2012: NFS Most Wanted

Most of this year was all about Most Wanted, the team had a lot to prove with expectation great and also having the Real Racing team next door reminding us that the bar is always moving.

The dev was in general extremely positive. We knew what key elements we wanted to instil into the game/user experience and built around those factors. As the Art Lead I was responsible for all facets of the dev under that umbrella, and as we had a very open production I was also lucky enough to be a voice in the design of the title which was challenging in itself.

Everyone on the team put in their utmost which I'm so stoked with, and it has paid great dividends with the game being a mass critical and financial success. **This is by far the most enjoyable game I've played that I have ever been apart of, it balances the challenges of mobile controls with a deep arcade experience.

It was awesome to add to one of the most endearing racing franchises ever and on the strength of this title we should be able to create something special for our next title.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/need-for-speed-most-wanted/id540925164?mt=8

2012: Mass Effect Infiltrator

I started the year in heavy dev with Mass Effect Infiltrator, as I came on to the project late I thought I'd be getting some small bits and pieces to do but I ended up contributing a fair bit which I was stoked about.

I was responsible for the final boss battle environment "Desert Planet", the re-light, texture & general look and feel of "Med Bay Dark". And finally the complete lighting of the "Comm Relay" level. 

Apart from the in-game content I also helped with all the release marketing including the background imagery for the splash and a number of press screenshots.

The game looked great and the team is very talented so I look forward to the next title they put their skills to.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mass-effect-infiltrator/id486601093?mt=8

Off the Grid

The last image I've managed to get out for the year, another proxy paintover such as the last 2 images. I've tried to continue to focus on strong base composition aids were large forms feed into areas of focus etc.  There is a little bit of story here, where a rogue agent must escape through the heart of an AI world chased by drone predators.

Frame in frame

Another greybox paintover, I wanted to do a composition that had a strong secondary framing element such as the chute opening. Also wanted to play with obscure perspective and to question which way is up.I also  used smart objects prevalently as its something I've only just started utilising in concepts

Walking under water

Wanting to do an interior concept for a change I thought Id start will something that was simplistic in terms of composition, and look at just having the exotic location sell the uniqueness of the area. 

These are near future dive pods that let researchers be at one with their studies while submerged in an abandoned coral shelf. The underlying key form factor were soft arcs and rings, and wanted to have the warm metal tones slightly contrast the tropical blue hues.

Love it long time

Over the weekend I decided to have a real dig at getting a half way decent understanding/pipeline for daylight long exposures. In short I had a ball, as I could freely shoot over the midday as it added to the starkness of the image.
Looking forward to continuing the studies with introducing sunsets/sunrises and HDR elements.The first image is the very first photo I purposefully did over the weekend and it holds a special place for me as it is a strong beach icon in Beaumaris, the area that put the Heidelberg School on the map.

October Outings

 After an exceedingly long time between drinks in terms of getting some personal work done, Ive posted a couple of enviro sketches. One a quick study on abstract elements which was an 11/2hr effort, then another which was built on the previously mentioned shapes technique that ran in at 5hrs over the course of a weeks breakfast time sketching.

Looking forward to a good summer of sketching & photography

Mrs Cole & the Ram

Had a walk around a farm and dilapidated homestead with some mate's, just looking for things of interest. They included day old lambs, a pile o' bones, a three legged cat and  some auto wrecks.

MP - 12/06/2012 - Black & White

Some more more images in B&W of our drizzle riddled morning walk in Arthurs Seat. Really enjoying the conversion process in Lightroom for the Black &  White adjustments.

MP - 12/06/2012 - Colour

Jess & I are aiming to photograph the Mornington Peninsula through small adventures on weekends between surfing and running a muck.
Here are some colour images from a first morning jaunt out in a wet Arthurs Seat morning.