Minutes 24 Jan

Meeting points

1.     Went through items outstanding

2.     Planned the rest of the build schedule as best could, we still do not have a submission date.

3.     CWH gave BS the articles she had created for the build.

To do/ outstanding

1.     Apply colour scheme to snaps logo (BS)

2.     Find chosen font (BS)

3.     Get all components ready for build (BS)

4.     Install Flash (BS)

5.     Start building the Countryside game (CWH)

6.     Update self Gantt chart (BS and CWH)

7.     Update self and group Gannt chart for this week (CWH)

8.     List all tasks individually completed - written as speech for working presentation (BS and CWH)

A.O.B

1) BS laptop booked in for Flash installation next week

2) Other assignment due in 14/02 so may need to focus on that for the next week or two.

All kinds of software

To display a knowledge of a variety of software I have been using a number of packages to put together the 3D tutorial animation.

I created the 3D model in sketch up and recorded scenes which I then exported as quicktime movies.  I imported these scenes into Premiere Pro to stitch the scenes together and give a visual transition between each one.

The project has been exported to After Effects where I am going to give it some graphics.

Have not decided on the audio yet, that is one of my next tasks, plan the voiceover, music and graphics.

Sound effects

I played Becky the sound effects that I had selected and we chose our favourite.  These are from Audio Network.

BEACH - S_033133	2:04	Medium - Ocean Side, Many Seagulls, Low Background Waves On Shore, Occasional Splash In Water, Like Rock Or Bird Lands In Water
COUNTRYSIDE S_023592	2:31	Exterior - Early Morning, Various Steady Distant and Medium Bird Calls, Light Wind In Trees
SHUTTER S_321836_028	0:01	Close Up - Single Shot, Fast Shutter Speed

                  

Flash build, resolution/ size

I have started the Flash build.  Becky is the whizz but as yet she doesn't have Flash on her laptop so I have set up the working file.

I have done this as 600 x 800 after seeking advice on preferred sizes.

This was the most frequently used size amongst the developers who were asked, although there are many who have varying preferences

The most used game sizes:

	Width	Height
Average	617	469
Max	1280	900
Min	300	207
Most used	550 (23%) 600 (15%) 640 (13%)	400 (31%) 480 (12%) 600 (10%)

And this is the top 5 chart of the most used resolutions:

1. 550×400 (18%) 
2. 640×480 (11%) 
3. 600×400 (6%) 
4. 800×600 (5%) 
5. 750×530 (2%)

Source http://www.emanueleferonato.com/2009/04/20/the-perfect-size-for-a-flash-game/

Instructions for the game

I wrote the instructions and ran them by Becky, she liked the idea but suggested they were a little 'wordy' for kids, so I have simplified them.

To ensure I had covered all bases, to try and explain what the game was about, I made a list of the key components and purpose of the game, as well as the parts that link the game together.  I then made sure these particulars were put into the introduction.

The introduction and instructions will appear over the island, I layered Becky's image of the island in Illustrator, with a vignette and added a fine stroke and shadow to the text to make it pop out.

  

Buttons for navigation screen

Here are the buttons for the navigation screen.

Spanner in the works!

So 25th October I was all for punching the computer after my 3 hour stint of re-doing the Gantt charts for myself and the group, after the initial one became corrupt, these latest versions again became corrupt!

We cannot identify the reason and it has flummoxed two IT gurus.  Needless to say, I was frustrated, nay furious.

The following morning I was at the midwife's for my check up and blood pressure had shot up, not surprising after how annoyed I was the previous night.

I had to return to keep and eye on things and again on the Friday, blood pressure was high, but all in all I was feeling better than I had done in weeks.  Fast forward through a 2 hour Tesco shop and a 2 hour Ikea trip to buy wardrobes, I spent the night rubbing my aching bum and back whilst devouring a 12 inch Pizza.... all of it.  With hindsight I should have seen what was coming.

Unknowingly in labour! Horizontal in the car to accommodate the wardrobes!

I'll spare you the gory details, by the following lunchtime our baby boy had made his debut, Ayrton James Bernard Peter 'The Bear'.

Following 16 days in special care, our boy came home with us and we are still adjusting.

