A new story iteration, one with a more AR mentality as well as a more complete story arc came much quicker than expected. Our writer provided us with the first new draft right at the beginning of the week. The story built upon the existing elements of ghost characters, but had a much deeper story component. The guest would be an employee of the “Redemption Department”, where ghosts who were stuck in hell would be able to state their case about why they deserve to be redeemed, and thus be allowed to move to heaven. These choices, however, will not be easy. The aim for the charges placed upon the characters will be meant to ambiguously either good or bad. The mannerisms in which the characters state their claim also should not give the guest any indication of which choice to choose for them. The guest’s own consciousness (based on their own life’s experiences) should be the guiding force of their decision.
With this knowledge, and our characters/environment solidified, we set off to create concept art and creating the technological framework required for making the story work within the constraints of Magic Leap.
On the art side, to capitalize on availability of vibrant color reproduction, we decided to follow a more cartoonish representation of our characters, as shown in the concepts below.
As it turns out, the use of full black within the AR medium actually shows up as transparent, since black is the absence of color. Therefore, all of the character and environment designs needed to focus avoiding the use of black and darkness to be able to be seen within the world.
A concern brought forth by our instructors was the possible narrowing of the audience and appeal of our experience due to the choice of art style. It can come across to some that having cartoon characters means that we are targeting a younger audience. However, we would like to direct our focus towards animated films, such as those by Pixar. Yes, the art style is bright and child-like, however it is the depth of stories contained within those animated films that allow for individuals of all ages, not just children, to enjoy the experiences.
On the technical side, our programmers began work on creating the technical framework within Unity to allow for the experience to exist. Our characters enter and exit the main experience area through a set of portals, one for heaven and one for hell. These portals need to be able to be placed on the real walls of the guest’s space. In addition, there is a virtual file, which needs to rest on a real tabletop surface within the guest’s space. What we also have to take into consideration that all of the sizes and locations of these surfaces will change depending on the guest’s personal space. This is one of the main differences between AR and VR environmental building. The framework that we create must be able to take this into account.
For the next week, we hope to have a playable first prototype where the visual and technical elements we create can come together cohesively within the Magic Leap environment.