Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound/ Overture- Concepts

A lower level rendition of the Kingdom of sound.

I have recently begun work on the Overture. (A rather daunting task!) I am currently working from Jordan's original spacious designs and latest colour storyboarding. I hope to create some more Overture features soon. Below I tried out colour picking directly from antique musical sheets. but the colours appeared a little too saturated in A, so I tested out lesser saturation in B. What do we think?

A- Saturated

 B- Desaturated

Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- Concepts

In trying to create a low angle, Red point of view, of the fully grown Kingdom of Sound facsimile, I found it was next to impossible to visualise the varying slanted levels of the extrusion. (Though I tried in vision A.) So I spent a day creating a very rough 3D version to use as a visual aid, in conjunction with Alan's Conductor rig. The end result was a far more successful vision B. 

Vision A                                                   Vision B

3D reference models

Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- Concepts

I have been trying to look at the kingdom of sound from different perspectives. Some of it is proving thoroughly difficult to puzzle out, to make interesting or dramatic. I think I'll put these concepts down as experiments.

View of the Facsimile- pre growth stage and sitting low in the basin

View of the facsimile over Red's shoulder. Same as above.

View from the Basin

Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- Concepts

I have been investigating a complete scene to the 'Kingdom of Sounds' and Reds point of view. Its not quite there yet, but I feel concept 1 is getting close. I will have to design a front and back to the facsimile- Perhaps break up the whole thing into its separate Districts for building in 3D later.

Concept 1

Concept 2

Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- the Facsimile Basin

I've tried some slightly different layouts of the Facsimile- mostly trying to accentuate the multilayered crystal structure. I have also entertained different ways in which the Kingdom of sound reveals itself.

Version 1, the districts emerge from the surfaces of the extruded orchestra footprint, growing from smaller structures into larger/fully formed ones. They would be staggered, emerging district by district.

Version 2, the orchestra footprint extrudes first. The surfaces glow the district colours. Finally, perhaps more slowly, all the districts slowly emerge at once, pushing their way out of the base until they are fully formed structures.

Version 1

 Version 2

Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- Facsimile Basin

Working into the facsimile design a little more here. I tried out having glowing outlines and a fill, versus purely glowing outlines. Which do you prefer?

I have tried to add multilayers to the base, giants causeway style but the layers of districts have covered the vast majority of that mix in levels. Perhaps I should just make them more extreme...?

Environment/Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- Facsimile Basin

I am currently working out the design of the floating facsimile in the middle of the basin. At this stage there will be a lot of experiments before I find the look. I need to find a balance between creating shapes that clearly display each instrument of the orchestra, but still look like the kingdoms districts.

The districts also need to glow, which I am currently struggling to convey using the UPA style. It may be a case of breaking out of the traditional drawing style and literally applying a glow effect- Let me know what you think.

On the left was my first attempt at adding all the districts together on one small land. The four images are samples of the Tuba and Trombone district. Thumbnail 1 I applied a glow to only the white outlines. Thumbnail 4 I applied the glow to the colour fill of the Tuba.  I personally prefer the artificial glow of 1 and the colour fill of 4.

I'm going to try creating another collection of districts by using crystal formations as reference for more interesting layouts, like some of these samples below I've pulled from google. But instead of a rocky base I think I will create alternating levels like 'the Giants Causeway' in the orchestra footprint shape.

Crystal Reference imagery

The Giants Causeway Reference Imagery

Environment/Asset Design- The Conductor

A few more plinth designs.

I feel I may know better what shape the plinth may take, when I design the 'The Kingdom of Sound'. environment. I think it should integrate seamlessly with the arena-like surroundings described in the script. Aligned with the basin where the various music note civilians gather around.

Here are a couple of initial sketches. I'm not entirely certain of the proportions. For example how large the Conductor is in relation to the basin. And how large the basin is in relation to the arena.

Environment/Asset Design- The Conductor

A few more renditions of the enigmatic Conductors form. Currently working out how and on what he should stand- Upon a flat plinth or domed plinth...

Environment/Asset Design- The Conductor and The Percussion District

Here are the latest conductors. Simplified following the latest feedback. Perhaps I should replace the plinth with a simple solitary dome for the base?

Here is a selection of the percussion background elements. Some of my background imagery feature previously seen buildings with a muted colour scheme to try and add some depth to the concept art. I need to do more of these colour- only environment pieces for the other districts.

I'm working on researching the last few instruments before I embark on visions of the miniature Kingdom of Sound that sits below our conductor friend. Next up will be more visions of the Flute District and the Clarinet District.

Environment/Asset Design- The Percussion District and the Conductor

Red's view from the unfinished Bridge. I've featured a rather generic view of the Conductor in the background though he is still a work in progress and his shape is very vague against the horizon line.

Following the latest feedback here is further exploration into the shape of the Conductor. He's proving a complicated fellow.

I feel if Red can have arms that curl into a rounded shape, then perhaps the Conductors sleeves can also achieve the same bend? The same shaping could perhaps be applied to the leg(s). I've tried to hybridise the two original models once again and played around with a few new shapes.

I've added a few ideas for podiums for the Conductor to be placed upon as well. I can see a few of these animated to have a sort of idle cycle. Or perhaps these pedestals are a part of a larger construction involving the basin located below him in the area.

Environment/ Asset Design- The Kingdom of Sound- Conductor

Following feedback. I have explored further into concepts 1 and 3 of the Conductor and tried mixing the two designs together. There are additional features including a ball and socket joint for eventual mobility of the Statue at the animation stage. I've also included little triangular hands, allowing for future fluid movement at newly added wrist joints.

Environment/Asset Design- The Percussion District and the Conductor

Below is my initial vision of the percussion district, including a view from underneath the unfinished bridge Red comes to after an epic climb. 

I have been reading into the last section of the story, 'The Kingdom of Sound.' where the musical note citizens culminate at the base of the Conductor statue. Initially uncertain as to how the Conductor statue may look, I was pointed in the direction of more abstract human forms and Futurist sculpture and created the silhouettes below.