M E M B R A N E
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Table of Contents Introduction
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Welcome to Larksburgh
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Membrane Theory
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Supporting characters
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Yuti the passive protagonist
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Victoria the catalyst
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The parasite
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User interface
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Larksburgh public school
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Animatic
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Colophon & Thanks
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It began as a journal It began as a simple four page journal written from the point of view of Yuti, a senior high school student living in a non existent Victorian suburbia located in the USA. The journal was meant to be cryptic and bizarre, hinting at a dementia that Yuti was suffering, and the resulting visions of monsters with jutting teeth. These monsters, she recalled, being the empty shells of two of her classmates, Ricky Rombardt and Victoria Rosenblum. It developed from there into something more substantial.
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Welcome to Larksburgh Its history is eloquent, spanning back to Victorian era United States. The houses are of 19th century architecture. Its residential areas small and close knit. Conveniently down the main road resides a large building, converted from a sanctuary hall to the town’s only k-12 school, named after the town itself. Larksburgh school is older perhaps than the residential developments, built of thick brick and darned with wild ivy. It spans a few blocks at the center of town, meeting the intersection of two small, one way roads, Lark and Grendell. In the town’s collective attempt to update its own functionality, Larksburgh has become a new home to a variety of other buildings; a library, several post offices, the police and fire department and a science laboratory and community a few miles past the school.
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...but every small town has its secrets. 9
A nonexistent suburbia The town’s legacy falls on its self-inclusivity playing host to Larksburgh National Laboratories. LNL is funded by the National Department of Energy with an annual budget of $1.4 billion. It is one the most elusive science and technology institutions in the world that conducts multidisciplinary research for fields such as national security, outer space, renewable energy, medicine, nanotechnology, and super computing. Larksburgh as a whole is owned by LNL with the residential sectors provided for free to its employees and the commercial sector being run by the spouses and extended family of those employed by LNL. With Larksburgh population of 2,600 approximately 85% of the town’s population works for LNL. Additionally, there are roughly 25 nDOE employees stationed at the laboratory to provide federal oversight of LNL’s work and operations. Approximately one-third of the laboratory’s technical staff members are physicists, one-fourth are engineers, one-sixth are chemists and materials scientists, and the remainder work in mathematics and computational science, biology, geoscience, and other disciplines.
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Membrane Theory Defined by The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition “Membrane theory is a description of elementary particles based on one-dimensional curves, or “strings,” instead of point particles. Superstring theory, which is string theory that contains a kind of symmetry known as super symmetry, shows promise as a way of unifying the four known fundamental forces of nature. The strings are embedded in a space-time having as many as 10 dimensions—the three ordinary dimensions plus time and seven complicated dimensions. The energy-scale at which the string like properties would become evident is so high that it is currently unclear how any of the forms of the theory could be tested.” “Membrane” is based on the theory that the known universe is comprised of several membranes stacked on top of each other. Each of these membranes contain their own isolated universe. If these membranes were to intercept one another’s matter, an explosion comparable to the big bang is theorized to erupt and send shock waves throughout the rest of the membranes. It is said that various aspects of these neighboring membranes, such as gravity, are leaked into our own.
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Supporting characters Winifred (Freddie) Crowley is the first known case of irreversible parasitic infestation. At the time of her sickness, she was a junior attending Larksburgh Public School and lived with both parents on Grendell St. LNL was forced to abort their observation of her when the parasitic organism was leaked. She has since been terminated by order of LNL. Gracie Lee and Ricky Rombardt were most significantly damaged by the parasitic infestation. Ricky is on record as being the first victim to reach parasitic adulthood, followed shortly by Gracie. They are being contained at LNL for observational purposes. Brandon Rhody (Rhody) is the best friend of Yuti and Victoria since the age of seven. His immediate family members are deceased. He works two jobs in order to rent a single family home on Hollowtree Cir. Senior attending Larksburgh Public School. Currently living and uncontaminated. Sheela Chande is the mother of eighteen year old Yuti and two year old Deven. Owns a single family home on Hollowtree Cir. Works as a stay at home mother while her Husband works as a biological engineer for LNL. Currently living and uncontaminated.
