Click here for a copy of the brief document in Google Docs

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Environment Art | Stage 2 Brief

Core Brief

Create and compose an original game environment scene around a set of four key assets and presented in Unreal Engine 4. All stylistic, thematic and aesthetic considerations are at the artist's discretion. The full development process must be evidenced, from pre-production, production, post-production to final presentation.

Objective

The goal of this piece of work is to demonstrate your ability as an artist to conceive, develop, create and present an innovative and creative space. The process that leads to the result is as key as the final composition itself, the creativity and motivation of the final piece should be evident from the foundation work.  

Fixed Conditions

Scene is based around a single low-level location concept of your choice, e.g. ‘Throne Room’, ‘Arena’, ‘Hotel Room’, ‘Market’ etc.

Your scene should fit into a maximum space of 30x30x30 metres. You don’t need to use all of this space, but you should not exceed it.

The scene must show use of both organic and hard surface modelling, and include the following assets:

• One ‘centerpiece’ focal object, for example:

• Throne - ornate and epic, a manifestation of power

• Cage – corrosion and decay, Isolation and hopelessness

• Bed – sun drenched venetian apartment, a vision of romance and textile decadence

• Cart – Defying the odds, an overloaded, twist on physics, exaggerated achievement

• One large decorative piece, for example:

• Flag - vivid bold color statement, supporting the theme and sense of power

• Carving – the remnants of a once surviving soul  

• Curtain – elegantly flowing / curving leading the eye into the room  

• Tapestry – A coat of arms proudly on display

• One supporting prop for example:

• Brazier – ornate, fire filled braziers framing the throne

• shackles – Discarded and static in absence of a prisoner

• Desk – A decadent Bureau, with a handwritten note under a delicate weight

• Basket – the one last element to be stacked upon the kart

• One architectural statement / structural piece, for example:

• Gothic stained window – streaking colourful light upon the throne

• Pillars and archways – the forgotten basement supporting structures

• Window – The frame to house an architectural metal balcony

• Portcullis – a defendable gateway to a busy market town

Thematic and Stylistic Suggestions

A strong environment piece tends to allude to some sort of narrative, sense of mood, tone and place. The theme and tone should act as strong motivators toward your choice of location, render style, execution and your personal strength, as it’s your artistic judgment in these areas that will be on show.

The choice of theme and setting is at the your discretion, but to help here are some examples to encourage a range of creative interpretations around the brief: -

• Throne room scene containing assets in WW2 theme: -

• Realistic in rendering and surface detail

• Realistic in both form and scale

• Bleak and weathered – motivation for colour palette and lighting

• Realism in surface detail – demonstration in material creation and pipeline

• Nomadic Campsite scene containing assets in cyberpunk dystopian future: -

• Realistic in both form and scale

• Stylized in rendering and surface details

• Vivid and varied – motivation for colour palette and cultural influences

• Hot and dry – Motivation for lighting and composition

• Hotel Lobby scene containing assets in a colourful south American Theme

• Stylised form with exaggerated structures and sense of perspective

• Stylised material finish with illustrative render style

• Fun Vibrant setting – Motivation for colour palette and lighting

• Stylized VFX - Opportunity to explore tone and humour through visuals.

Concept & Design

The pre-production phase is there to help solidify a vision and decide the motivating factors for the art being produced. Whilst reviewing the final piece, the journey, influences and creative choices along the way will be taken into account.  

Evidence of reference gathering, moodboards, collation or collage of specific designs, concepts or reference points will need to be produced and presented.

Whether the use of photo reference or concept art is more relevant when consolidating your design, depends on the creative direction you choose, so long as the vision and compositional elements can be clearly communicated.

The pre-production phase is an integral part in both outlining and defining your objectives, as well as giving a reference point for your artistic and creative progression throughout the project.

We cannot understate the importance of good research, development, planning and documentation.

Textures & Materials
It is presumed that you will be creating your own textures and materials for your model. In your documentation, show maps/meshes/etc. for anything you've created. If you've used any tool defaults/presets instead, please include general notes covering any used.

Presentation of materials

The final piece will need to be presented alongside all the preliminary pre-production works, the layout and composition of all pieces should be well considered and clearly communicate your creative intentions.

Often strong environment work can be mis-represented when not demonstrated or composed effectively. Your ability to show good judgment when focusing your 3D creation effort and techniques towards specifically composed area will be taken into account. Be sure to know the framing of your scene to maximize your efforts and the impact of your final render(s).

