Category: Final Concept

My senior thesis project will be to create an album and to run a full digital marketing campaign around it. It will incorporate skills i learn in IMM, on my own, and also things I learned at my internship over the summer.

This idea inspires me because making music is the one activity that motivates me them most. While I enjoy the writing and recording process, marketing is a part of the music industry that most artists hate doing (for good reasons). In today’s environment it is more important than ever for small artists to handle their own marketing because bigger record deals are only offered to artists with a substantial fanbase.

If my project is successful, it could act as a guideline for future creators to promote their own projects. I am also very excited to dedicate 2 semesters to writing and producing an album. I’m trying to create something that takes influence from newer artists and I don’t want it to feel like something that could have come out 5+ years ago.

I plan to dedicate time to research and practice audio engineering, with the help of IMM faculty. I have a small recording setup at my house and I also have access to the IMM recording studio.
I’ve recorded multiple demos and I’m working on a test marketing campaign for the release of another project I’m working outside of school. I will use what I learn from my first campaign to use on the bigger campaign I’ll do for my thesis.

For this project, I will be creating a Virtual Reality experience on emotionally abusive relationships. It is based on a true story, which is my biggest inspiration behind this project. I originally was going to create this on my own time as an installation based on another project I did for a drawing class, but I decided to combine it with my knowledge from IMM. This project shows off my interest in social issues and the desire to bring more awareness to something, like emotionally abusive relationships and the signs people may not notice. It combines this well with my interest in Virtual Reality and trying to find the best reasons to use VR. I’ve always been interested in art, especially any that comments on issues in society, so this project makes sense for me to create. Others would be interested in this project because it will be displaying emotionally abusive relationships in a unique way. While using VR to display any issues in society isn’t new, I don’t think I have seen something like this done in VR before to display such an issue. I’ve primarily seen it used to show experiences such as what prison may be like, or how to do everyday things in society for prisoners to understand. It will be different from those situations because it won’t be like a literal simulation of a specific situation. It will have different visuals based on metaphors going along with the text of the story. Even though movies may exist to educate on the topic, the VR experience places the person in the situation and will prompt them to make decisions based on the knowledge they will have at the moment. It will push the idea that you can only do so much with what you know at the moment, and it is never as simple as just leaving when things become too difficult because sometimes the victim or even bystanders won’t see it coming. The goal is to put the player in the moment of what is going on and allow them to try and make the decisions a victim may make and do their best to navigate out safely, which isn’t always the easiest to do as the abuser will find ways to turn your choices around to work in their favor. I will start by working primarily in Unity to create a base to make sure all the features function properly before I refine all the 3D modeling for it and make it look the best it can. The script is almost complete, and I have been refining it for the past year now. I will use Twine to create an outline for how the decisions will play out concerning my script before putting the entire thing together.

Looking back as a senior, one of my favorite memories of my time on campus is a game my friends and I would play called The Cryptids of New Jersey… or TCNJ. The rules of the game go as follows: if you see a friend on campus and it’s nighttime, you have to become a “cryptid” and creep around trees, do a weird jog, run out of the light and into shadows. Basically, pretend you’re Bigfoot and someone has seen you. If you were the last cryptid spotted on campus, then the next time the friend group has a photo shoot (whether for holidays or just because we felt like it – we’re college girls, give us a break) that person has to pose as a cryptid. Those memories of being weird with friends just because we could hugely inspired my current appreciation for cryptozoology. That sense of playfulness is what I hope to impart on players of my cryptid museum game.

My senior thesis project is a way for me to express my creativity and challenge myself, while also getting to have fun by combining my two favorite hobbies – visiting museums and cryptids. Who hasn’t accidentally fallen into a research hole, where you’re on wikipedia to quickly look up the plot of a film and the next thing you know it’s two hours later, you’ve hit eleven other related links, and you’re reading about the political effects of the implementation of crossbows in medieval sieges? That’s one of my favorite things to do on the Cryptids Wiki, where you can click on a link about Bigfoot sighting locations and follow the related links to end up on a page talking about the first atmospheric beast sighting in Indiana in the 19th century. This concept of drifting between liminal spaces is something museums specifically utilize in their creation of exhibition galleries to get visitors interested and entertained. So while it may seem like cryptids and museums have nothing in common, they’re more related than you might first assume.

