Final Post before Exams

Weekly update #12

Another late update. I am a little behind schedule. According to my schedule, I should have finished the first version of my guideline.
 
But I did do a first test  to see what evokes an emotion and also tested with some sketches . Also, the prop designs on the floats are finished.
 
Now I'll have to analyze the data, already started that.
Also the color board is in progress. which I will use for my research on emotion and illustrations.
next post will be a bit longer :)

Sketches that were used for the test, to see which one is the most affective.

 

A screenshot of a testsession.

'late' weekly update #11

I have created more overview  for myself by making a MoSCoW so I know what had more priority, and also I reduced in the deliverables. I'm also working with Emiel Kampen for a possible opportunity to make a game under the IP of 15 Second Zombie.

the main things that have to be finished in order to graduate:

• 4 illustrations that prove my theory - Ma
• theory and guideline for the illustrations - Ma
• Environment design: Sambadrome - Ba
• Environment Design: Factory - Ba
• Character Designs: Carnival Zombies - Ba
• Character Designs + expressions: Gustavo & Laticia - Ba
• Prop Designs: Carnival Floats + Carnival stuff - Ba
• Prop Designs: Weapons - Ba
• Color Script - Ba
• Mock - up 1st level + assets - Ga
• Assets exported + animated - Ga

Ma = Master
Ba = Bacholor
Ga = Game

Some of these deliverables are already finished. ( Environment design: Sambadrome, Environment Design: Factory, Character Designs: Carnival Zombies, Character Designs + expressions: Gustavo & Laticia)

 But still a lot has to be done, and even if this is finished there is a whole list of assets and environment that can be developed. but for now I will work on this list.

Environment Design of the Sambadrome

 Designs of the Zombies

weekly update #10

the weekly post again. last week a lot of research done on the relationship between emotion and colors, expressions drawn designed of Gustavo and Laticia. Also Hiromi made ​​some sketches. new plans are made ​​to make the project run smoothly and perhaps more opportunities :)

the upcoming time we will spend on colorscripts, environment designs, prop designs, zombie designs, animating the trailer and illustrations that demostrate the model of Jolanda

weekly update #8 & 9

Last week, I’ve been too busy to do an update, so to compromise, this extra-large post.

Done a lot in the past time, production wise and in the field of research. I have also had the midterm and got a green light. Which means I'm doing well, I still have to do some more work on my supportive narrative.

My research concerns the definition of emotion is almost complete, I have a chapter with a few subchapters which I can draw a conclusion about how to recognize emotion and where it comes from. Also I now have a better idea of ​​what I eventually want to make; a model that functions as a guide for Visual Artists to create illustrations that evoke emotion.
For this I will do more research on Affective Psychology of Science and Arts, and create the model with the intertwined knowledge.

My theory is that if I combine Affective Science and Psychology of Arts, I can make an Affective Artifact. An illustration that evokes emotion.

In terms of production Hiromi and I have decided to have separate deliverables. She is responsible for the trailer and animations, my responsibility is visual development and producing the artbook. I have designed Gustavo and the entrance to the factory. (And in the meantime have made promotional banner).

The next few weeks, I will focus more on my supportive narrative, I make more time to make a beginning of a model even if it is just one emotion. This I shall test by using the model to create an illustration and question and observe the spectator if the emotion was evoked. My plan for this was to have two test groups, the artists and the spectator. The artist test whether the model is clear and usable, the spectators test the illustrations produced with the model as a guide if they also evoke emotions.
On area of production I will make more environments designs and props designs, characters are all set.
Hiromi will work on the second version of the moving storyboard on and will soon start with the animation of the trailer.

weekly update #7

Been very busy with designing the Zombie version of Laticia.In the meanwhile I am reading the book 'De emoties' by Nico H. Frijda.

 

I found some interesting things. He defines emotion from 3 different objective perspectives:

• Emotional behavior
• The physiology of emotion
• Neurophysiology of emotion

Emotional behavior
Here Frijda describes emotion as an expressive behavior, he calls it expressive behavior because it is an emotional behavior that we can assign to the person or animal. We assign the emotion ‘concerned’  to a mother who goes looking for a shot loose safety-pin in the diaper of her baby, and ‘fear’ to a child who is frightened of a dog where another is afraid of. Expressive behavior can also be seen as a form of communication for emotion. Like cats hissing and with their backs high communicate "do not come closer, I'll scratch your eyes out", we humans communicate anger by tensing our muscles and leaning forward what makes the other person aware of our moods and intensions. The usefulness of expressive behavior is not only communication, anger tightens our muscles and increases our resistance against physical impact.

The physiology of emotion

Frijda here describes what the physiological conditions for certain emotional appearances. There are three categories which the physiological reactions are distinguished. The first one is autonomous reactions, such as the activity of the muscles and certain organs in certain reactions. The second is the hormone department and the third are the neurological reactions. there are also changes that occur in the chemical composition of fluids in the body, such as saliva and blood. but also breathing is of relevance. An example is that the heart rate goes up when we are startled by an unexpected event. But also when we head count or count backwards, also with motorists when we are catching up. these are indications and side effects of different emotions (fear, surprise).

 

Neurophysiology of emotion
He describes here the important neurophysiological mechanisms that play a role in the emotional process. The three main structures that play a role are the brainstem, including certain parts of the diëncefalon, the limbic system and the neocortex. The hypothalamus is the main control center of the emotional arousel and the need-based behavior. Research showed that when this part of the brains were removed in cats, normal responses to threatening situations disappeared. In the brainstem, the mid- brains and the diëncefalon run a number of important nerves that substances noradrenalin, dopamine or serotonin secrete through the limbic system far into the neocortex. These are important in regulating emotion.