Trailer Finished

After 4 weeks of work I wanted to finally present to you my finished trailer for the game I thought of called "Samurai Overload". Sadly, every time I tried to upload my video I had an error (possibly due to the format of the video).

As some of you might be aware, I've based my trailer mostly on material from games such as "Total War: Shogun 2" and "Way of the Samurai" franchise with the exception of the soundtrack which comes from a movie called "Last Samurai".

I've decided to use this material because it is based on the theme I'm working on and also because these games are the most popular and highly rated by both critics and players. Personally I've played these games myself and I've enjoyed them a lot since they fit the theme very well. Also the "Last Samurai" was the first movie that came to my mind since I've watched it many times and one of its best traits was the soundtrack which I've decided to use.

During the making of the trailer itself, I've added features to it such as transitions for both audio and video, titles including my logos created in the previous elements of the assignment, colour mats and variation in opacity levels or 'how transparent something is'.

For audio, I've inserted a transition called "Constant Power" as it equalised the difference in level between each piece of soundtrack, making the variations between tracks less noticeable, thus causing it to seem as if it was all one soundtrack.

For video, I've added a transition called "Dip to White" as it made the flow between each scene smoother due to the individual bits of video being 'merged' together instead of each piece being suddenly displayed one after the other. Also this effect itself gives the trailer a more cinematic effect.

At this stage, personally I'm satisfied with what I've produced as everything runs together smoothly, presenting a Japan-themed trailer for a PS2 game which matches the previous elements making everything consistent and so more professional. If I had to do another similar assignment, I would create a trailer for a game but using more advanced techniques such as the “green screening”. Next time I would spend more time on finding higher resolution video sources, making them more detailed and less time using techniques I know as I now have experience with them. 

 

Trailer Update

Hi everyone, I'm back again to tell you all that my trailer is now 30 seconds long which means that half of it is done. So far I've used video material from "Total War: Shogun 2" which I have already considered to use.

The trailer itself isn't yet rich in features as I only managed to sort out my material and start to trim and join bits and pieces. However, I plan to add many more features to it such as transitions which would make my trailer run much smoother as well as some more vids from other games such as "Way of the Samurai" franchise. Also another major feature I will add to my trailer is audio itself. So far I've considered to use soundtrack from a movie called "Last Samurai" and I think that I will stick to this idea as I'm convinced that it will work nicely with the video, adding a 'Samurai' mood to it.

I predict that I will finish the trailer soon as the work has been going quick lately, so everyone stay tuned for my next and possibly final update on this trailer :)

Trailer Settings

Now that I've gathered my ideas together, it's time to create my trailer workspace. I'll call my file "FirstEdit" as it's the first time I will work on my work and also because it won't matter later on as I will be able to name the end file.

The video display format will be set to 'timecode' as it will be easier for me to set the video to be exactly 1 minute long since the scale will be displayed traditionally in secounds. The audio display format will stay as 'audio samples' and the capture format will be set to 'DV' as it's relevant to the required video format in which I will need to upload my work.

Nextly I'll set my working space to "DV/PAL Widescreen" format at 25fps. This is also required by the specification so that the file at the end will be in correct format. The sequence name in my opinion isn't of significant importance to the project and so I'll leave it as "Sequence 1". Before I start working on my trailer, I'll need to set up my workspace. This will include creation of new bins and naming them so that any files I use in my project will be stored in a structured way. Now that the workspace is all set up and ready, I can finally get started with the creation of my trailer.

Trailer Brainstorm

Welcome back guys, as you can see I've now more less finished the case wrap and DVD inlay which leaves me with the final part of my assignment; the trailer.

This trailer will be created using another software called "Adobe Premiere" and will be expected to run for exactly 1 minute. Since the theme of my product is based on feudal Japan, my trailer will again need to follow the same pattern as my case wrap and DVD inlay so that all the parts of my assignment are consistent and present the same thing.

In order to create my trailer, I will need to find some useful bits of video and audio from sources such as: games, movies, etc. and combine them together.

Due to the nature of my theme, the range of sources will be limited but should suffice in order to last the required minute. At this time the sources I think should be useful are games and movies like: "Way of the Samurai", "Total War: Shogun 2", "Last Samurai", etc.

DVD Inlay Final Version

Hi, as you can probably guess this post will be very similar to the last one but this time I'll talk about my DVD inlay.

