Proposal

UAL Awarding Body - Level 3 Creative Media Production & Technology

Unit 8 - Project Proposal

Name

Jake Adams

Your Project Title

Ghoul Gauntlet

Pathway (Preferred Media ‘specialism’):

Games development, Animation, Graphics, Film, TV, Photography, Journalism, 😀Radio, Web. This may be a combination of one or more.

Level design (main), Concept artist (secondary).

Section 1: Project Rationale (approx. 100 words)

Since starting the course in September, What do you know now, and what does it mean to you, (compared with what you knew and could do before you started the course). How does what you know now influence your choice of pathway and your project proposal?

During the time on the course, I have learned: how to use Maya to create basic 3D objects and animations, how to create 2D animations in adobe animate and After-Effects, create levels and blueprints in Unreal Engine 5. With all this considered, I will be creating the main level for the project as well as the blueprints to implement interactivity within the level since I am well-prepared and have practiced making these in EEP hours for several months. Since I would like to improve my knowledge in level design and blueprints for future projects and experience, this role will be beneficial to pursue and initiate with the notion of creating a fully functioning level with complex concept designs to drive the level's design into the audience's heart whilst create an encompassing and enjoyable atmosphere.

Section 2 Project Concept: (approx. 200 words)

Clearly explain the concept and aims of your project and the context, research and ideas that will support its development. What are the historical, economic, social, mass media, cultural, political influences?  What is it you want to communicate and who is your audience? What access will you need to workshop, how will you use independent study?

For the project, I plan to work with the whole team to create a top-down shooter zombie game. The level will be created in Unreal Engine; therefore, I will need access to computers for the project as well as various software such as Unreal Engine, PowerPoint, Google chrome, Teams etc. to create the level and document / communicate ideas and progress within the project. I will look at current top-down shooter games to gain insights for the project and accumulate primary research that will influence the designs and concepts for the level. I will also investigate articles / online reviews to make my research more diverse and dilated as well as more authentic and realistic. I plan on also implementing controller inputs into the level, which may require access to various controllers such as Xbox and Playstation’s DualShock 4 controllers in order to playtest and ensure that the level works on controller.

For the visual concepts of the level, I will create many different concepts such as the HUDs, the levels, and transitions between levels. For this task to be completed, I will require access to workplaces with photoshop installed.

The game will need to have original designs and concepts for the gameplay to feel thrilling and new. I will attempt to make a cinematic scene and a main menu screen if the production stage is completed within the designated time I have dedicated to production.

The game will be action themed but may have options that can change the character design or environment to make the game more comedic with customisations such as suits, armour, and ‘formal’ wear to make the game more humorous. This would benefit the 13- to 18-year-old target audience as the game would feel more humorous which would appeal to the audience and make the game feel less competitive and hardcore. Other comedic features that could be implemented are companions and dialogue that could occur during scenes. This feature was implemented in Dead-ops arcade as shown in the ending scene by having the character have text dialogue that was both comedic and calming, then this being followed by the antagonist landing on the main character, the player, and playing a "goofy" scream. Another reference of this can be seen when the player gets the companion drop which gives the player a floating bird which shoots with the player, enforcing comedy into the level which should be interpolated into the design of the level.

We plan on the level being around 1 hour long maximum (still not confirmed) with the maximum duration being based on if the player runs out of lives and how long it takes to get to the final wave / level of enemies. The level will also have a pause menu which will be profitable for the target audience of 13 to 18 year olds since their schedules can be protected as they can pause and play the game when they please rather than playing for an hour straight which they may not have time to implement into their busy and sporadic schedules.

Section 3 Evaluation and Reflection: (Approx. 50 words)

Explain how you will reflect on, and evaluate your work, as both an on-going activity and at the conclusion of the project. You should describe how you intend to record your decision making and how you will document changes to your ideas as work progresses.  The evaluation should be referred back to your aims. It must be reflective (‘why? Because?’) and analytical rather than a description of actions completed.

I will examine my work by reflecting on the initial ideas / concepts and comparing them to the final designs so I can see the changes made throughout development that have affected the product. I will also reflect on time management and workflow throughout the individual weeks on a regular basis to ensure I am on track with the Project Action Plan and Timetable and to allow time for contingency if necessary. For my reflection, I will use my blog as a median for documenting changes that occur as ideas are metamorphosed as the project progresses.

Section 4: Research Sources and Bibliography

Record the initial research sources, both primary and secondary, that you intend to use.  Your sources of research should be as wide as possible, including libraries, museums, galleries, journalism, articles, media, galleries, books, film/video, magazines, TV/radio programmes, web sites etc.

Primary research: Playing video games such as dead ops arcade, gang beasts and League of Legends to explore ideas for the setup of the game’s UI, mechanics, levels and camera setups.

Secondary research: Viewing media such as popular news articles and websites that explore unique games within the industry and with many features of top-down camera angles to explore and collaborate the player's opinions on final ideas of top-down level designs and gameplay mechanics to incorporate positive outcomes into the level and negate the gloom-ridden aspects that many would deem unenthusiastic for a top-down experience.