My idea is for players to wear VR headsets and move about a museum dedicated to cryptids; however, one of the cryptids is missing from its stand and it’s up to the visitor to find it. I hope to not only teach players about cryptids, but to have them enjoy learning and get lost in the space. While I don’t plan for this game to be very long, I hope I can showcase my sense of style in my interpretation of cryptids’ appearances and lore, get people interested in learning even when it’s not a topic that may benefit them in any applicational sense, and teach players that not all monsters are evil.

My project will require the use of design apps like Photoshop and Illustrator, 3D modeling software such as Maya and Sculptris, Unity, and VR technology. I have worked with all this software before except for VR, which will present my implementational challenge alongside my stylistic challenge. By the end of this semester I hope to create design sketches of the museum layout and cryptid designs to act as prototypes for my final project. I could forego the cryptid designs and create the museum in a 3D space as well, but I do not see myself being able to do both prototypes with the time left in the semester. Overall, my cryptid museum should be a lighthearted way for players to enjoy themselves and learn about something new.

For my final project concept is to take the idea of gambling type games from casinos and even carnival style games and make it into a fun party game such as mario party. I love mario party but the problem is how much luck based it can be and the same thing can be said for gambling. The difference in my game is that you can take luck and try to bend it to favor yourself such as a person counting cards. I wanna start of making the minigames before i go into the whole thing.

Why i think this is a very good idea for my final project is because i am very excited for it and i can use all of my skills and knowledge to flex my artistic muscles. I will be drawing my characters and then having to do a lot of 3d work. I will have to model, texture, rig, animate and then transfer all of that into a video game that is fun. It can show future places i apply to that i have skills in 3d work and that i can code and that i understand what it takes to make a fun and competent video game.

I am able at the moment to make video games and do 3d work but it will take a long time to do an da lot of creativity and ideas and hard work to get everything to look like a professional game that i am proud to show people. I have a lot of ideas for minigames and the core game so im starting off on the right foot.

When I started at my first job in high school I realized that I hated having to work and answer to someone else. I didn’t have any strong career aspirations at this point, just a bunch of ideas about myself and what I thought I might be good at. The one thing that has been consistent for me since I was little was making videos. Ever since YouTube first came out and I could get my hands on a camera that had a memory card I have been making videos. As high school continued I found myself starting to get into some entrepreneurial ventures with my friends and it made me happy to get to work as my own boss and do what I wanted to do, even if sometimes it didn’t work out. I knew then that my ideal life included me having my own company, being able to direct employees, make investments, and just create. From these interests came my project idea about entrepreneurism and content creation. My project is going to be an in-depth look on how to start your own business in media and content creation. I will be documenting the ideation phase, the basics in making your business a legal entity, how to get your first jobs, networking, video editing, and more. At the end of my final project my deliverables will include this documenting, the content I create along the way, and the other physical and digital pieces that come along with the branding of a business.

My project is interesting because it will be general enough that someone should be able to take what I have learned and will continue to learn and apply it to their own dreams and ambitions. I will be focusing a lot on videography, but the legal rules and regulations of starting a business focused around videography are mostly the same as starting a business around any other content creation. By this I mean that what is going to make my project interesting is that it will be educational, interactive, and attention-grabbing. I am sure that similar things have been done in the past and there is competition for starting a content creation business in New Jersey. However, I am only interested in what is the newest and most effective content, or what is on the cutting edge. I also know that where I want to go with this is a lot more interesting than what I am doing now, so I would like to cover as much ground as possible in my final presentation so that students and potential entrepreneurs can learn, while also getting to see some good creative pieces.

I have a lot of ideas right now on what I want my deliverables to be. First, I want to have the documentation and presentation of the early legal stages of a start-up. I could present this in a few different ways but I am not sold on anything specific yet. Next I want to present what content I have made in working over these semesters. The stylistic elements of my project include a few things. Most importantly is the branding of the company and how it runs, what it posts, who it associates with. Next is the style in what is created. For example, the videos I make should all be similar in that they should have a specific style that is unique to me.

