Digital Matte Painting - Project 1
Ting Wen Yi / 0361799
Digital Matte Painting/Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 1 : Invisible Set Extension 1
INSTRCTIONS
You will synthesize the knowledge gained in task 1 to apply in task 2. Students are to demonstrate technical capability to conceptualize and build assets as a prep for invisible set extension over raw footage or recreate it by scratch from concept to finished art work. You will dissect and deconstruct raw footage to understand the nature and concept of the footage environment requirements for extension.
PROJECT 1 : INVISIBLE SET EXTENSION 1
I've picked Tomorrowland for my project because, while the movie shows this futuristic city, it doesn’t really dive deep into what the place is all about. We see glimpses of it, but the story mainly focuses on getting there, instead of exploring what makes Tomorrowland special.
Since it’s supposed to be this amazing hub of creativity and technology, I think there’s a lot of room to expand on that. I want to propose some ideas to flesh out the city more.
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Figure 1.1 Movie Chosen - Week 3 (12/10/2024) |
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Ideation 1: The Floating City
In Tomorrowland, a secret floating city exists, hidden high above the clouds. Long ago, it was a center of innovation where scientists and inventors created advanced technology. But after a dangerous experiment went wrong, the city was cut off from Tomorrowland and forgotten.
Plot:
When Tomorrowland faces new challenges, a young inventor discovers the existence of the floating city. Curious, he journeys there and finds a city with incredible but unstable technology. The people of the floating city, led by Dr. Voss believe they should remain isolated, thinking they’ve moved beyond the need for the main city.
However, the floating city’s technology is failing, putting it at risk of crashing. the young inventor must convince Dr. Voss and the engineers, to work with Tomorrowland to save both cities.
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Ideation 2: Sky Architect's Lab
The Sky Architect's Lab is an outdoor workshop where the world's most advanced aircraft are designed and built. This unique lab belongs to Arlo, a brilliant inventor known for creating gravity-defying planes that can soar to unimaginable heights.
Set against a backdrop of lush greenery and cutting-edge structures, Arlo's outdoor lab is alive with activity. Futuristic airplanes sit on elevated platforms, while holographic blueprints hover in the air, guiding the assembly process. Robotic arms and floating tools work in harmony to bring Arlo's visions to life.
As Arlo works on his latest creation, The Horizon Glider, he realizes there’s a critical flaw in the aircraft's anti-gravity system. If left unresolved, it could destabilize mid-flight and endanger both the aircraft and the city of Tomorrowland.
Plot:
With the grand unveiling of The Horizon Glider approaching, Arlo faces a tough decision: should he delay the project to ensure safety, or push forward to meet the deadline? His assistant, Elena, encourages him to focus on safety while exploring creative solutions.
During a test flight simulation in the outdoor lab, unexpected malfunctions occur, causing alarms to blare. Holographic blueprints flicker with warnings as robotic arms scramble to assist. With time running out, Arlo and Elena must collaborate, combining his inventive spirit with her knowledge of safety measures.
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| Figure 1.4 Mood Board (Sky Architect's Lab) - Week 3 (12/10/2024) |
Ideation 3: Time Traveler's Workshop
The Time Traveler's Workshop is a hidden, magical place full of strange devices and inventions for time travel. It belongs to Dr. Felix Chronis, a brilliant but quiet inventor who has spent his life studying the mysteries of time.
Setting:
There are clocks of every size and shape ticking in sync on the walls, and the workbenches are piled high with gadgets, glowing screens, and sketches of time machines. Right in the middle of it all is this huge, fancy time portal, glowing with swirling lights and crackling with energy.
Plot:
Dr. Chronis has figured out how to travel through time, but his inventions are dangerous. The timeline is fragile, and even the smallest change in the past can cause serious problems. One day, a young historian named Maya Lane finds the workshop while searching for information about her family's past. She becomes fascinated by Dr. Chronis's discoveries.
Seeing her interest, Dr. Chronis agrees to teach Maya about time travel, but warns her of its dangers. Together, they visit important moments in history, from ancient times to the future. But during one of their trips, they accidentally change a key event, causing unexpected trouble in the present.
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| Figure 1.5 Mood Board (Time Traveler's Workshop) - Week 3 (12/10/2024) |
Week 4 - Sketches
After choosing my theme as the floating city, I followed my mood board to create composition sketches. Since it's a sci-fi concept without a real-world reference, I drew tall buildings with a base that serves as the "floating mechanism," spreading out and linking to different cities. The lines represent transportation systems, like metro railways, connecting various parts of the city.
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| Figure 2.1 Composition 1 - Week 4 (20/10/2024) |
For the second composition, I wanted to make it interesting, so I drew the metro closer to the viewer in the corner, with the buildings positioned further away. Since it's a floating city, I added many clouds beneath to show that these structures are above the sky. I also included some planes.
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| Figure 2.2 Composition 2 - Week 4 (20/10/2024) |
Week 5 - Composition & Value
The lecturer mentioned that we need to have different views, so I drew three perspectives. The first one shows most of the floating cities with the metro railway, keeping the idea of extending the metro into the corner and adding another one above to create more hierarchy. I also drew a closer building on the side to frame the scene and add depth.
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| Figure 3.1 Bird Eye View - Week 5 (27/10/2024) |
The second view includes the metro interior, showing the city from a passenger's perspective. It reveals less of the city but offers a first-person perspective, similar to the viewpoint of a character.
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The last view is of a metro station located within one of the floating cities. It provides a closer look at the floating city and the design of the surrounding area.
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| Figure 3.3 Metro Station View - Week 5 (27/10/2024) |
Week 6 - Ambience Studies & Photo Bashing
This week, I have picked out the first view to do ambience studies. The goal was to explore how different color schemes can alter the mood of the scene. In the studies, I experimented with various tones such as cool, warm, and neutral lighting to create diverse atmospheres.
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| Figure 4.1 Ambience Studies - Week 6 (3/11/2024) |
Next, I did some photo bashing for the floating city environment. Since the scene revolves around floating cities, the available elements for photo bashing are quite limited. However, I utilized what I could to enhance the composition.
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As an additional exercise, I explored a treehouse theme through photo bashing. I started by gathering reference images, such as a mansion, natural forests, and detailed tree visuals. I combined these elements to create an enchanting environment that blends architectural structures with nature.
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Week 8 - Value Sketch
I did value sketching again with improved drawing. Mr. Kannan also showed us the standards and videos on how to draw these.
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Since I am doing a fully 3D digital matte painting, I didn't want to spend too much time refining my sketches, so I have picked number 4 to add more detailing.
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| Figure 5.2 Chosen Composition - Week 8 (3/10/2024) |
Figure 5.3 Project 1 Compilation - Week 8 (3/10/2024)
FEEDBACK
Week 6: Work smart—you can cheat by focusing on the silhouette. You could build the platform in 3D, then apply textures to the buildings. Don’t place a single building without thought; wherever you see something boring, break it up. Break down your components.
Week 5: you can show a close up view for the metro station or angle look out from the window of the train
Week 4: Pick one, like the floating city. You can do a rough sketch from a human eye-level view looking up, and another one from the island looking down.
REFLECTION
Throughout this project, I focused on creating a new scene and story for *Tomorrowland*. The process of building the floating city involved experimenting with different perspectives, which taught me how framing can impact the viewer’s experience of scale and depth. Working with values and ambient studies helped me explore how lighting could shift the mood of a scene, whether through warm tones for a welcoming atmosphere or cool tones for a futuristic, isolated feel.
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