Hello! I'm Bethany, I design and create interactive experiences with digital medias.
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Fragment
TIMELINE2021
PROJECT TYPE
Team Game Jam Submission
RESPONSIBILITIES
Lighting, Coding, Music Composition
CONTEXT
Fragment was a 3d first-person walking simulator I made with another teammate as a submission for GGJ2021, under the theme ‘Lost and found’. The game focuses on environmental narration, and tells a story of death. During the game, players will explore three rooms, gather memory fragments, and get immersed in a sentimental story. For this project, I was responsible for the lighting design and the implementation of some of the interactive elements within UE4. I also composed the music using Ableton Live.
INSPIRATION
To amplify the sense of oppression and solitude, we drew inspiration from two types of phobias - thalassophobia and megalophobia - for the environment design. Specifically, we picked ocean blue as the primary color of the main room, and made the sizes of the rooms really large compared to the player. We also added a lot of empty spaces throughout the environment, further exemplifying the player’s feeling of being alone in a surreal realm.
Another source of inspiration for us was the exhibitions by teamLab Planets. TeamLab places an emphasis on contrasting elements with their design, which is demonstrated not only through the physical appearances of their installations, but also through the lighting. Their design never fails to evoke strong emotional resonance within the audiences.
LIGHTING DESIGN
For the lighting design that I was responsible for, I intentionally picked a single overarching environment color for each space, explicitly distinguishing the emotions associated with each. I also carefully designed the shadows, making some of the edges sharper to help elevate the emotional impact. Furthermore, I utilized Post-Processing Volumes to add some unique touch, such as incorporating chromatic abberation to strengthen the dreamy and mysterious ambience.
Light sources with different attenuation and shadow settingsUsing post-processing to blend different lighting colors and intensities
MUSIC
To effectively supplement the ambience of the environment, I wrote a piece of music that had a dreamlike quality. It was neither positive nor sad, but sounded as if it was flowing. The melody was played by the piano, underlaid with an atmospheric electronic pad.
FINAL OUTCOME