   For my finalized thesis project, I decided to go with a version of my first project idea, building a water projection screen. This idea is a combination of several of my interests/passions: water, filmmaking, storytelling. I also enjoy this idea because it challenges me to develop some building skills as well as some minimal coding to program the water to use different amounts of water pressure at different times throughout the film. As a response to some of my feedback suggesting I seek out a purpose between the water and the storyline of my video, I decided to tie in The Thirst Project. The cause behind the Thirst Project was something I was ignorant to for most of my life so I would like to use my voice to help support this cause that other people may not know about either. Depending on how long the process for this project takes me, I might look into finding a way to divide the fountain between murky, dirty water and healthy, clear water and using the visuals in my presentation to demonstrate just how lucky we are to have the water we do. I think this project idea is also relevant as TCNJ recently had a water recently had a problem with access to clean water and students were unable to drink from any campus fountains or any dormitory/apartment taps nearby. For some students, this experience was a major struggle. When you put into perspective that we, as students, are being provided with water bottles from the school as well as have the means to find clean water at our local dollar stores, while other countries have to walk miles carrying their clean water home, it really highlights the privilege that is often forgotten through our daily lifestyle. All it takes is a quick search of “TCNJ water” on Twitter to see how helpless some students felt without clean water for a few days. I am hoping my short film may inspire students to take this helpless feeling and acknowledge that for some countries that is their entire life and we have the power to help change that. 

   In relation to my future, I think this project would be something the Walt Disney Company would love because I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and teaching myself something new as well as using my voice to help others. Disney is all about leaving your bubble and seeing what the rest of the world has to offer. 

   My project should look something like this in the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6TCX0jSc7E&t=88s although I have considered using metal PVC pipes instead of the wood that this man used for his project. I am hoping to be done with the basics of my project about two-three months before the Thesis showcase so I can spend a lot of time decorating my screen as well. I want my project to really immerse my audience and to do that I’m going to have to really pay attention to theming. 

     I believe that the collaboration between my video and the moving water screen will create a new time of storytelling for a nonprofit. These days the world is looking to improve itself in a million different directions and if you want your issue to be heard then you really have to find a way to grab everyone’s attention. I want people to come over and watch my project because it looks cool but I want them to stay because they realize that access to clean water is a very real problem and they want to learn how they can help. 

With the IMM senior showcases I have attended in the past, what always caught my eye were the projects that created an experience for you from the moment you entered the room. Ever since, I’ve been inspired to create my own interactive experience with my own personal twists for others to enjoy. For my thesis project, my goal is to create an interactive experience that details the stories of various mythological characters, utilizing motion graphic videos and 3D printed models. 

Graphic Design is something I love, so from the start I knew that I wanted to incorporate that into my project I some way. I wanted to challenge myself and use my skills in design to try to make a motion graphics animation as its something I’m not too comfortable with, but something I really want to get better at. As started thinking, what motivates me the most is when I do projects that have to do with topics I like, so I chose to do a graphics based project that involves mythological characters. However, with just these topics alone I wouldn’t really be able to create that exhibit experience I wanted to create from the start, so I chose to challenge myself and try to incorporate something I don’t have much experience with. Through this line of thinking I decided to create 3D models and print them for people to interact with and hold, while also creating motion graphics animations that detail the stories of each mythological character. Through this, I will be able to create an experience for people to remember while also spreading knowledge of various mythical characters that people may not have known much about. 

I envision my project taking up just a room. I will utilize the monitors in the room to display the animations and put each of the 3D prints either on the center table or right in front of each monitor. I will also create and print decorations to hang in the room to create a better sense of atmosphere as well. From what I’ve researched, I haven’t seen very many projects that are similar to mine. Not too many projects combine the two forms of media together and I couldn’t find any at all that have to deal with mythology like my project. 

