Chapter 14: The Percussion District Shots 01 - 15

Shots 01 - 15

Shots 16 - 20


Shots 21 - 27



Shots 28 - 33

Shots 31 - 44

Texturing: The Percussion District

The Percussion District is now all textured and ready. I found it quite challenging to get the colours to work together without buildings blending together too much and ensuring that it looked like a nighttime scene, but I'm happy with how it came out.

Texturing: The Percussion District's 'Machine of Doom'

This is my first try at texturing for YPGTTO, so I decided to start with the Machine of Doom first so I could focus on this one conveyor belt before moving onto a whole digital set. It took a little while to get used to, but I think/hope I set things up correctly and I think it's come out alright. I used a layered shader on the conveyor belt xylophone keys to add a little extra detail to them.

Modelling: the Percussion District, The Conveyor Belt of Doom

Modelling: The Percussion District Signage

Modelling: The Percussion District, Cranes

A couple of cranes for the Percussion District, no doubt these will bring more jeopardy to Reds adventure.

Modelling: The Percussion District, Hammer Machines.

Various machines for the conveyor belt of horrors:

Environment/ Asset Design- Lots of Signage!

Embarking on some of the last few pieces of District furniture. I needed to finish the signs preceding a few of the Districts.

Following Red's fall down the stairs to the Double-Bass District, he scrambled to his feet and is faced with Design number 2

Chosen Design 2

Later, after his ascent from the Double Bass District, Red finds himself on the precipice of the Harp District. A few lovely little birds fly by, carrying Signage Design 1 to inform him of his place in the world.

Chosen Design 1

 Directly behind Red is the Horn District. The squiggly spaghetti like structure of design number 5 will be the Horn District Sign he will see. Shortly afterward, he sets off with steely resolve to find the summoning light in the distance.

Chosen Design 5

A while later Red finds himself caught up in a stampede of fellow notes as they all speed towards the summoning light in the distance. It puts both Red and the Trumpet District sign in a bit of a spin!

The design was supposed to point in the direction of the district. The first sheet of designs I focused on creating it entirely from Trumpet elements. However they didn't communicate direction very well at all. So in sheet two I took a more obvious approach and we settled on design number 5.

Chosen Design 5

Finally the Percussion District. Red arrives in spectacular fashion, delivered by the hook of a crane to find himself in the middle of a Construction site. 

The Percussion section is comprised of multiple instruments, unlike the others. Initial sign designs were therefore a mix of instruments. As I struggled to nail it down, it was highlighted that I had missed the most obvious connection. Triangles are well known for warning and caution signs, so that was the instrument I then fixed on to complete the Percussion District signage.

Modelling: The Percussion District, Unfinished Bridge

Seems to be bridge season in the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

Environment/ Asset Design- Percussion District- Cranes and Final Machines

The Percussion District is a working construction site. we needed the presence of some familiar machinery. In this case, a crane to help fill the night skyline.  Design 1 is the likely candidate.

More recently we have consolidated the series of hammers needed for the Xylophone Conveyor Belt scene down to three designs. Here are the orthographies for the Beaters, Cymbals and Mallets.

Modelling: The Percussion District, Buildings 1,2,3

Envionment/Asset Design- The Percussion District- Conveyors and Machines

A key scene in Reds journey through the Percussion District is his landing and subsequent ride on a suspiciously xylophone-like conveyor belt. 

I wanted to keep the graduated length of the bars as much as I could in the initial designs. As you can see I tried a graduating effect on 1, using wooden Xylophone for inspiration. Design 2 was a more direct copy of the metal bars and the way you'd expect to see them on the instrument.

Sadly those earlier designs would have been overly complicated, especially when adding the machinery for Reds moments of peril. Drawing on the metal version of 2 I simply levelled out the bars. I then created a sketch of the conveyor with some of its machines.

With all these design factors in mind I felt the need to sketch out a little concept of Red in situ.

Oblivious

Finally here are the designs for some additional machinery. The first being a crusher of sorts based on the Timpani drum turned upside down, mounted in a frame of chimes. The second is a system of rollers made out of drums and driven by Tambourine gears.

Modelling: The Percussion District, More Buildings

Modelling: The Percussion, Under Construction 2

Modelling: The Percussion District, Under Construction

Modelling: The Percussion District

Small Assets

Environment/Asset Design- Percussion District- Plot based Assets

More recently I have been tasked to create specific story elements as Red makes his way through the rather perilous percussion district.

Red's entry to the district is quite the terrifying scenic route as he's brought in caught on the end of a crane hook. Number 5 is the chosen hook style.

After landing on a girder Red finds himself dodging a swinging wrecking ball made to look like the end of a beater/drumstick. The chosen shape was 4 but needs modifying to have a more substantial cable than the feigned Piano wire I was going for.

After unsuccessfully dodging the wrecking ball Red is propelled into a new scene, landing dazed on a girder suspended rather precariously high up. I investigated different Percussion instrument formations. Including Glockenspiel Keys, Piano Keys and Xylophone keys. They need to be suspended by a single cable however to allow for Reds slapstick sliding off one end.

Here is the collection of smaller assets with modifications. The girder on a single suspension cable. The wrecking ball is now sitting on a musical note inspired chain (The little sketch to the side of the wrecking ball is what the single unit looks like)

The construction yard as a whole is a bit of a gauntlet. There is a conveyer belt on which Red finds himself dodging a sequence of Percussive hammers.  Below are some examples.

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 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.