Sem AB Week 11 consultation

Consultation 8(Tuesday, 27/1/15)

I have skipped few tutorials because I was busy on debugging and refining my graphics. However, this is the last consultation in this semester.

Tutor: Chuan Zui

I have shown the artefact walk-through to Zui. Zui agreed with me the font can be slightly bigger. He suggested I can either have header above the panels to let user look back for the chapters or cropped the panel and zoom into full screen. I think I should make a header in each of the page to have a better navigation for user. He suggested to put an back arrow for user to view back the previous page, and blurring the panel's edge to represent dreamy if I have more time.

Next execution is to craft all the instruction in the artefacts.

Consultation 9(Friday, 30/1/15)

Tutor : Kelvin

Some minor bugs on the monster interaction. The codes that I found does not work perfectly. What I want to achieve in this interaction page is when user click on the monster and it throws stone to the monster.

What Kelvin suggests, is making the stone in GIF to animate and random the array onclick. I will try to continue search for the code and apply in.

Sem AB Week 8 consultation

Consultation 7(Friday, 9/1/15)

Tutor: Kelvin

I have shown the over story flow to Kelvin (Interaction page, chapter one and chapter two) and asked the problem that I currently facing it. Kelvin said the problem can be solved if I upload the whole files into the server.

The problem is solved once I upload to server, but however, it is not a good way to display my project through online as the internet might not stable during the exhibition day.  I might need to figure out another way to solve this problem.

Other comment from Kelvin was the graphics of chapter one need to refine and should be more consistent on all the pages and all the chapter. I might not have enough time for me ,but I should focus more on my technical area from now.

Sem AB: Week 6 consulation

Consultation 6 (Tuesday, 9/12/14)

Tutor: Chuan Zui

I have shown the completed interaction page , the cat clay and lady with fan. I also found few background music for chapter 2 the first dream and second dream. Zui commented the code is okay and might consider to start to craft the instruction, make sure it is matched with the narrative. For background music, he suggested me to put several different music to represent different moods in the scenes.
His other advice is to speed up the progress and check on the timeline.

Besides, Zui has taught me how to achieve the nervous effects from the reference below.

Zui showed me how to achieve the effect by using Photoshop. After that I try to achieve my own and put it in the panel. It works well.

Sem AB: Week 5 consultation

Consultation 5 (Friday, 5/12/14)

Tutor: Kelvin

I have asked Kelvin for suggestion on how to use mousewheel scroll to trigger the animations in panels. Kelvin said it is very hard to execute it in Adobe Dreamweaver, he suggested I should use Adobe Muse since it is the similar thing that I want to achieve in Dreamweaver. Otherwise I can try to use GIF image. Besides, Kelvin also help me to fix the Lady with fan interaction page, to cover the fan with container in Adobe Dreamweaver.

Next execution is I will be looking for the tutorial videos for intergrate Adobe Edge to Adobe Muse. I will start to animate once I have the confidence of everything works fine in Adobe Muse. 

Sem AB: Week 4 Consultation

Consultation 4 (25/11/14)

Tutor: Chuan Zui

Showed my digitize scenes and the parallex scrolling code. Zui suggested I should play with some animation in the panels, for example the light in the 1st panel of my chapter 2, make it swing or dim. He suggested animation can try to use GIF or PNG file and try to separate the layers to animate. Other commend is to brighten the scenes. Some other graphic elements that can be reused and background are reusable so to cut down the time for me to redraw . He suggested I put 2 to 3 panels in one page and start to find some sound effect and background sound.

Next execution, I will try to animate the elements by using Adobe Edge to speed up my digitize process, find some sound effects, plan on which element that I should animate and continue the technical part on interaction page.

Sem AB: Week 3 Consultation

Consultation 3 (Tuesday, 18/11/14)

Tutor: Chuan Zui

Showed my refined storyboard to Zui. Zui said the story was fine and I should speed up my work. He asked me to think of the technical aspect more in this project. I should not show my artwork in a static panel, I should think more about the interacting design. He also gives me some advice on not thinking the craftment but think more on behind the work, the idea instead of graphics. Taking from the references, I should analyze the weakness and strength, from there I should come out an idea of how to improve it.

I am worried now. I will speed up the process and try to code as soon as possible.

Sem AB: Week 2 consultation

Consultation 1 (Tuesday, 11/11/14)

Tutor: Chuan Zui

Had the first consultation with Chuan Zui in this final semester. I have discussed the story outline, shown the story board and some of the digitize scenes to the supervisor.

I am worried and concerned about the storyline in my final project as the story length is a bit too long. After discussion with Chuan Zui, I decided to shorten the length of the story, by combining the story of chapter 2 and chapter 4 together. Besides, as Zui suggestion, I should have made some adjustment for the story flow as below:

Chapter 1: Baku's Childhood
Chapter 2: Enter to sabotage dream
Chapter 3: Met the character Yoshi who change Baku's personality.

I shifted the story to start with introducing Baku's childhood and what makes him changed at the beginning of the story instead of letting the user to experience the sabotage dream because it will be confusing and lack of understanding of the whole narrative for the user.

