Masterclass Project - Sony Computer Entertainment Europe [Re-Post 12-12-2011]

So with principal photography at around 90% complete after Fridays London trip it was time to start working on my Masterclass project. The aim of this project is to prove that you can complete a real-world task, in a real-world period of time. These projects are set by actual industry practitioners who think up a project centered around a specific discipline. We had several choices but in the end I chose the brief set by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) for which I would have to design and create a 20m x 20m 'cookie cutter' of a games environment using one of the landmarks in Bournemouth.

The first stage of the brief is the pre-production stage. This involved going to the locations and taking reference photos and sketches. After visiting each of the locations around town, I settled on the Bournemouth Oceanarium. I chose the Oceanarium because of it's unique architecture both on the interior and the exterior. The building has to accommodate the needs of many different exotic animals, and so skylights, nets, railing and porthole style windows are all present.

 Inside the building is even more fascinating; there are artificial rock formations in place of walls and the lighting is all engineered to convey the tone of the deep blue sea. The most interesting feature of the Oceanarium, for me, is the main tank which is dubbed; 'The Great Barrier Reef'. This tank allows you to observe from under the water using a clear glass tunnel which runs underneath, or from above on the observation deck. The ceiling above this tank features a long skylight. I love the multi-tiered nature of the room, combined with the artificial decking and rock formations. I think that this room will be the focus of my environment.