Currently, I’m working on the second level for Savanna Sam. For this level, I’ve painted a more elaborate background compared to the first level. The background image uses a panorama effect, similar to panorama photos that most smartphones can make, where several photos looking into different directions are stitched together.
In my case, the panorama is arranged vertically. So, the upper portion of the image represents the view that you would see if you look straight at the horizon, and it blends into the view where you would look straight down at the ground.
This is what it looks like in it’s entirety:
So, what do I need a vertical panorama background for? At one point in the second level, Sam flies over the edge of a cliff and continues to fly downward along the wall of the cliff. I need the background for the moment where Sam transitions from flying straight at the horizon to flying along the comically tall stone wall:
I think the effect is pretty neat, considering how relatively low-tech it is.