Other than that, I have shown and explained in one of the interactive parts to Zui, which is the scene when the mask guy was passing the cat clay toy to the kid.

In this part, buttons will be shown at the clickable area, the cat eyes, mouth and body. The interaction will lead to different outcomes as it depends on the user to decide whether to help Baku to sabotage or not. I am thinking to put timer in this section so that to increase the tension for the user, Zui was also agreed.

The digitize scenes are too dim, I will adjust it become brighter and makes some adjustment on colors contrast. The next step that I will execute is refining my storyboard as it has adjusted. I will be continue to digitize my graphics and some refinement.


Consultation 2 (Friday, 14/11/14)

Tutor : Kelvin

I have shown the same progress to Kelvin. In my interaction part, Kelvin said is too static and not interesting enough. Kelvin asked to compose few benchmarks on what I want to archieve. He suggested me to consider using Adobe Flash to animate so the interaction will be wider. Story is too long and he asked me to think about what makes this project fascinating to let people want to buy it. Other than that, to work faster to get my digitize scene done.


After the consultation with Zui and Kelvin. I have listed down what is my next execution.
- Think about how to make my project stand out
- Digitize chapter 2, code the interaction part in Adobe Dreamweaver.
- Lack of landing page(Home page), I will try to digitize it
- Refine artstyle.
- Consider to animate in Adobe Flash.
- Find some benchmarks to support my artwork.

Forth Consultation

A forth consultation with Kelvin and Chuan Zui.

Showing them my refined storyline and some of the storyboard sketches.

Storyline:

1. Vance has abandoned in the forest and adopted by a wizard.

2. The relationship of the wizard and Vance are close. They are like the father and son. However, when Vance growing up, the wizard became old and weak.

3. Wizard knows the true identity of Vance once he adopted. However before wizard passed away, he told Vance his ability of able to enter other people's dream and helping people eat up their bad dream in order to survive. 

4. After Vance has lost the wizard. He become lonely and depressed. He stay at home everyday and having nightmare everynight.

5. One day he has try to use his ability. He entered in other people's dream and found out everyone is having wonderful dream that he never had one.

6. Vance felt jealous and started to destroy/sabotage people's dream from sweet dream to nightmare. He felts happy of what he was doing and wanted everyone same with him.

7.More and more he becoming a monster and forgot what his father aspiration.

8.Until one day, he met a character who having same situation as him in real life.

9.This character has nightmare.He dreamt about his father passed away and he is not afraid. (Reminds Vance memory of he with his father)

10.Although the character's father has passed away but this character has lived in a positive attitude which is part of the father's aspiration.

11. Vance felt sympathy about this character. He started to observe him and gain interest about this character.

12. Slowly, Vance has realize that he was wrong. He should listen to his father using his ability into the right way.

13. In the end, Vance has become a guardian of the people in the town that helping them to eat up their nightmare and protect the villagers.

Storyboard:

The story will start with character sabotage the people's dream.

As a feedback from the supervisor. The story is better than the previous however Zui suggested me to change the character into puppy and using some Japanese element such as the woodblock prints Ukigo to create more visual identity and attract user.

I found this is an interesting point from Chuan Zui, as I will change my graphic visual from western into Japanese elements and inside story I will introduce some of the Japanese culture. I will look further for the Japanese identity such as the textures and their culture such as bon odori and so on in the following post. I will create a final storyline and refine the storyboard and sketch out my character design as soon as possible.

Third Consultation

Storyline (Updated):

1. Vance has abandoned by his parents into the forest. 

2. His parents believed that Vance has been cursed due to his monster appearance.

3. By floating with the river , Vance has reached to an abandoned house. 

4. There was a wizard lived in the house, he started to adopt this baby.

5. Because Vance has abandoned by his parents, he felt lonely, fears and having nightmare all the time. 

6. The wizard has saw Vance struggling and started to deal with him of taking off his nightmare and giving him the ability to enter people's dream and helping the wizard to steal their happiness so that the wizard swoop into the people and control over them.

7. Vance has promised the wizard.

8. He has sleep and tried to enter to the world with full of bubble dreams. 

9. He felt jealous and envy on other people who are having sweet dreams, he wanted other people have the same nightmare as him. 

10. Every time he destroy, he feels happy. 

11. Until a day, he met a character that having same situation as him but he has the positive attitude that change Vance mind.

Feedbacks from supervisors.

Narrative:

Kelvin

1.Story need to be more refine and solid.

2.Might consider to find existing story and modified.

3.If it is a multistory line, the interactivity should reach the same standard with the industry.

4.Need to be more thinking on the stealing dream part which it is the main part of the storyline. 

Suggestion:

-Alter some of the story? For example enter people imagination when contact with them rather than giving a bunch of dreams.

-Tie back the interactivity to the story, consider the time execution.

Question:

-Why is the baby has abandoned by the parent? 

-Might consider the overall story flow, might tie back to some of the myth or existing story.

Chuan Zui

1. Beginning story might seems too long.

2. Should start with the interactive straight forward as a fishing to the user.

Suggestion:

-Moving the main part of the storyline to the beginning, let user start interact and immerse themselves into the story. 

