Creative Differences

Our next big group decision was style. We knew we wanted a side scrollers but all had very different ideas of what that would encompass. Regardless, this is where our group had it’s first creative divide. Luckily everyone was reasonable  but it did turn into a strange battle of wills. Fundamentally, 3 of us wanted to make a 2d side scroller based around a 3d modeled world, this was founded on the fact that we had no concept artists, and what I mean by that is in reference to the specialization sheet I mentioned last week. Our 3d presence was far more prominent that anything else. It also offers a better opportunity to show case 3d skills for  portfolio pieces after the project is over (since none of us are interested in pursuing a career in 2d). The other half of the group was more inclined towards the 2d painterly aside, and I have to concede that the examples and style guides they showed us were gorgeous and the possibility was intriguing, but I honestly don’t think we could pull it off. 

Both sides of this debate tended to rally behind it’s ‘example’ game, which acted as a metaphorical battering ram, the representatives generally being Trine 2 and Child of Light. While there was no outright hostility in the group- quite the contrary we were communicating well and generally getting along, it did leave some tension in the group. Especially since there was no established ‘leader’ that generally emerges in these types of situations. 

To try and alleviate some of the underlying conflict, I put a style guide together that in-cooperated both 2d and 3d. It was generally well received, with a structured 3d world, but set up like a ‘stage play’ with 2d environments protruding in the foreground and mid ground, that makes the whole thing abstract and wonderlandesque. It was generally well received and helped unify the conceptual direction the group was heading in, though obliviously creative liberties were still encouraged, considered and discussed. We actually managed to come up with a pretty cool style between us, and I have every confidence that if it’s carried through to the final iteration, we’ll have something different and interesting.