I'm sure Becky will fill you in on her exciting fly in the ointment, in short she has had investigative surgery on her ankle and was also rendered out of service.

Becky and I returned to uni in the New Year to find that the rest of the tutorial group have been granted an extension.  Obviously we also require additional time to complete this assignment, Allison is applying to Leeds for an exemption, hopefully for an Easter submission date.

This week we had a production meeting and agreed that we should streamline our project as we are also starting a new assignment next week, it will be near impossible to complete everything we had originally planned to do.

We went through my production log and marked off what was complete, what we needed to do in the immediate future and what tasks we would shelve.  It is hard to set dates at the moment as we have not had confirmation from Leeds of our final deadline date so the dates we chose may need to change.

This week's main tasks are to collate all the resources that we need to build the working presentation, jpegs and sound files. 

Minutes - 25 October 2011

Minutes

Date:     26/10/11

Meeting points

1.     Went through items from last week’s ‘to do’ list – see below for details (BS & CWH)

2.     Drafted product and team evaluation for Working Presentation (BS & CWH)

3.     Got large version of B&P logo.jpg and seascapefish.psd from BS for CWH

4.     Completed personal Gantt (CWH)

5.     Completed group Gantt up to start of meeting (CWH) updated after meeting and file AGAIN became corrupt! Need to report issue to IT!

6.     Put game logo (BS) and game fonts (BS&CWH) out to tutorial group to see what is the preferred.  Looks like the top faves are v1 and v6 of the logo and Peppa Pig for the font.  BS to trial versions and open out to the social networks for their feedback.

7.     Ran through game location allocations – approved – Mountains (Flash, Castle), Under the Sea (Shutter Speed), Beach (focus), Countryside (aperture, depth of field)

8.     Agreed on running order for the Working Presentation flash file.  This will just be a very basic navigation tool showing how the user will get from the start and move around the games.  It will not have any working individual games at this stage.

9.     Did not get time to start planning/ writing the game instructions.

10.  Not shared our sounds

To do/ outstanding

1.     Draft instructions and welcome information (BS & CWH) – 01/11

2.     BS to update blog with shortlisted game logos and fonts – 28/10

3.     Email/ upload our sounds to each other (BS & CWH) – 28/10

4.     Upload images to blog (BS) – 28/10

5.     Email shipwreck.psd to CWH (BS) – 28/10

6.     Complete castle outside.ai (BS) – 01/11

7.     create castle inside.ai (BS) – 01/11

8.     Introduction/ instruction screen – Falling polaroid animation – (BS) – 09/11

9.     Location screen – Falling polaroid animation – (BS) – 09/11

10.  Complete island map – include thumbnails of school, game logo and return key. Save as .psd and email to CWH (BS) – 01/11

11.  Complete congratulations banner with game colours save as .psd and email to CWH – 01/11 (BS)

12.  Write up notes on team and product evaluation for the Working Presentation (BS)

13.  Write individual contribution – (BS & CWH) – CWH to email to BS asap – 01/11

14.  List examples of our best work for Working Presentation - (BS & CWH) – 01/11

15.  Produce charts/ diagrams showing percentage completed for Working Presentation – from details in Gantt charts – (CWH) – 01/11

16.  Download Flash – (BS) – ASAP – for build –

17.  Both start building the Working Presentation Flash file – see which is most promising at next meeting! (my money is on Becky’s!!)

18.  Update self Gantt chart for this and last week (BS)

19.  Update self and group Gannt chart for this week (CWH)

A.O.B

1.     BS is having an operation this Thursday (27/10) and may not be mobile for the next few weeks.  An extension has been agreed in principle, but need to find out the terms from Doctor after the operation.  We will still work to plan until we hear from him!

2.     BS not got Flash or Project on her laptop – BS to see if she can download CS5 version of Flash.  If this is successful perhaps she can focus on build aspects? (wishful thinking J?!)

3.     CWH not got Project on her Mac – twice now the college PCs have corrupted her Gantt charts.  IWH advised we could use illustrator to show projections if needs be.  CWH acquired a version of Project for PC, will get a copy to BS and se if she can borrow RCH laptop to  install Project and work from home rather than having to go into college and risk another corruption!  CWH to speak to Holy Cross ICT about the issue again.