Now I have developed my initial ‘what if’ ideas into fully fleshed environment ideas, with their own themes and characters I can decide which scenario I will pursue and start to create the scene. Here I am going to give a synopsis of the complete environment ideas, with themes and characters implemented and explain my likes and concerns for each idea before deciding the final environment idea I will create.

:: World Idea 1 – What if Jack the Ripper Returned? ::

:: Location Idea 1 ::

A poor woman’s 1900’s home. A newspaper crumbled at the foot of the door reads ‘Jack is Back’. The room is visibly ruined, with broken furniture and smashed windows boarded up; except for a baby’s cot covered with fine blankets in the corner. The woman has no choice but to work despite her terror of the dangers, someone has to provide for her baby…

Location 1.1 synopsis

I think this idea for a location is a very good one for the purposes of this assignment. It is not a large-scale environment and so I can focus on creating exactly the assets needed to tell the story. The character is also easily conveyed within the environment without the need for additional context and I think the conflict of trying to provide for someone while being very poor is something easily identifiable.

The challenges with this location however will be in creating enough clutter to make the room seem lived in while still allowing the character and her conflict to be legible at a glance. From a technical standpoint it will be difficult finding references for furnishings from the early 1900’s and I worry the small room could prove challenging to light effectively.

:: Location Idea 2 ::

A detective’s office in Scotland Yard, the walls covered with clues about Jacks identity. Red thread stretches from image to image, all covered in dust. Except at its centre, where the days newspaper is sits proudly. ‘Jack is Back’. Family pictures lay forgotten on the detective’s desk, nocked over and covered with old, rumbled papers. There’s no room for distractions this time. This time Jack will be caught…

Location 2.1 synopsis

The story told with this scene is one I really like, and the character of the obsessed detective is a well-established trope which I think would help make the character in the scene easily discernible. Also, from a technical point of view the environment would allow me to play around with the more advanced lighting methods in unreal engine which is something that interests me.

The issue with this idea is the need to heavily populate the scene, the concept calls for lots of clutter to show the obsession of the character which will be very time consuming. Many of the assets will also require me to find time appropriate images to then pin to the wall, which could be challenging and might result in having to reuse many of the same image.

:: World Idea 2 – What if Project Sealion was Successful? ::

:: Location Idea 1 ::

Two ransacked rooms, the first containing nothing unordinary except for the government propaganda littering the walls. Yet the furniture lays overturned and trampled, books and dishes thrown like confetti. A bookcase lays thrown to the ground, revealing a dull grey door forced open. The second room, so carefully hidden now revealed. War medals and memorabilia sit proudly on display, once a source of pride now sat behind broken glass. A reminder of a better time, strictly forbidden and now discovered…

Location 2.1 synopsis

I think the environment this location would call for would create a really striking image. The ransacked rooms almost giving the same feeling as a post-apocalyptic setting. Plus, I like the personal conflict of the character, with them struggling with the fact they must hide their past for fear of reprimand. Which in this environment we see has arrived.

However, I worry the environment is a little too ambition for the time frame I have. With any interior environment it’s very important you create enough clutter to make the scene look lived in, couple that with the scene needing to be ransacked and you have an environment which requires a very large number of assets.

:: Location Idea 2 ::

Two rooms, not dissimilar to the previous scenario with the addition of upturned floorboards and bullet ridden wall coverings. The second room, no longer filled with proud history but blood-stained radio equipment. Organized papers once pinned to the walls now torn down and burnt. Gasoline cans thrown into wet puddles, a bonfire waiting to be lit…

Location 2.2. synopsis

This scenario has many of the same positives and negatives as the previous. I think the story that I could tell here is compelling and could be told well solely through the environment. But you have the same practical concerns as with the previous scenario, with the environment requiring a lot of assets made even more demanding through the complexity of models such as radio equipment. Making this location an even more time demanding scene than its counterpart.

:: World Idea 3 – What if a Rebellion Took Charge? ::

:: Location Idea 1 ::

A meticulously clean and sterile changing room, government approved news pinned to the walls. A plain metal desk covered with news scripts, thick black lines showing how much the news is censored. We see a picture, sat proud on the desk corner a loving couple of the same gender. A pinup on the door, that days news articles. First, condemning the countries rebellion, showing their symbol and second a new government mandate banning same sex relationships. One last shot of the desk, showing a symbol just barely visible beneath doctored papers, the symbol of the rebellion…

Location 3.1 synopsis

The story being told in this scenario is more subtle than the others and is also a location that I don’t think many will have created previously. I rather enjoy coming up with more unique settings and a news presenters changing room for me qualifies. The more modern setting also allows me to cover more current topics which can help create a character that resonates will modern audiences.

However, I do worry that the environment could be too bland, as unlike the changing rooms of theatres and news anchors changing room can be quite sparse. Also, I think the environment could rely too much of context outside of the scene presented. The whole rebellion scenario is one that would require a lot of explaining visually for the audience to grasp, and I worry that my idea of using warning posters wouldn’t get the world setting across adequately.

:: Location Idea 2 ::

The reverse of the previous, instead of draconian government rules we see warnings of a vicious rebellion. The same loving phot sits on the desk, except now graffitied with red threats. A note sits on top of the day’s news articles, demanding the anchors cooperation, the rebellion symbol in red at the bottom of the page. One last shot, showing the back of the door. A government warning to TV and radio stations, the rebellion is targeting the media…

Location 3.2 synopsis

Similar to the two scenarios in the second ‘what if’ world the positives and negatives I have with previous location (location 3.1) and this one is largely the same. I am also aware that while this environment is being created just with the intention of telling a story I do also want the environment to be visually of a standard that it can eb used for my portfolio. Thus, by creating an environment that will require the heavy implementation of photoshop, something I am unfamiliar with I could be harming the overall quality of the environment.

:: Final Environment Selection ::

I’m choosing scenario 1.1 for my environment. While I think all the scenarios, I have explored each tell a compelling story I think the concept behind this idea is the most realistic environment size given my time limit. From an environment design perspective, the small room location allows me to fully fill the space to give it the lived-in look needed for the story.

References are also going to play a very large part in the production of the environment, such as the ones found above (Fig.1, Fig.2). The year 1900, which is when I am going to set the scene, 12 years after the canonical five jack the ripper killings presents an interesting dichotomy. The house is a very poor place, with large cracks, holes, and damaged furniture. But I will need to acknowledge some of the inventions around the time period. I don’t want the pursuit of a poor environment to make the house seem like it belongs in the wild west or medieval times.

Naturally I also need to give thought to how I am going to present this environment in such a way to tell the story and themes I have explored. Which could prove challenging with such a small environment. I suspect ill have to play close attention to the textures I create for the environment as I will be using many close ups to tell the story through assets like a crumpled newspaper or eviction notice.

:: References ::

Dennissevershouse  ((A (2021)). Untitled. [Photograph. Available online: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLkD5zZn4rR/?hl=en [Accessed 09/11/2022]

Dennissevershouse  ((B (2021)). ‘Untitled’. [Photograph]. Available online: https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4Rd0cHrKv/?hl=en [Accessed 09/11/2022]