Navigating Through Narratives: The Development Of Opening Cinematics, Jacob Q. Stewart

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project demonstrates opening cinematic design from conceptualization to final composition. Using Unreal Engine 5, I created an opening cutscene using Unreal’s sequencer editor to film and edit my shots. This document presents the steps I took to create my sequence from the writing process to the final layout. Starting as a written story, I worked my way to the final project by creating a mock scene and storyboarding. After this, I built my scene using assets from the Unreal marketplace and lit my scene with HDRI and dynamic lighting. I encountered many new programs such as Cascade and Mixamo …

Viewer Interactions In Animation, Megan Smith

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

The art of animation can be viewed in a multitude of ways. Passive viewing, in which an audience is merely observing the acting and are unable to alter the animation in any way, such as watching a TV show or movie. Interactive camera viewings, such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, in which the viewer can manipulate the content visually in the same way you observe the world, by moving the camera around in a digital space. Interaction-dependent viewing describes animations such as video games, where the player has full control of the character’s actions and the timing of those …

Designing And Creating A Prototype Board Game, Kurtis Woodward

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The goal of this project was to create a fantasy style board game prototype that is playable and enjoyable for people new to fantasy tabletop gaming. I assembled a group of 4-5 regular tabletop board game players to play test the game as well as a second group of 4-5 family members and friends to play test who aren't regular board game players. We began with a general base game that evolved with each playtest from feedback given by the playtesters. After about 18-20 play tests, I settled on game mechanics and moved on to creating the assets of …

Visual Development For Wellspring, Jane Frances Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary focus of this thesis is the study of visual development for worldbuilding, starting with creative writing and documentation and translating the written content into visual concepts in both 2D and 3D. This project includes an original narrative, setting, and characters and explores aspects of the visual development pipeline. The content below contains work in visual research, 2D character design, 3D character sculpting, 3D printing and assembly, hard-surface modeling, matte-painting, illustration, compositing, and heavy creative writing.

The Process And Flow Of Animation: For The Record, Dylan Gordon

Undergraduate Honors Theses

A comprehensive study in the processes of animation in various forms, from concept to simple layout animation to complex overlapping action and splining, and even lighting and texturing, I will be using a popular podcast musical as a basis to study the pipeline that’s used to create an industry animation.

Understanding The Persuasive Attributes Of Twitch Advertisements: A Study On The Effects Of Current Advertisements And Sponsorships, Colleen Sharkey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research in this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Twitch’s current advertising option, which includes mid-roll, pre-roll, and sponsored streams. It will focus on usefulness of content, brand credibility, purchase intent, and streamer credibility. Twitch has seen a surge in growth and attention in recent years, with an average of 31 million daily visitors and 1.3 trillion minutes watched globally in 2021 alone (Twitch Sales, 2022). However, despite Twitch’s growing popularity as an entertainment and entrepreneurship platform, little research has been conducted on the impact of its advertising options on brand perception. This study seeks to address this …

Finding Personality In Animation, Jarrett Mcgill

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a difference between making something move and bringing something to life in animation. The animation principles work together to bring out character that is only visible with memorable movement. Given how the entertainment space has changed and grown over recent years, it is arguably vital for characters to be unforgettable for franchises to survive. This creative thesis explores how personalities are interpreted in animation by viewers and creators, and a workflow to bring the personalities to the forefront in the piece. Three distinct characters will be animated with the same set of animations to showcase how a personality …

Simulating Destruction Effects In Sidefx Houdini, Ethan B. Elkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As movies, television shows, and other forms of media have progressed over the last century, the use of destruction sequences as a form of entertainment have seemingly grown exponentially. From ginormous explosions to cities collapsing, more destruction sequences have drawn people’s attention in ways that are quite captivating. However, as content producers continue to push the limit of what is possible, the reliance on practical effects starts to dwindle in comparison to the usage of computer generated scenes. This thesis acknowledges the trend and dissects the entire process of how a general destruction sequence is made, from the research and …

The Creation Process Of A Stylized Character In Comparison To A Semi-Realistic Character, Caitlin D. Hall 4464202

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

I. Introduction

a. Thesis statement: What is the process for modeling a stylized character and how does this differ from a semi-realistic character?

b. Expanded thesis statement: The two styles differ from start to finish in a variety of ways. I believe that semi-realistic characters require more source material when drawing and modeling; however stylized characters require a different level of creativity and artistic ability in creation. Modeling semi-realistic characters will be more dependent on source images while stylized characters may require special attention with non-standard texture, style, etc. Rendering techniques will also differ when it goes to presenting …

The Impact And Creation Of Level Music For Video Games, Randolph Kestner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the creation of music for a video game level utilizing industry tools for music compositions as well as level design. Music as an element of game design and its resulting impact is also examined.

Experimental Boss Design And Testing, Joseph P. Mistretta

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the years, gaming has developed rapidly from simple pixel-based experiences to fully blown three-dimensional worlds. As developing technologies improve, so does the complexity and flexibility of what can be created. Encounters, along with all aspects of any gaming experience, have evolved along with the technologies that create them. These intense combat instances, often times referred to as “bosses”, represent a chance for the developer to challenge player skill, cooperation, and coordination. In addition to being major challenges, encounters also allow players to feel a sense of progression as they learn and adapt to mechanics incorporated within an encounter’s design. …

Testing An Original Story In Multiple Artistic Mediums, Alexander F. Morton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Story is one of the oldest forms of communication between humans. Various methods have enhanced and updated the Art in a variety of ways since the concept was created. In modern times, a story can exist in multiple mediums because of the variations that humans use today to tell stories. I present an artistic project that will show my development of an original universe, plot, and characters into a storyline introduction for enjoyable purposes. The belief was that these ideas I created could succeed in multiple formats, but I would need to narrow it down and test what I …

Building And Using A Character In 3d Space, Shasta Bailey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis was to take a character from concept to creation and animation. A variety of skills in 2D and 3D computer graphics were used in order to design and build the character for a 3D space. The character was taken from flat concept to 3D model, and then rigged with a skeleton in the 3D program Maya so that the character could be animated. The focus of the animation is a walk cycle.

The Tower: Constructing A 3d Scene, John W. Wesson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis describes the process of creating a 3D environment from the initial concept to the final scene. It discusses relevant research into new technology in the field of real-time rendering, including Physically Based Rendering and a synced normals workflow. It examines how the goals of the project changed over time and how the associated challenges were resolved. Conclusions are drawn about what practices were most successful, and how the development process could be improved.

Adventures In The Classroom Creating Role-Playing Games Based On Traditional Stories For The High School Curriculum, Csenge Virág Zalka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to develop a template for turning traditional stories into role-playing games for the high school curriculum. By developing 3 sample games based on Greek mythology, Arthurian legends, and a widespread folktale type, I explored the process of creating games that fit the limits of secondary classrooms and can be used to address specific educational standards. The sample games were tested with groups of high school and college students, and the results of the testing sessions evaluated in a narrative case study format. Feedback from the testing sessions was incorporated in the template, the final …