The Polycount Art Project (ATTENTION: Lurkers, Professionals and Students)
polycounter lvl 20
Polycount Art Project (PAP)
I've wanted to do something like this now for a while - a project where people from Polycount contribute to an art project. I won't give project ideas away just yet, because I'm really just interested in gauging reactions to such an idea.
We've had an un-Official project going on for a while now but this would be something different, and more official.
So before I explain the actual idea, I'd like to put out my thoughts on how this art project development would work and I'd like to hear your guys' opinion on the matter.
So, in a nutshell, I'm looking to organize an art project that is contributed to by some of Polycount's best, with the end goal being a completely transparent development process and a package others may learn from along the way.
Example (and I haven't spoken to any of these guys so this is really just hypothetical): Myself, Virtuosic, Kevin Johnston, Hazardous, Jordan Walker, Snefer and Swizzle collaborate on an official Polycount Art Project that is a complete development: Environments, characters, FX and technical achievements. All documented and out in the open.
I suspect many won't like this idea because of the fact it would be limited to who can participate - which breaks the notion of a community - but I reckon that if the purpose of such a thing is that an entire community would learn from a focused effort, I think that makes this OK.
So, what say you Polycount?
I've wanted to do something like this now for a while - a project where people from Polycount contribute to an art project. I won't give project ideas away just yet, because I'm really just interested in gauging reactions to such an idea.
We've had an un-Official project going on for a while now but this would be something different, and more official.
So before I explain the actual idea, I'd like to put out my thoughts on how this art project development would work and I'd like to hear your guys' opinion on the matter.
- This idea would not be open to anyone and everyone at Polycount. There would be a portfolio review/application process to the idea itself. Why? Read on...
- This would be a 100% transparent experiment by professionals or highly talented artists.
- Anyone involved would agree to document their process along the way. Part of their agreement to help would be to spend one hour a week answering all questions posted in their threads, while the rest of the time is dedicated to creating the artwork needed for the project.
- This project would be for a small team of artists: 8 Max.
- We would release the end result, for free, in an entire PAP Package: The files needed to experience the 'game/art project', all documented images, threads, and so on. Any concepts, references or private conversations about the project.
- In my downtime from administrating Polycount (I'm having my first-born in a month) I would be managing this project. And managing is really only making sure we have what we need to succeed and produce the package in the end.
So, in a nutshell, I'm looking to organize an art project that is contributed to by some of Polycount's best, with the end goal being a completely transparent development process and a package others may learn from along the way.
Example (and I haven't spoken to any of these guys so this is really just hypothetical): Myself, Virtuosic, Kevin Johnston, Hazardous, Jordan Walker, Snefer and Swizzle collaborate on an official Polycount Art Project that is a complete development: Environments, characters, FX and technical achievements. All documented and out in the open.
I suspect many won't like this idea because of the fact it would be limited to who can participate - which breaks the notion of a community - but I reckon that if the purpose of such a thing is that an entire community would learn from a focused effort, I think that makes this OK.
So, what say you Polycount?
Replies
I'd love to watch the livestream of some of the Artists working.
The only hypothetical reason I can see why this wouldn't be a good thing is if you can't find a group of people who actually want to work on it, which I can't believe will happen.
Fire away I say, I'll be following it for sure!
That said, the documentation produced by a project like this would be invaluable! I am VERY interested in seeing what a project like this could produce and all the steps along the way.
I like the idea of a community project in the sense that while it's mostly the best of the best participating, the rest of us would get to watch and learn. and where else would you get to see a joint effort from such a group of badass artists?
I went back and checked to make sure, but I never referred to this as a 'community project' but rather it would be created by people renown for their contributions and skillset here at Polycount.
An open "anyone can contribute" is already out there (I linked to it in my OP) so if thats something you'd like you're more than welcome to contribute there. A limited approach to people contributing is beneficial in a couple of ways:
This is really an idea of getting people together others can learn from - and people others will learn from are people who've been in a production environment or show that they are innovators in our industry.
Someone somewhere once said that surrounding yourself by people who are better than you is one of the best ways to learn. The PAP would be an idea put together based on that notion.
I'll be very interested in seeing how this turns out, if it even gets off the boat.
What duration were you thinking more or less for the project? Just curious.
(and by network, I mean work side by side.)
On the other hand I'm realy looking forward to this, if I understand it right this sounds like you could learn much from it, even though I have the feeling that I don't understand this project entirely. Maybe I should just read it another 3 times. ^^
But I guess maybe that would shift too much into a mentoring style project...
no one stops you from doing your own group project
Yeah but it wouldn't be THE Polycount Project.
having a complete documentation for all this stuff would help so much
I got that far and I was like "wut." I'm pretty sure you've included me in a list that I don't belong in.