Since my previous update there have been many new features added to the design all of which are easily noticeable. Firstly, I've added the bitmap PS2 label at the bottom of the DVD as all PS2 discs have this format and so my disc will now look more authentic and become easily recognizable as everyone will know what type of disc is it. I've also enhanced the background bitmap image using the brush tool to cover up any imperfections and make some things stand out more.

Another feature I've added is the legal info at the bottom and around the disc. To do this I've used multiple variations of the type tool. The text at the bottom is in fact inside a shape of my choice while the text around the disc is actually surrounding the edge of a completely transparent circle since the tool would not allow me to use guides for this method.

The contents of the legal info are based on another PS2 disc I own as to ensure that it will be as accurate as it can be. Also I've modified the background image itself using brush tool as some of it didn't look good and so I covered those bits using the same colours present making this 'masking' as least noticeable as possible. This gives a nice effect of reality and fiction mixing together.

Lastly, I've created my company logo using pen tool and the brush tool while placing in along with other bitmap logos on my disc which I've used in creation of my case wrap so that both the case wrap and DVD inlay look consistent and more professional.

At this stage, personally I'm satisfied with what I've produced as everything fits together nicely, presenting a Japan-themed disc for a PS2 game which matches the case wrap making the elements consistent and so more professional. If I had to do another similar assignment, I would create a disc for a game but using more detailed images as the background. Also I would change the layout of my logos as well as the text and disc's colour scheme. Next time I would spend more time on my vector-based logos, making them more detailed and less time on finding the images as once again I was very picky and slow with it. 

Note: The font present is different to the one I'm using. That's because I don't have the required font at home but the original font is there.

References

DVD ROM logo: https://www.google.co.uk/
Dolby logo: https://www.google.co.uk/
PEGI logo: https://www.google.co.uk/

Case Wrap Final Version

Hi there, sorry for the delay in my blog as I was busy making the designs for my assignment. Now after 6 weeks of work I can finally present to you all my first finished version of the case wrap.

As you can see since my last update I've made many changes to my case wrap, most noticeably the back cover is no longer empty. What I've added is some text which gives a little intro to what the game is about as well as pointing out some fine features of the game. The text has an "inner glow" effect which I think works very well with the rest of the case wrap, especially that it matches the front cover. Another change I've done to the back cover is that I've added some images to it including the company logo I've created using the "Adobe Illustrator" while working on my DVD inlay. I've placed these images in this layout and added the mentioned features as most games I've seen had similar layout and similar icons, hence making my case wrap look more authentic and professional.

Little pointer, the company logo I've created is actually a recreation of an already existing logo which belongs to the "Shiro Washi" Kendo Club I'm currently attending. I'm aware that things like logos are copyright protected and so I want to state here that I had obtained a permission from my club to use it in this project.

Only other significant feature I've added is the game logo at the front cover which this time is 100% original since I've made it from scratch using the same software as the previously mentioned logo. The logo represents a Samurai banner with the game title inside in both English and Japanese. I've chosen this design as it links closely to the theme of the game while the title in 2 languages is present since many games released in Japan have this feature and so having this in my design would make my game look even more real.

At this stage, personally I'm very happy with what I've produced as all the pieces fit together nicely, presenting a Samurai-themed game for a PS2 console in a realistic and professional manner. If I had to do another similar assignment, I would create a cover for a game but for a different console such as "Xbox 360" since it's more modern compared to PS2 and so it would allow me a more realistic approach. Also I would spend more time on organising the structure of the cover and less time on finding the images as I have to admit that I was very picky and slow with it. 

UPDATE: I added levels to enhance the colours present a bit.

References

DVD ROM logo: https://www.google.co.uk/
Dolby logo: https://www.google.co.uk/
PEGI symbols: https://www.google.co.uk/

DVD Inlay progress

Here's a quick update on my DVD inlay progress.

I've used a clipping mask to fit the bitmap image I've previously chosen inside my DVD inlay which would form my background. Also I've managed to create my logo for my game including its title in both English and Japanese as usually games which get released in Japan have this feature present. 

The logo itself consists of straight lines and rectangles as these are simple shapes ideal in vector-based environments. The English text was written using "Jing Jing" font as it made the text look more oriental which works well with the theme I'm working on. The 3D effect of the text was obtained by copying the text, changing the colour to black and placing it underneath the original text. Since the title would not fit inside my logo, I've used text wrap to separate the 2 words and place them so that everything would fit. The Japanese text was simply place under my logo using a separate type tool.