Do consider the format and framing ratio of both your final renders as well as the preliminary works. Often panoramic ratios invoke a cinematic grandeur, or perhaps a vertical portrait composition suits your environment and mood? Do explore and consider your dimensions and relative composition and layouts.

In addition to the final scene as a whole, you will also be required to provide your UE4 project file(s) & present your four key assets individually, both as static images and as Sketchfab 3D models.

Development Process / Assessment Milestones

Assessment Criteria

Concept design & development

Technical art

Creative art

Written documentation

Final presentation

Recommendations & Considerations

Industry professionals have been consulted throughout the SFAS process. Below you’ll see a list of common threads and feedback points that often occur. Each point is worthy of consideration when defining your own brief, subject matter and executing on your own works: -

• Aim for high quality - your best work

• Show Concept Development

• Researching & Purposeful Mood boards

• Know your strengths and build upon them

• Show full process documentation

• Demonstrate Compositional sense

• Understand and Define your Style

• Showcase of artistic ability

• Showcase of creative ability

• Showcase of technical ability

• Dev Diaries

• Scaling, Accuracy

• A well selected Colour palette

• Use industry standards / pipelines

• Detailing of aesthetics

• Layout and arrangement

• Appropriate detail / resolution density

• Unreal engine best practice

• Use of mixed tools

• Well composed Lighting

• Consider use of post-prod’ FX

• Meshes, maps, textures

• Texture budget & poly count

• Leverage Post Processing
  

Summary and Goal

• Design and create a scene based on a single low-level concept

• Define your own setting, theme and tone

• The scene must contain the core assets

• One ‘centerpiece’ focal object

• One large decorative piece

• One supporting prop

• One architectural statement / structural piece

• Format and present your final scene renders and supporting assets    

The goal of this exercise is to create a brief or framework that focuses your attention and skills into a single piece that demonstrates both industry relative abilities and your own personal creative judgment.

Submission Details

• Development engine is Unreal Engine 4.

• You may use any additional tools that you have access to (e.g. Maya, Substance etc.)

• Finished projects must be presented as your evidence, documentation and UE4 project.

• Projects must be submitted using the Itch platform (see submission guide below).

Submission Guide

All finished projects are required to be published on the itch.io platform and submitted to the Search For A Star 3D Environment Art Challenge 2018 by 28th January 2018 at 11:59 PM GMT

 You must join the SFAS Environment Art page to take part : https://itch.io/jam/search-for-a-star-environment-art-2018

 We advise that you set up a draft of your project page ahead of the deadline. To create your art project page, go to your itch.io Dashboard and select the ‘Upload New Project’ option.

 Complete the submission form, in line with itch.io’s Quality Guidelines 

• Set Title to the name of your asset pack
  • This should be an actual name you've chosen, rather than a general project title or description of the project.
  • A good title does not need to include any reference to Search For A Star, Rising Star or your own name.

• Set Classification to ‘game assets’.
• Set Kind of project to ‘Downloadable’.
• For Release State, choose an option that best describes your project, even if ‘prototype’ or ‘in development’.
• Set pricing to ‘Disable all payments’ - You can change this once all projects have been marked by the judges, if you wish. 

• Upload your project files as a zip file, exported from UE4 (Package project > Zip)
  • Your project file should contain your full final scene.
  • If your final scene is too large to upload, instead upload your four key assets as separate files.
• Upload a separate project PDF containing your intro, pre-production work, summation and any additional production documentation.  

• Include the following on your project page:
  • A cover image
  • Your scene & key asset beauty shots as the screenshots
  • Sketchfab render(s) of your key assets (either as embedded or linked)
  • (optional) Video content of your scene & assets. 

• The ‘Description’ text box should contain a copy of your written intro & final written summation from your documentation, as well as your embeds/links to the Sketchfab renders. It may contain further documentation if you choose.  

• When your project is complete, set ‘Visibility & Access Settings’ to ‘Public’.
  • To prevent your project showing up in public listings, choose the option for ‘Unlisted in search & browse’.

To submit your project, return to the Search For A Star 2018 page and press the ‘Submit your jam’ button

 Select your finished project, fill in your name and challenge tier details and press ‘Submit’.

 If you have any issues with the submission process or want to clarify anything, let me know either at dan@gradsingames.com or ask on the Grads In Games Discord : https://discord.gg/7ppfTnT

Please note that there is no ‘fail’ or ‘disqualification’ criteria. Do what you can & submit what you are able to. Even unfinished pieces and works in progress can be valuable.

update 17/11 : Confirmed maximum scene size of 30x30x30 metres.