Regardless, I'm interested in participating, though I'm a little hazy on the details of what this art project might be. From the sound of things, it'd end up being something like a tech demo once everything's said and done.
Is this something you'd like to make interactive in addition to being a large art project? I'm sure it'd be possible to do something like set up a level in Unity or UDK that people could fly around in and then delve into the project files afterwards.
I mean, I don't want to call people out here but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's gotten more than a little excited after seeing [insert badass artist name here] start a new thread, get everyone hyped, only to see one or two posts and then nothing more... ever.
How many times have we seen top end artists go into a comp saying 'I will finish this time. LOL'.
Of course, that's completely understandable since these guys are busy, and for whatever reason may not get the chance to finish stuff up or follow it through.
Having said that, there are plenty of examples of great work that does get finished so I suppose it could go either way.
Also, I can't help but feel the name could do with changing.
Yeah, I wouldn't want it to become a hand holding project. However...
...I really like this idea. There's a lot of pitfalls to it though.
Hand-holding
Laziness
Busyness
Lack of clear direction
Etc.
Whatever is done has to be done to no consequence, as little as that makes your contribution feel. That way if someone doesn't do their work, it doesn't matter. I think I may have a solution though?
The project is to build one multiplayer map for TF2 or Unreal, but the map will be split into four sections/bases. Each base will be a team. Each team is tasked with filling out their base.
The small team of professional Adam is talking about could start this level off as a whole and then pass it off to us? That way we kind of get a feel for an art direction and design, which a lot of new people like myself struggle with. Then the pro team get's divided up and oversees the smaller teams (critique, direction)? Or, alternatively, we could hand it off to Adam's team and then they have to blend it all together somehow. That would be interesting/hilarious to see.
Just an idea. I'd be satisfied with this being kept simple, as Adam outlined, and my idea dismissed, but it's a slow work day and thought I'd brainstorm a little.
Lighting and Composition
Complex Shaders
New techniques like Flow Maps
Basically it'd be like the Unreal tech demo. I've delved with UDK for a while now and I really tried to get into Cryengine but I didn't find it as user friendly as UDK. It might be beneficial if you made something in an engine that a lot of people need to improve upon. Perhaps a public vote once you've decided a direction on what you want to do.
/2cents
Not everyone gets to play in the Super Bowl, but we all get to watch the game, right?*
Personally, I'd rather see a select few of the best artists agree to actually do it, than have the idea fall to pieces because everyone wanted to play. Imagine how awesome the finished package could be - I say let Adam and the 'elite' handle it as they see fit so we actually get to see the finished product.
*I'm not great with sporting metaphors.
+1
I like the idea as well but we have talked about this for ages now. Nothing ever comes of it....
I can think of a couple of reasons to if you really want this to be an official Polycount thing, but I think the biggest and most important one would be that you'd be sharing things directly through Polycount. That is, you finish assets and then at the end of the project you provide all those assets for download and learning purposes directly through Polycount. Attached to those assets could be detailed information on how they're used and the techniques used to construct them.
Essentially, it'd become a giant tutorial set with included project files.
I'm really not certain how doable this is, though, because people are busy and there are limits to altruism.
EDIT: Another +1 to cholden's post.
Totally think its do-able.
Gives people a clear indication of whats hot in the industry as well!
Totally a fair thing to say but I never forget about my ideas. I was pretty transparent with my goal with this thread: Propose an idea then read peoples responses. From there you'd either hear more of it down the line or not - depending on what was mentioned. If you don't hear about it again in a week, its because the idea is dead and I've moved on (just like other threads have in the past). There's other people on our team who focus on tested materials, I'm interested in doing new things for the time being.
[Clipped] Too much talking, let me get to the point a little faster.
Agreed, I could have just gathered people together and we could have posted our progress. I like the idea of making it official or tying it Polycount simply so we can use it, officially, to launch it when its done to the rest of the 3D art community. For free. If we knock this idea out of the park and its a success*, then I would think this would make for a great annual exercise at Polycount: A new team, a new project idea, a new package.
*Success, to me, is a stellar art project/experience that everyone witnessing it has learned something along the way while admiring the end result.
I find that Environment guys tend to stick closely with Level designers and Tech Artists (Or Render coders).
In fact, I'd imagine that cross-disciplinary collaborations would be more with Animators than with Environment guys (although we do delve in to props from time to time).
How exactly do you feel this collaboration would work?
We'd have a project goal in mind: "This is what we're going to finish and release."
Amongst the varied disciplines of the people involved, the work would be divvied up based on who would like to work on what or where they think they'd best fit.
Each discipline would have its own thread (E.g. PAP - Project Name - Environments) that the proper contributors would update to.
There'd be an "Overall" thread that I could update weekly with progress, build shots, and so on.
Ideally, if this goes well, I could see this being a great annual thing for Polycount where the team is different every year.