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A passive protagonist Yuti Chande Occupation: Senior attending Larksburgh Public School Enjoys: Vintage items, old movies, arcade, vampire novels, strawberry milk-shakes, romance. Dislikes: Confrontation and arguments Personality: Very quiet and to herself but is being slowly conditioned by Victoria and Rhody to be more outgoing. She enjoys the subtle things in life and finds contentment in simple things. She has a passive personality, avoiding arguments, but this can sometimes lead to others taking advantage of her. Can be rather naive. Very unfamiliar with people.
Name: Yuti Chande Heritage: East Indian Sex: F Age: going on 18 Height: 5’ 5�
Weaponry: There is a wide selection in her weaponry. She is crafty and versatile with small handheld weapons but tires easily with heavier ones. Weapons may include but are not limited to, metal pipes, wrenches, knives, scalpels, syringes, mallets, scissors, etc... She is able to throw items more accurately than Victoria with an efficient amount of damage. Attack/Damage strength: Medium to Light Playtime: The entirety of the game. Influence: Playable Main Character
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The catalyst Victoria Beatrice Rosenblum Occupation: Senior attending Larksburgh Public School Likes: Boys, arcade, comic books, horror and macabre, camping, reading, root beer floats, classic rock. Dislikes: Insects Personality: Kind and loving but also an individual who doesn’t take lip from anyone. She is commonly thought to be of the bully classification by those who don’t understand her. However, once she makes a friend she is steadfastly loyal and nurturing. She is gentle inside but keeps it within a tight circle. A tomboy. Enjoys a steady consumption of classic arcade, sports, and horror flicks. Has a great sense of humor and is primarily an optimist, but is not opposed to being serious in certain situations. Best friend of Yuti and Rhody. Game Play Limited. 2 or less goals completed. Advancing symptoms of the parasite arise during her game play. The player slowly loses control of her movements and she becomes sporadic. Her attack cycle becomes unpredictable as the player eventually loses all control of her. End of game play as Victoria Rosenblum. Influence: Catalyst
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Name: Victoria Beatrice Rosenblum Heritage: Polish Sex: F Age: 18 Height: 5’ 9”
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The parasite Simply dubbed “the parasite” by LNL scientists and engineers. They are believed to be a compromised organism that contaminated LN Labs during their funded research in universal membranes. They are parasitic in nature, choosing hosts that are physically and mentally well, and spread throughout the body via insect-like metamorphosis. I scrapped the below version of the texture and decided that texturing in Zbrush would be more time efficient. The wet shader I built in Maya was still used over the Zbrush sculpt and texture. The wet shader acts as a kind of specular map, adding depth and personality to the pelt. There is no diffuse on the parasite, as it’s flesh is intended to replicate the appearance of raw / rotten meat.
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Victims Winifred A. Crowley Address: 1672 Grendell St. Parents: Missing Class 2 Status: Deceased Ricky Rombardt Address: 1685 Lark Parents: Deceased Class 3 Status: Unknown Gracie Lee Address: 1409 Grendell St. Parents: Missing Class 2 Status: Deceased Victoria B. Rosenblum Address: 2415 Hollowtree Cir. Parents: Missing Class 1 Status: Unknown/Missing Horrace Pound Address: 1678 Lark Parents: N/A Class 1 Status: Missing
Jennah Stagg Address: 2166 W. Sparrow Parents: In contact Class: 2 Status: Missing
Parasitic Classification System All employees must mark each victim with one of the following. Exceptions should be taken up with the head of operations. All classes are equally dangerous and are to be treated as such. Class 1 Severe Symptoms appearing in any sustaining vital organ such as the brain, lungs, heart, or nervous system. Spreads within 2-3 days. Irreversible. Do not make contact. Class 2 Severe Symptoms appearing in any secondary organ vital to digestion such as the mouth, esophagus, Stomach or intestines. Spreads within 2-3 days. Irreversible. Do not make contact. Class 3 Severe Symptoms appearing in sustaining or secondary organs such as the liver, the kidneys, genital organs, or appendix. Spreads within 4-5 days. Irreversible. Do not make contact. Class 4 Medium Symptoms appearing in any other organ, bone marrow, muscle or limb. Spreads within 2-4 weeks. Sustainable but irreversible. Make limited and protected contact if necessary.