DVD Inlay Template

Now that I have a basic plan for my DVD inlay, let's start by creating the template for a DVD disc.

 

The image above will act as my blueprint for the template since it has all the relevant measurements including the bleed lines which I need to know so that the disc will be of the right size and so that my inlay will fit nicely without anything important being cut out.

References

DVD template image: http://vle.anglia.ac.uk/modules/2013/MOD003232/SEM2-PE1/Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fmodules%2F2013%2FMOD003232%2FSEM2%2DPE1%2FDocuments%2FWeek%2004&FolderCTID=0x01200084D59F8EA5FE0C4FA92F7AA393393597&View={5E5FEE04-4145-43AF-AD94-A4C3202ED4E5}&InitialTabId=Ribbon%2EDocument&VisibilityContext=WSSTabPersistence

DVD Inlay

Hi everyone, I'm back but this time I'll leave the photoshop for now and start on my DVD inlay using another piece of software called "Adobe Illustrator".

Brainstorm

To start off, I need to have some sort of idea about what my DVD inlay will look like. Since my video game has a 'samurai' theme to it, I think that it would be appropriate if the inlay would be somehow connected to that theme. Also the design should be simple as from personal experience I can tell that I don't really pay as much attention to the disc design as to the case wrap which has the job of grabbing attention.

The only thing that comes to my mind which would be both simple and 'japanese' is an image of some japanese scenery such as: mountains, lakes, castles, etc.

Let's look at some existing images which would be useful for the DVD inlay.

 

Out of these images I think that I will use the bottom image as it's not as detailed as the other two images and so nothing important will get cut out by the middle of the DVD. Also as the image is very simple, it will have a lot of space which I can use for insertion of things like logos, title, etc.

References

Images: http://www.imagesource.com/

Further Progress

Here is my further progress of my cover art.

At the first glance we can see that I've added the title of the game and PAL logo on the spine as well as the age rating logos. I chose this name as it will be closely linked to the theme of the game while the age rating of 18 reflects the content that the game would have including: strong violence, bad language, sexual references, etc.

I've also added formal things: bar code, legal info and PS sign. I've placed them in the designated area; the white rectangle at the bottom of the back cover. This is because nearly all video games have this information present in this area and so placing these elsewhere would be weird for me as well as the potential buyers.

Now the best bit. I've modified the back cover image by adding the shadows using paint brush on a new layer while lowering its opacity to make it look more subtle. I also added the light rays effect representing the sunshine using filters. Now the image looks much more realistic with more life to it than it originally had which was exactly my aim.

I've managed to do this partially thanks to the photoshop tutorial I've found which explained step by step on how to create light rays.

Now the only things left to do are: title (front), description (back), pictures (back) and more logos :)

References

"Add Rays of Light" Tutorial
PEGI rating: https://www.google.co.uk/
Barcode image: https://www.google.co.uk/
Playstation stamp: https://www.google.co.uk/

Update

Hi everyone, I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still working on my assignment. Here is the screenshot showing my current progress at making my cover art.

As you can see, the front and back cover backgrounds are in place as well as the spine. The covers were made by merging parts of multiple images together. I chose the case wrap to be for a PS2 game as these games use 'Amaray' style cases for their packaging. This will ensure that my case wrap size will meet the specification.

The next step will be to add things like: title (front & spine), logo, description (back), pictures (back), legal information (bottom back), etc. as well as maybe add some visual effects to the images.

References

Background garden image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Background lady image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Front samurai image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Front background image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Playstation 2 front image: https://www.google.co.uk/
Spine image: https://www.google.co.uk/
PAL logo: https://www.google.co.uk/

Digital Image Alterations: Ethics

Hi there everyone, today will be a bit different as I've decided to talk a bit about something that might not be directly affecting my assignment but surely is relevant to it; the ethics.

We are probably all aware that nowadays many images we see in things like fashion magazines, covers, etc. have been digitally altered. After some research, I've found out that this has caused many disputes among the community worldwide as some people were arguing for image manipulation while others were arguing against it. Let's now have a look at some of the main arguments for and against image manipulation. 

For image manipulation:

• It represents reality better as the images are altered only slightly.
• It is expected by viewers and so can't fool us.
• It can be seen as artistic in nature.
• It allows us to see our 'fantasy' selves

Against image manipulation:

• It contributes to eating disorders.
• It promotes unrealistic ideals about body image.
• It narrows the definition of 'beauty' and harms self-image.
• It lowers self-esteem.
• The altered images are misleading.