Chance Gayles

IMM – 498

Finalized Concept 

My final project will be a portion/beginning of a manga (Japanese style comic) about Japan’s gangs and Yakuza (Japanese mafia) along with conceptual and developmental images, splash art, and promotional material. With my project, I wanted to create something that can incorporate my interests in multiple disciplines and challenge myself by putting myself through some of the developmental stages of a multimedia project usually handled by larger entities. By building this project I will be able to incorporate ideas from western and eastern philosophies of storytelling, marketing strategy, character design, and fashion design. In the future, I hope to become something that lies somewhere between a conceptual artist for games, television, and comics, and a conceptual fashion designer, or a combination of both. This thesis project will serve as my introduction to these fields and will give me the opportunity to hone and display my skills with a professional level of quality. 

This idea inspires me because it allows me to produce a project that combines my interests in storytelling, character design, and fashion design. There has been a spike in popularity in Japanese style storytelling and media in recent times to the extent that major fashion brands even collaborate with anime intellectual properties. Even as early as five to ten years ago anime and manga have been somewhat stigmatized within America (particularly in the black community) but have quickly gained popularity among the masses in more recent times. Others should be interested because I plan to deliver a high-quality project that will be stylistically and conceptually unique that could easily fit into the category of pop culture and fashion. It will further blend the two mediums of character design and fashion design.

What makes my project different from other existing works is an ensemble of ideas and concepts coming together which could only be fitted together do to my personal experience within the United States and Japan. I plan on using programs such as Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, Clipstudio, and more to complete the digital portions of the project. I will then look towards fulfillment companies to provide the physical marketable portions of the project i.e. poster blanks, and other physical media. Not all of the details are flushed out but will be over the coming semester. 

For my thesis project, I will produce a Case Study on Hidden menus to prove why they are harming the user experience and heuristic metrics of both web and software design. The major difference from this idea from the others is that I truly want to see what results come out of this study and what knowledge can be absorbed during the process. With that said, I personally love this idea because this allows me to understand how people navigate platforms and see if this research can be applied to other aspects of interactive design. 

However, I know this idea is not as attractive sounding than some of the others, but people should be interested because this could answer some questions and spread the word that hidden menus, like the hamburger, are harming the experience and metrics and a push to break this design standard. To differentiate my study from the others that are out there, I am planning to create a new technique for navigation rather than suggesting to use another existing one. 

To implement my project, there will be phases: technically and stylistically. Technically, my project will incorporate user testing, both existing and new designs, and concept websites that displays new navigation techniques. Stylistically, I plan to design a small “pop-up” shop that will educate people on why this is an issue, a need for a change, and insight into what a User Experience process looks like. 

#BreaktheBurger 

Throughout my life, the love of art has been at the core of my personality for years. Ever since the earlier years of my development, my appreciation for drawing, books, and anything creative related has been the center focus for most of my creative endeavors. This will be the ultimate challenge as it requires something that I have had little to no experience doing, and that is coding. For my final concept, I will be producing an interactive graphic novel that will consist of 2 different endings. The plan is to learn how to use the Unity engine along with an asset that will allow me to create the novel in a stylistic manner that suites my expectations.

What I want most from this project is to enhance my ability to adapt to other skills than just drawing, and I feel that. Which was the main reason I decided to choose this major. As far as this project, my main inspiration for doing it is my love of conceptual art whihch toches many different fields. Concept art is a very important component in many media-related projects that involve telling a story because they offer a glimpse at the possible direction a project could take. I’ve been fascinated with the look and feel of conceptual art and not just in one category or style but a pretty of them.

My project aims to be different in style and substance, which is more than enough to make a statement. Graphic novels exist in the world in many different forms. Most made with paper and others online but done as a single digital page, and have some interactive portions been attempted? yes. but not in mass. An interactive readable novel is actually quite uncommon these days seeing is how most have no desire to click, but if the panels were created in a way that would establish some visual elements that could entice the reader, then it will be worth the chance to accomplish the goal of making such a book. My art skills are more than enough to see this project through, but the other skill required is something I need to pick up entirely. It won’t be easy, but I have faith that this will be seen through.

Testing will be done with these steps, Storyboard, concepts, dialogue, and programming. Al, the assets will be created separately and stored in a folder for further use when the time comes to put it all together. That is the plan so far and it will be done.