not need to know, however he is born from something ‘supernatural’ to some species, but is a result of an existence outside the universe construct.

Language(s): Does not speak unless necessary but speaks in an unknown language all can understand including animals and all conscious things.

Height: In flux
Weight/Body Structure/Distinguishing Marks/Traits:  Drastic shapeshipter and can construct weapons and forms at will, wears a cloak that is organic aswell as his scale-like armour, features change depending on status.

Ethnicity: N/A-One of a kind

Friends/Allies: ‘John’, many he meets, although he is neither ‘Good’ nor ‘evil’ in nature, so he is mostly unrelateable to humans, more just encountered

Enemies: The human race as a mass (although his goal is to guide them away from self destruction), aswell as many leaders and unique enemies

Beliefs/Religion: A religion all to his own/none/beliefs based on what he learns

Career/Past Careers: None

Dreams/Life Goals: To restore a positive equilibrium

Hobbies: Shape-shifting to observe

Likes: His own abilities and phenomenon’s like the sunset, also discovery

Loves: Success

Dislikes: Undeserved or unnecessary loss of life

Loathes: Being opposed by the arrogant or destructive

Fears: Own destruction

Strengths: Self reconstruction, adaptation, empathy, durable

Weaknesses: Sound waves-Disruption-Dealing with certain bacteria or substances

Good Qualities: Acts on knowledge, Immerses self in goals and pursuits, Aspires to understand everything he comes across and even recreates them, Cares on a deep level about all organic things

Bad Habits: Releases sometimes huge, and sometimes destructive exerts of his abilities as an expression, doesn’t like to hide himself for long periods of time

Turn Ons: Intricate or impressive vessels of Life

Turn Offs: Meaningless loss of life

Talents: Celular construction and creation

Special Skills: Shape-shifting, Interaction with cells, Able to mimic life-forms

Temperament: Fairly dosile in nature, can get a feeling of oppression if he has to hide what and who he is because of his pride in what he is, he also cares on a personal level about all organic life, and loves all of the varying constructs for him to discover and understand, He is angered by the distruction of life without cause and can become a highly distructive force

Background:
Created by a phenomenon between the universe, he is a complex and unique cellular being with complete control of every cell and particle of his being. His creation is thought to have occurred from a constant underlying force of will, a negative force causing spark in a far off place leading him to earth.


Image association





Adjectives
·      Chaotic
·      Fiery
·      Crowded
·      Furious
·      Tragic
·      Gaseous
·      Traumatising
·      Horrifying
·      Spacious
·      Middle-aged
·      Bald
·      Frightening





Adverbs
·      Desolately
·      Connectively
·      Intimately
·      Sadly
·      Depressingly
·      Collectively
·      Desperately
·      Coldly
·      Silently





Event Description

It was my 5th birthday, I was filled with excitement, as today was the day I would finally have a party and the best and most fun place known to my school friends. Frantically we all scurried into ‘Cast aways’: a huge Warehouse-sized bouncy castle type-thing. The sweat of 5-year-old childrenslathered the inflatable material and stank of B.O…Hyper kid B.O. I decided, somehow it would be a good idea to climb up the side of a part that was not ‘child-proofed’ and fell into a small gap thatconstricted my entire body, the time that passed while I was down there I am still unsure of, because I couldn’t breathe I assume I became unconscious in some way, I just remember Complete darknessand the violent pulse as the castle jolted around from the Madness of kids flinging their selves against the walls carelessly. I then remember a huge hand reaching down, having seen my armpinned so that it protruded from the gap, then in a haze I returned to the world just as my parentswandered past where I was exploring, at the sight of me their faces stretched rapidly and their eyeswidened…So I must’ve looked a right state...Probably should have sued their asses.







Game Evaluation- Squares


Simple game evaluation test



Game Title:
Squares Game


Player Names:
Joseph Donoghue,


Summary of Game Rules:
Points on paper in lines, evenly spaced, players using different coloured pens take in turns to draw a line inbetween the points, whoever draws a line to close a square shape wins a point and has to take the next turn, the player with the most squares when all the dotted points are taken wins.


What was fun about playing this game?
The thining ahead aspect is quite fun as it challenges our mind to think about your nex move and stay sharp



What was not fun about playing this game?
The time taken to colour the squares and draw the dots beforehand.