-Story might start with the dream thief having negative attitude and personality, he is having nightmare all the time, he then has the temporary ability given from the wizard to enter to other people's dream. He starting to sabotage the dreams and realize that no matter how he wants to cause some trouble, but the dreams undestroy.

-He tries to destroy fews dream until he met a character who has similar background with him. However, the character having positive attitude and mind that has change the main character.

Interactivity:

Kelvin:

1. Look for target audience, each category of target audience having different interactivity.

2. For example, if this story is targeted on teenager, the interactive part should be more gimmick and rewarding to the user. If this story is targeted on kids, the interactive part might be simple fun and entertainment and having moral value.

3. May refer to the references: Sword & Sworcery, Paper Fox and Magic school bus

Suggestion:

-Instead of swipe the rock to knock the door, but how about clicking the baby to cry so to acknowledge the wizard in the house that there is a baby outside the house.

Second Consultation

Having consultation with Zui. 

We have discussed my final project topic and storyline. 

The feedbacks from Chuan Zui :

- The overall idea is okay. Some of the storyline need to clear and refine.

-Why is the character that has the ability to enter people's dream ? Must create a structure of logic at the beginning to make audience to belief that the character has the power.

-Interactivity, how does it user input? What activities that user can do?

-How well is your technical that can promote your brand your website so that in the future, people from industry will hire you.

-Is this a linear or non- linear story? What makes people want to play on my artefact?(The user experience)

-Duration that must be less than 3 minutes.

Some other suggestion that he has gave me. How to attract user to have a solid user in my artefact.

1. Story

2. Adaptation (the backbones, the famous story such as Transformer)

3. Have a good approach / interesting

4. Interesting interactivity / unique user experience

5. Process of interactivity , not only point and click but use the knowledge that I have learn in html 5

6. Interactive should be link with story. 

Therefore, the next step that I will execute is :

-Refine the storyline

-Sketch out the storyboard

-While sketching I need to plan the interactivity to give unique user experiences for the audience. 

Before that , I will research on the topic of "dreams" to strengthen my story and points in the next post. 

First Consultation

A first consultation with Chuan Zui and Kelvin today.

I have proposed the overall ideas for my supervisors. However, below were their feedbacks.

-The message of balancing usage of tablet and physical toy have to be strong, it might be an advice for kids that do not obsess with digital device.

-Therefore Zui has showed me one of the example in creative sandbox that has nice concept and impactful for the user.

Link: http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/campaigns/peugeot-crash.html

This is an interactive ad that produced by Peugeot not only to produce safe cars but their aim is to educate their consumer about responsible driving. This ad has simulates the dangers of texting while consumer are driving.

-From the example above, Zui was suggested that my story could let user to involve in the event by using user perspective to view the story. For example:Playing with Ipad while having dinner with family but when finished playing the game his family has gone.

-For technical part, for my final project that inspire by doing pop out windows from ramaya.na, however, from Kelvin feedback, there must be a clear and strong reason that doing the pop out window, because the original idea of ramayana doing pop out window was to promote the google features. 

-Therefore, the overall feedback was to rethink the big idea that related to my interactive narrative website. 

After consultation, I have research some website that using user point of view to navigate the story. 

One of the website that I found such as Rome an interactive film.

Link : http://www.ro.me/

In this website, the film will keep playing and go forward, user might want to explore the environment by just moving all around to view the perspective in the world.

However, this website that could give me some of the inspiration and ideas for my final project.

In this stage, I have also consulted with Sweii. She has clear out the way and direct me to the correct path. 

The reason that my idea is not strong is because of the unclear target audience. In my statement of intent, I have noted that I was targeted on two groups which are kids and parents. However, the target audience should be more specific. Different target audience has different narrative approach. For instance, if my final project is targeted on parent, I should understand the target audience behavior and what is their mindset. To be more specific, to target on parent who were working and surfing internet all the time so that my website that having more possibility to educate them by advice them the balance usage of playing Ipad to their children.

Therefore, the next step is to seek out and understand what target audience thinking. I have to further investigation on user behavior by doing some survey and more in-depth research that helps to strengthen my story and idea. I also have to think a way to appropriate the topic with the interactivity in the website. 

Note for consultation

Review on SOI draft

After consult with Sweii on SOIT draft. She suggested that my target audience should scope into some specific group and a clear message that my narrative should brings. 

Due to the limited sources that I found in online, I will scope down my target audience in the age range of 10 an above and urban areas. Basically, my interactive narrative website is targeted on general. 

From previous, I kind of lost in the direction of what message should i convey for my target audience through my story.Touchscreen device that has both negative and positive impact. However, I have done some research to make the topic of my final project more solid. 

Some of the research shows that the negative is overweight than the positive impact. Some of the application that available to download to the touchscreen device is endanger to children. 

In this links http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/7-dangerous-apps-that-parents-need-to-know-about/  shows that the 7 dangerous application that cause harmful to the children. 

From that, it come out the inspiration of my narrative by having a contrast on a kid with technology around her/him and a kid that without technology. The main message is to show that the warm of having physical toy such as teddy bear, building blocks that could bring more happiness and memories to the kids unlike the other side, technology should be use in more responsibility way.