aaryn
patreon
Revamp v11 Before/After Teasers 1
🕑 Added 2024-03-28 23:03:50 +0000 UTCSo the newest public update dropped yesterday and I'm catching up on some posts and just wanted to check in with everyone again because you haven't seen any of the screenshots for the next installment. Rest assured, things are moving along-- they really never stop tbh-- and right now I have about 125 new pics done for v11 and 3 animations.
In case you missed the video that dropped yesterday after the update, this post will be the text review of that using a significantly smaller number of "ums" in contrast to the way that I actually talk :P
Let's jump in before I get side-tracked:
Pic 1: This shot is from the original game. This showcases the terrible lighting and a lot of problems that I had with Zack's skin tone in the early game. For whatever reason it seems to be a black hole that just absorbs all light around it and I'm not sure why. While part of me likes this camera angle, the lack of depth-of-field here sorta ruins it.
In the video link, I talk more in depth about some of the problems with character outfits and why the logistics of the characters changing clothes frequently is a problem. However, I do think there are small opportunities to show the characters wearing different things to make the world feel more realistic. In this original scene, Zack wears a towel to the bathroom. In the Revamp, he won't be doing that (quite yet but we may come back to it).
Pic 2: In this shot from the Revamp, we see Zack wearing Braden's slides (sandals) as he's in a rush to get down to the bathroom. This outfit change is a little less logistically intense than the towel and it adds some characterization with Zack being in a rush to get down to the bathroom. I really wanted to capture the characters in partial outfits because that, to me, is closer to real life. If you live in the dorms and you don't care about your outfit, it just seems natural to me to put on whatever and run down to the bathroom real quick then go back to your room. We've already seen this daily with Braden 's long socks and high tops. Plus, I wanted to drive a few people crazy with Zack wearing socks and slides :p
Pic 3: This shot is from the original game and shows Braden waking up in Zack's bed. This shot isn't terrible but there's some clipping issues.
Pic 4: This is the Revamp replacement. In the Revamp, we'll see Zack in the shot, too. I think this helps show how close together these guys actually are in this tiny bed. I've had partners in a twin bed before and there is absolutely zero space between you whether you like it or not, lol. The original shot with just Braden in it, didn't really capture that. I'm also going to quickly mention that the "blank stare" you see off Braden is actually intended here. Lot of 3D models look soulless and I really try and get the eye placement looking good in my stuff, but here is an exception. Braden just woke up and really hasn't focused his eyes yet.
Another quick note about this pic is that the process of Braden waking up will be animated in the Revamp. Think back to the scene where Zack gave Braden the singlet. Pretty simple animation but I think it does breathe some life into the characters a bit more and beats the hell out of static image dissolves like we saw before.
Pic 5: This next pic is after Braden falls out of the bed and has a meltdown. This original shot used more stock poses and doesn't really capture Braden's charisma as much as I wanted when I was redoing this scene. However, the camera shot with Zack's leg still in the frame kinda mimics a bit of POV so I'm going to keep that.
Pic 6: Here's our replacement image and I really like this shot... like... a lot. In the Revamp, Braden's is going to disappear from the frame and then we'll see an animation of his head coming up slowly. Eventually, he'll just sorta collapse on the bed with his head on his arms like this. This shot has much more warmth to it than the original did and the facial expressions here are a marked upgrade given how awkward this conversation actually is.
Pic 7: Here's our last set of images and one of the absolute worst shots in the game, lol. So the video log went into more detail/ranting about how bad this is but the short version is that the bench, trash, and tree are real and the rest is all a fake backdrop. Problem with backdrops are they never move and they won't blur with depth-of-field. So every shot outside in the original game had the same background. Trees never moved-- no matter what angle the characters were standing at. Because the background isn't real, it's also why the light doesn't match Zack's character. It's a mess.
Pic 8: In the Revamp, we've already seen a few outside shots and we can expect to see more. This helps with world-building and wrapping our heads around the campus itself. This shot is an example of using a fully real 3D environment for the outside rather than being lazy and trying to do it with stock images, Photoshop, or background pics. You can tell when someone uses a background pic rather than a fully 3D environment. It has the same feel as a green/blue screen with special effects in movies. Sometimes you can just look at something and tell it's fake. Soooooo, that means we need a real outside for this thing-- hence this shot of Zack on the bench. The angle is more interesting and the entire background is real and blurs naturally with the camera depth as well as has matching light.
So that's all for today. I have more images in the queue and I'm gonna get off here and go back to working on the next scene. Hope you enjoyed this shots and stay tuned for more. I should have more interesting stuff coming up in the future :)
Comments
Aaryn
it's definitely been a journey for me. like anything, i guess, you learn as you go. i think i'm over the initial hump of this and now i can finally make the stuff that i see in my head and that's a cool feeling
robbes7rh
Oh, man. You are getting really good with the nuances of facial expression -- especially on Braden who is experiencing an unexpected and naughty sexual awakening at this mature stage of his adolescence when sex hormones outnumber all the rest of the cells in his body. But who is also falling in love with another boy!
Aaryn
thanks. that one seems to really be going over well too -- which makes me super happy :)
Jose Pasalodos
As always, great job and the feeling of intimacy comes through beautifully especially Braden watching Zack at the foot of the bed
Aaryn
Thanks. Some of these are less impressive than the contrast we saw at the beginning of the game but I promise there’s more life in this when it plays out
Michael C Nortz
Oh man, these images are awesome. Can't wait!
