Progress on this interactive music video has been slow while I’ve been working on some client projects with very tight deadlines, but that doesn’t mean no progress at all.
ICYMI: The Moon and the Sea (part 1)
The more I think about this project, the more it grows and changes. I’ve been back and forth about how I want it to look, what I actually want to see in the model, and I still haven’t really settled on something. I’ve also been taking a two-pronged attack to the whole thing and I’m not sure how much that’s helping or hindering me. On one side, I’m focusing on the technical aspects; learning to actually build something that works. On the other, I’ve been considering the creative and design aspects. I’d say my focus has maybe been on the former.
A bit sketchy
I started out by trying to do some observational drawings of my local area, since that was going to be the inspiration for the model. I say observational, but I mean that more in the sense of noticing and recognising features that create the architectural style rather than directly drawing what I can see.

Whether this was actually of any use, or whether I just wanted some time away from a screen I can’t quite say, but it’s a worthwhile exercise that I’ll keep working on. Lord knows I could do with a bit more pen and paper and a bit less blue light in the eyes.
I also spent some time looking around for some inspiration from other artists, which I’ve been collecting on Behance. I was reminded of this particular piece by Pavel Novák which if I’m quite honest has been one of the core inspirations for this project. I was also very inspired by these works by JR Schmidt and Sir Carma.
As I continue down this path, I’m still trying to define what the scene should actually show. I’m slowly shifting away from modelling a small town akin to my local area. Ideas have shifted to a lighthouse, then to something more like St Michael Mount in Cornwall; a favourite site of my childhood holidays.

Since the song is about isolation by the sea, it just makes sense for it to be somewhere a little less connected and empty. Either way, the main thing I’ve learned from trying to get on with modelling is that I really need a clearer image in my head of what I’m actually building. Surprising I know.
Speaking of modelling…
In the meantime I’ve been cracking on with learning more about Unity and getting back into 3D modelling. I made a tough choice to work in Blender for the modelling aspect. I’m much more familiar with Cinema 4D, but given I don’t have a license for that any more and that Unity seems to work better with Blender, I decided to go with that. It means relearning things, but it’s useful I guess.
I also wanted to learn more about how lighting works in Blender, since that will play an important role in this project. So I made a small model of a house, which turned into a street, to see how it works. I also added in a very simple day/night cycle to see how that works and it turns out it’s easier than I’d expected (again apologies to mobile users, this might not work so well).