Numbered list of simple commands, which describe gameplay.

1.Assign different colours to players, set up paper with dots in cube formations
2.If square is made, colour in the negative space square and stay with player for another turn
3. If no squares made swap players
4. Repeat rules 2 and 3
5. If all of points are taken up end game and total scores



News Headline adaptation: Fatal car bombs hit Baghdad”
Dilemma: Global war and dispute, Manifest takes many intelligent actions to distract and divert war and killing, moves in a political manner after learning aspects of interaction, he is angered and confused by any killing and prevents the problem by trying to eliminate the causes rather than the actions, but also will step in to stop destruction. By thinking in a ‘cause and effect’ he can achieve real changes.

Gordome, a twisted man and organizer of global disruption campaigns such as terrorism continues to dictate and threaten his way into his goals, goals of a new world full of pain and ruled by no one, chaos. His lack of ability to feel pain because of a brain condition, born with no pain receptors he is completely inable to detect harm to himself, he has carried out many self altering surgical changes such as attaching blades to his digits, he is fascinated with pain and in a twisted way years for it, however he became diseased and infected by these procedures but as long as his brain and organs function he continues to live, he has had his organs caged and re-enforced.

The Puppet Master, a mysterious force who masters in the manipulation of others, think of an exaggerated Derren Brown, but twisted and real, his agenda is to re-create the world in his image.


·        Deep Black Space, atomic schisms begin, energy is released through bursts and forms begin to take shape
·        A thin, lifeless looking figure takes shape (brown/yellow in colour)
·        Slowly the figure gravitates toward earth, during the descent through the atmosphere a long cloak is formed surrounding the figure (still thin and faceless)
·        The figure lands with huge impact in a wild setting full of thriving life, crushing the ground around him, nearby animals gather to investigate him
·        With a large ‘crack’ noise he rises to life breathing in violently
·        The Manifest lives amoungst the wild and discovers many life-forms and child-like uses his cellular shape-shifting gifts to create and mimic the animals he encounters
·        Some time later he encounters his first humans, who are destroying forestry areas
·        Manifest keeps his distance to study the creatures, seeing their destructive nature he shifts into an injured beast as a game experiment to see how they would react
·        To his uneasy surprise one of the men takes him to his home to care for him
·        Over some time of being in the care of the stranger, the mans wife recently recalls seeing a dark figure with a moving face in the garden
·        One night, Manifest finds his way into the house at night time, he explores the many man-made creations
·        Unknown to him he has awoken the man who is wandering downstairs with his shotgun, when they suddenly clash, in a panic, manifest places his hands on the mans face, the man becomes paralyzed in fear and shock as manifest takes on his form partially, both screaming un-naturally Manifest leaps through the wall drastically shifting form and screaming
·        Manifest begins to shift into the form of the man and finds himself near a settlement, obviously war-torn
·        He begins to cry in the street with confusion and frustration at being unable to understand his form
·        He then witnesses a gang of armed men shooting another man on his knees
·        Filled with rage for the very first time he used his drastic shape-shifting and structures to destroy them, the last of them (the leader) he takes hold of, he absorbs his memories, memories of a huge building and many atrocities that happen within
·        After some time at the same building, Manifest gains access through seeping through the walls, he one by one takes care of the inhabitants until he no longer feels the presence of life, he collapses on the floor disgusted with himself, with a sharp shard he cuts of his forearm, letting out a scream that alters his shape, however he stares blankly as his arm reconstructs itself
·        His mind wanders and like a strike to his mind he gets a flash of a memory or a figure in an empty room
·        He finds a basement level, inside is a solitary figure sat on a chair in the centre with nothing but a huge Television screen in front of him, showing what seems to be a news report
·        The figure very plainly asks ‘Who is there?’
·        Manifest, confused, takes on a form of one of his victims
·        ‘You do not smell like (name)’ he says as he stands
·        Goredome rips apart Manifest in his form, flinging the pieces in different directions
·        Manifest reforms in his natural state much to the shock and awe of Goredome
·        Goredome appears visibly weak, and withers to the floor
·        Manifest grabs Goredomes’ head and sees images of destruction and recent news flash kind of images, climaxing in a dark vision of the future.