During my researched it has been noted that the problems with image manipulation have been mainly associated with girls and young women as they are naturally self-conscious and less experienced in life compared to adult women, therefore more prone to believe that altered images are actually real.

To tackle these problems, most governments around the world have agreed that new laws must be in place. The laws varied a bit between countries but all tried to accomplish similar goals; to indicate which images are altered so that all viewers are aware of it.

Personally, I'm not sided with any side of the argument but I agree with the governments and their actions to limit the problems associated with image manipulation as this allows us all to enjoy the benefits of image manipulation while doing so safely and in healthy manner.

Case Wrap Template

Today I'll be creating the template for my video game case wrap using software called "Adobe Photoshop".

Before I start, I'll need to consider the following factors that will affect my case wrap:

• Dimensions - What will the height and width of my case wrap be, including the spine and considering things like bleed and safety margins.
• Resolution - How detailed will my cover art be based on the number of pixels present in my template. The higher the value for the "Ppi - pixels per inch" the more detailed the work will be.  
• Colour Space - How big the variety of colours will be present on my cover art. This will be either 8,16 or 32 bits. The more bits the more accurate the colours due to more colours being available. Also I'll need to consider what colour mode should I use. 
• Background Contents - This will determine what kind of background will my template have. It could either be transparent of coloured. 

After doing some background research I have finally decided to set my template using the following settings:

• Dimensions - 7.5" x 11" (whole template), 7.25" x 0.5" (spine)
• Resolution - 300 pixels/inch
• Colour Space - RGB Colour (32 bits)
• Background Contents - Transparent

The dimensions set are exactly the same as the ones I found on the internet which are used for an Amaray DVD case wrap. This is because the specification for this assignment has specifically required this format of the case wrap. 

I've set the resolution to 300 Ppi because during my research I've noticed that most businesses required the resolution to be a minimum of 300 Ppi or higher. I've decided to do the same as I thought that it would be a good practice for the 'real world' work environment. 

I've decided that the colour space should be in 'RGB Colour' mode as this is the mode that monitors use to display colours. This means that when I'll be creating my cover art, all the colours that I'll use will be displayed correctly. Also since the cover art will be for a video game, I've decided that the colour space should be in 16 bits as video games often use graphics which are highly detailed and rich in varieties of colours, therefore if I am to reproduce that I'll need the high range of colours while keeping the file size smaller.

The set the background contents to transparent because throughout my experience with the "Adobe Photoshop" I've always found this option to be the most useful and the one that will least get in my way later on when I'll be applying different techniques of image manipulation. 

Introduction

Hi everyone, this is my first post on my first blog ever!!

This blog will be about my progress for the Digital Imaging Software Assignment that I'm currently doing. The aim of the assignment is for me to create, using software, a package for a DVD or a video game that will consist of the case wrap as well as a 1 minute long trailer which will both present my product, giving it a character and originality.

My expectations are that by the end of the assignment this blog will show all the work that I've done including all decision-making, justification, designs, ideas and anything else that is related to this assignment.

Ideas & Concept

In this section of my blog I'll be talking about my vision for the assignment as well as the external sources of inspiration which could help me in creation of my designs.

My main idea for this assignment is to create the package for a Samurai themed video game set in feudal Japan. This is because since childhood I was always interested in the feudal Japan culture, how people used to live then, the customs that applied during those times as well as the warfare including the Samurai themselves. Also this decision was greatly influenced by the fact that I'm currently attending Kendo-Iaido club which I enjoy very much.

Due to the nature of the theme, the design will be rather distinctive and easily recognisable for anyone that is familiar with the setting. 

Here are some existing works which I think might help me in the design of my product.

This is a front cover of the video game called "Way of the Samurai". What I liked about it and which I might use in my design was the background sky as I think the colours are presenting the sky at dusk really well. Also the colours themselves seem very attractive to the eyes, grabbing their attention, which I think might be useful if I had to sell my product in the real-life scenario.

This is a unofficial wallpaper based on a video game called "Way of the Samurai 3". What I liked about it was the warrior figures shown as all of them were in a battle stance. Also what I thought was good is the fact that there is a sense of depth present which made the scene look more alive.

References

Way of the Samurai image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Way_of_the_Samurai_Coverart.png

Way of the Samurai 3 image: http://86bb71d19d3bcb79effc-d9e6924a0395cb1b5b9f03b7640d26eb.r91.cf1.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/way-of-the-samurai-3-wallpaper.jpg