Breathing Room

Weekly Blog Entry Research & Project Updates (2)

Diving right into the work this week, I have gone ahead and sketched out the Museum’s “Vaccination Wing”. Because of the truncated semester and because of how soon I will be in the modeling phase anyway, I have opted to skip the low polygonal concept pieces this time. See images below…

1st Floor...

2nd Floor/Ceiling...

As you can see above, while the basic design of the room isn’t anything elaborate (to the point I can probably edit the schedule below in the coming weeks as I think it’ll only take 1 week to model the wing – the room – itself, there are quite a few unique pieces I would like to display. In detail they are…

1st Floor

• Barrier – technically not a unique piece, but very important, nonetheless. This is the first thing players encounter entering this wing and represents the eventual end of quarantine, the end of the barriers we ourselves needed to erect to stay safe from COVID, the end of claustrophobia and being stamped on all sides by the bad (and some of the good) that COVID brought. Owls will line the hall leading to this Barrier and once players pass it (in-engine they will walk through it – no collision), they will reach open space they can walk straight past or explore to their hearts content. The world is open again! Barrier will look like Window Netting.

• White Stone (x3) – 3 Large pieces of stone found near the barrier (above). Each stone has carved on it a recognized emblem of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement (more on them here, and here). The main theme of this wing is celebrating these humanitarian movements that led to unprecedented success in vaccine creation in under 1 year, the constant tireless efforts to treat/help COVID patients, and the blossoming efforts of quickly and efficiently working to vaccinate the world as quickly as possible. The Red Lion Symbol may possibly be incorporated into the room as well.

• 3D Medicine Symbol – The ground center piece will be a three-dimensional statue piece based off of both the accurate and erroneous symbols of Medicine (interesting short article here). The right-side up symbol will be the REAL symbol of medicine, the upside-down symbol will be the erroneous symbol. The erroneous symbol will be seen in the pit that surrounds this statue, surrounded by suppressed/defeated COVID viruses (notice they are suppressed, not disappeared, representing that we will get through this, but COVID will likely be part of our lives for a long time afterwards). The erroneous symbol will represent suppressed information regarding bad medicine practices (injecting bleach into your arm).

• 3D Vaccination Print Art – Towards the exit, players can look at 2 nearly identical pieces (statues) paying homage to this print art here and another below! Version on the left will feature the imprinted words “Vaccinate” “Eradicate and “Prevent” and inside the band (the center) is a COVID virus being suppressed and tied up by this knowledge. The version on the right will feature names of companies who have completed/are working on vaccines (in the center will be a needle). Companies are…

1. Johnson & Johnson

2. BioNTech

3. Fosun Pharma

4. Pfizer

5. Possible Russia State-Run Gamaleya Institute

The print art mentioned above...

• Exit – Bathed in bright light to represent brighter possibilities (won’t be able to actually leave in-engine, it’s just for show).

2nd Floor

• Upper Walkways – A stretch goal is to include an explorable 2nd floor area (there will be one modeled in, however, depending on time, I may block the stairways to the 2nd floor with “Under Construction” signs. If it becomes explorable I plan on modeling and installing frames with poignant art and headlines regarding the vaccination efforts and the virus in general. I may also create some potential art (2D or 3D) depicting certain things regarding the virus – for example, I found this cartoon (attached to an article researching vaccine refusal, still important today) regarding misinformation, anti-vaccinators, and smallpox I would like to update to be about COVID and warning against vaccine refusal.

Ceiling

• Hanging Birdhouse (x2) – One of 2 main pieces on the ceiling, giant hanging birdhouses (both identical – some interesting designs to consider here) from which doves and other positive birds from last semester pour out of into the room at large (birds still have a place here, they just won’t be the main centerpiece this time).

• Ceiling Light – Similar to the room pointed out last week (from “The Stanley Parable” see below) the center of the ceiling will be a large skylight bathing the room in warm natural light. Surrounding the light will be the Earth (the edges of it, the center is replaced by this light showing that Earth has a core of light and that things, at least COVID wise are on the path of getting better. Similar to design below.

"The Stanley Parable" Room with ceiling light I'd like to recreate...

My take on it, light in the middle, Edges of the Earth surrounding that light!

I will likely not be able to make all these pieces, but I think it’s better to think of too many ideas than not enough. Ultimately, the point of this wing is to breath, to get a break of the doom and gloom pressing down on you on your journey here through The Memorial Tomb. Empty space, natural light, a few pieces to make you think and of a brighter tomorrow are what the aim is. If I have time to incorporate all pieces, all the better, if not, the point should still be made.

Next week I will take a step back and begin my outline for the Semester Paper, I will be researching and speaking again of the purpose and messaging behind the subgenre of Serious Games, Art Games, specifics will follow in the next blog post. After that, I begin modeling!

*(Something to consider – hang masks up on the ceiling as an equivalent to banners (these kinds of masks)… incorporate masks into Birdhouse design? Consider before Week 5. Additionally, consider HOUDINI for Bird Implementation!)*

Tentative Project Schedule

PHASE I

· Week 3 (This Week): Prepare outline for Semester Paper.

PHASE II

· Week 4 – Week 5: Model Vaccination Wing

· Week 6 – Week 8: Model Pieces on Display Within Wing & Write Rough Draft of Semester Paper

PHASE III

· Week 9 – Week 10: Texturing Vaccination Wing & Display Pieces

PHASE IV

· Week 11 – Week 14: Putting Everything Together – Place assets in game engine (Unity); appropriate scaling, duplicating, lighting work, sound work. I give myself 4 weeks – but can easily be pushed to less time if I am behind in the previous steps outlined in the schedule above. Turn in Semester Paper Final Copy. Write updated Artist Statement. Prepare Final Presentation!