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User interface (Left) After researching several games and coming up with my own ideas, I was able to quickly sketch out these interface systems and various ways of maneuvering the menus. I eventually chose the top left image, integrating it with the rotary scrolling weapons selection seen in the bottom left thumbnail. However, the weapons and item select was moved to the far right of the interface screen while the center was dedicated to a general menu. (Right) I wanted a unique way to display a life bar. The syringe acts as this bar; it glows light pink as it’s full with fluid and eventually sporadically blinks yellow once the syringe is emptied and life is critical. I blocked out the menu quickly to determine appearance and placing. Created on a 3D plane with projections and polygonal objects.
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Larksburgh public school The original sketch of the school (previous page, left) is modestly sized in comparison to the final 3D model. The presentation and appearance of the school changed throughout the process. It began with a smaller facade in the center with shorter transepts on each side. The final version of the building was rendered much larger, sporting longer transepts with towering spires at each end. The stained glass window in the center of the facade remained the same as it’s intended to be a significant lighting source in one of the scenes. A bird’s eye layout of the town surrounding the School (Previous page, right). Yuti and Victoria’s houses are located in the upper portion of the picture.
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Animatic Bringing this project into my animation thesis class, I had to come up with these thumbnail storyboards to grasp an idea of character actions, camera controls and timing. I wanted to make a short (game idle) cinematic or trailer that would give the gamer a small glimpse into the friendship that Yuti and Victoria share, and the tragedy of Victoria’s infestation. The trailer is intended to be more sorrowful than frightening. It is meant to focus on Yuti as the heartbroken girl who has lost her dearest childhood friend. I would like it to arise interest in gamers who may be drawn to emotional drama and the telling of tragedy.
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The parasites, though intended to be frightening and difficult to fend off, are also meant to take a back seat to the emotional turmoil that Yuti is feeling over her lost friend. Her fear of them is tolerated only because she wishes to salvage Victoria.
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The psychological fear should be focused on Victoria, once a person and now a monster, whom still maintains those familiar traits of humanity. The parasites were human, but they have completed their transformation and therefore the gamer will not hold any identifiable emotional connection to them.
I drew these few panels to depict Victoria’s flatness of personality, her inability to hold any emotional connection with Yuti now that the parasite has taken over.
They were done on watercolor postcard paper and I utilized mechanical pencil, inking pens, watercolors and acrylic.
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I hold a great love and respect for science and the theories of the universe: for the things that we do not yet understand. I chose to incorporate Membrane Theory into this project because of my own fascination with ideas. Ideas that take us outside our conditioned logic; what becomes custom to believe. My intent is for the viewers attention to be drawn on the suffering people of Larksburghand and their attempts to survive this horrific situation. I would like to thank those who supported this project throughout the process. Jason Lauve, Ishmael Hallin, Autumn Wallace, Mike Roy, Bill Gillies, Brittany Coleman, Stuart Compton, Kirsten Krumvieda, Meaghan Vari, Ian Sumlow, Chance Dodd, Christopher Griego, My parents Dawn and Bob, the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design.
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Copyrights Photography purchased from iStock International Inc. Additional photography copyright Brandon Clark, the SEA, ESA, NASA and Peter Anders Shader tutorials from highend3d.com
Type Faces Hoefler Text Regular Sabon Roman Orator std Medium
Paperstock Springhill Digital Vellum Bristol Cover Coated 67 lb.
Electronic Software Adobe Creative Suite 4 3D modeling, rendering & texturing soft wares
Designer
Christopher J. Griego Imagery, concept, story and intellectual property (C) Larissa Angus
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