Final Images

Here I'll try to be as concise but self evaluating as I can as I show the process of how each image was created. Again, I feel the need to state that these images are intended for developmental and conceptual purposes, like a storyboard, although my execution of them is sometimes so murky and downright confusing that it can be difficult to see how this is so. I think clarity of the message and its delivery style are definatly something I need to work on.

I chose a square format for most of the images because it gives a uniformity to them and would allow them to 'flow' better if placed next to one another.

The first image is my least favourite (I know, start on a downer why don't you?) because it's just really confusing to look at. The initial sketch was much easier on the eyes in terms of colour but the scan quality, as with the other 2H pencil scans in this project is difficult to interpret again because it's really faint. So, for the future, show clear and well defined sketches so that those that need to know can understand what is going on.



The above red image is what happens if you upload a CMYK image to Blogger.



The image is meant to be showing underwater view of what the Kraken sees as the cruise ship passes over. You can tell its a tentacle although the perspective is off but at least I've taken into account that when viewed from underneth in water, objects on the surface become silohuetted so, we have some kind of foreground/background depth with light going on. Although, the way in which I've layered the different tones and lights is confusing the perspective a bit so, it's difficult to tell in alot of areas exactly how deep or shallow it's supposed to be.

Which you can sort of see in the two finalized versions but, there isn't enough definition and contrast to make this a good image. The cutouts on the colour tones are purposely jagged to give a rough and raw feel to the image as this is from the eyes of some feral monstrosity afterall. However, I don' t think that this manages to come out. The image just looks messy.
This is also the only image to have a bit of colour to it and I did this with the intention of it seperating the image from the other 5. This is also the only picture out of the sequence to be in portrait and not square format and this is for the same reason. Although these factors do seperate the image in this way, it's only because this makes the picture appear to be from some completely unrelated sequence or narrative.



So after dabbling with colour in the first image, I stayed well clear of it in the rest and chose to work exclusively with light and dark tones to bring moods. And I believe I did so much more strongly in this one.



My idea here was to realise this image of a murky and dark comms room aboard the vessel, with the only real light coming from the various illuminous devices on the desks. This was purely in an attempt to secure the horror tone to the image and I guess it does end up having some negative mood to it. How to tell the audience what was going on in the image I solved by having the piece of paper and the walkie talkie in the viewers hands so.. the crew member is making some kind of call about what they've detected.


Another picture I'm not keen on is the third on showing the 'arrival' of the first tentacle, with the viewer's finger pointing out at it in disbelief. Or thats what I had intended as I was scribbling but the strength of that idea didn't really come out. I think that the flat and awkward tones I made use of might have something to do with this as they break up the flow of the image a bit but general misuse of lighting here really doesn't do the picture any favours. Also, what is confusing about this image is it's effect on the rest of the sequence as this picture appears to be 'taken' from daylight or at least some other point when there is some sun light, whereas the rest of the sequence either completely lacks any kind of time telling or is very dark.


Now, I know myself that the entire sequence is meant to be in a sense without a specific time so my logic was that some frames should be during the day or without a definitive time at all in order to try and give a different perspective on how the situation would look in different lights; thus giving more power hopefully to the developer of the concept after me. However without this context, the sequence seems very VERY confused.





I constructed the image using these three layers of sketches and then composed them together, allowing me to manipulate how light played off each of them with greater freedom. I was inspired by this image of a cruise ship when it came to figuring out how the balcony should look.

The fourth image is my favourite because I think it is the closest that I get in all the images to capturing the drama and ferocity that I've been imagining throughout the brief.


I had gone a bit overboard (pun) with the sketching out of this image of an unlucky passenger being held high above the scene in the grasp of the kraken, showing the cruise ship (inspired heavily by this image) also in the grasp of the beast.



Whereas I felt I had already managed to get a decent framework and layout of image going, I thought that the image needed more.. anger and confusion to it. More horror. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to be caught up in the air like this and I assumed it would be to say the least, a disorientating and unpleasant experience.
So, using the burn and dodge tools in Photoshop, I went about darkening and emphasizing the slippery texture of the tentacles, the sheer height that the viewer was at and how light would splash over the ocean below from the luminescence of the weary cruise liner.

And then the tentacle lets you drop...



The fifth image is in a similar vein really although with a somewhat more grim over tone that I was unable to properly bring out. I think that I didn't highlight the creature that the viewer is falling in towards enough as it appears you are falling into some undefined grey mass but I think that blurring the 'falling destination' really pulled this image out of the fire. A bit. What this did was clearly define that the viewers hands which are sharp, are not on the same plane of perspective as the mass below, which are blurry. I also quite like how the hands seem to be contorting in a manner of trying to stop the inevitable contact with the maw waiting below; adds a bit of horror tension to the image.
But definatly, the image still feels very flat so, contrast is needed.


The last image of the sequence is another that looked alot better in my head and I really wish had had more time spent on it. I think this because I'd had this great idea of the viewer frantically paddling away as the cruise liner is savagely torn asunder and you vaguely get that here. I mean, it is possible to understand that someone is paddling away from the site, but, they appear to be paddling very calmly and orderly away. The ship image which I seem to naturally focus on as I look at the picture also isn't strong enough. Sure, it is a picture of a boat being torn in half by tentacles. But, I don't FEEL that it is being torn. It looks like the tentacles are just waving at the viewer as they lazily flop all over this ship.
This image needs some passion instilling into it and to have the viewers hands, the ship and the tentacles all redrawn if I want to convey the mood that I had imagined. There needs to be desperation in the awkward and frantic paddling motions of the hands, fury in the tentacles and more obvious and explicit destruction on the ship.


Of course, if all of these images represented a dream sequence that I'd had or something, then it would be more excusable to have these surreal ambiguieties of mood. But, because it's meant to be this flowing horror sequence, it is much harder to forgive these flaws.

Now for an evaluation and a round up I think.