Broken Glass Studios Animation

[Darkness_Falls 63]

Some ideas for a splash screen I whipped up for fun:

 

Broken Glass Studios - Splash 1 (.avi, 7MB)

 

Broken Glass Studios - Splash 2 (.mov, 5.6MB)

 

Broken Glass Studios - Splash 3 (.avi, 4.6MB)

 

Let me know what you think. I know in the past, I think it was the consensus that most were against splash screens. I personally like them. I wonder if anyone's minds have changed here. If you want me to tweak anything, I can. I know these are not subtle with the glass sounds, and all, but I can make subtle ones by not breaking the glass, if you wish. I usually like subtle, but I might be okay here... since the studio name is a bit of an oxymoron anyways. I also had limited sound effects choices, so if you have better, I can try them.

[New Horizon 470]

Ideally, I would like to see a splash screen that starts with a black screen that completely shatters, sending the shards flying outwards. They then reassemble to form the words Broken Glass Studios.

[HappyCheeze 1]

Interesting. In your face action.

[Domarius 2]

Upload to youtube if you can take the time - you will get a lot more feedback cause it's way easier to watch, just click the link Most people can't be bothered going right click, save as, wait for the entire thing to download (at which point you get side tracked doing something else and forget) find where you saved the file, wait for your media player to load, and drag it onto it.

 

Nicely done anims, but a bit slow moving for a logo screen - too much dead time between the shatter and the logo returning. Also the logo shows up twice, at the start, and at the end, which is weird.

 

I like NH's idea. Definitly want to be minimalistic about it.

 

Glass shattering everywhere spectacularly doesn't give a feeling of stealth, but we probably can't NOT do glass shattering

[greebo 29]

It's kind of a nice idea, but it's far too long for my tastes. It's 17 seconds, which is about 10 seconds too long.

[Darkness_Falls 63]

Good feedback, esp. Domarius. Gracias!

 

I'm glad you think the logo showing up twice is kinda weird. My first tests were actually without it re-appearing (which is what I first wanted), but that, too, was odd -- in a different way. I think it just boils down to the composition not being ideal, having limited resources to work with and losing patience with my computer

 

I just wanted your guys' feedback, so won't be posting on YouTube. Besides, if a splash screen ever comes to be, I would think we'd want to wait for release rather than publicize prematurely?

 

I wish my PC wasn't ancient so I could whip through and easily create test reels. Takes hours to process these stupid things!! So I'm kinda left to work with whatever movie generates sometimes. I'm getting better at setting the animations up, though, so some day I'll have a better idea of what the final product will be before generating the movie. Not perfect, though, since my PC is so slow and I sometimes have to look at wireframes rather than shaded models in the layout.

 

I think in the end, the length of these would make them more suitable for the intro to some publicity video rather than a splash screen. And loudly shattering glass isn't really thief-like; so I'm not a huge fan of that. But if was fun breaking things! Utimately, I was treating these as fun experiments. I'll try some shortened splash screen experiments based on some of your guys' comments since those would be equally as fun (and educational).

 

Unfortunately, I think NH's request might be out of my league! I'll try to figure out how to do that, but I think my skill-level is a little too low for such a feat. On the other hand, if it's more glass flying, it'll still be loud when it shatters -- unless we just use whooshing sound effects or something as an artistic substitute. Maybe instead of the glass flying, the glass could form stress fractures throughout it and then subtly drop to the ground; then rise up to re-form a Broken Glass Studios logo? That would be more subtle than glass flying. Still probably out of my league to do, though; but I'll be thinking about both ways.

 

NH: Just to clarify, when you say "flying outwards," do you mean "into the screen/away from the user" or "out of the screen/at the user"?

[Domarius 2]

Oh - in theme with "Picking up the peices left from Looking Glass Studios", you should just have the "Broken Glass Studios" logo shatter - but play it in reverse. So there's a pile of broken glass - and it plays in reverse (with the sound effect in reverse too) and forms the Broken Glass Studios logo

[New Horizon 470]

NH: Just to clarify, when you say "flying outwards," do you mean "into the screen/away from the user" or "out of the screen/at the user"?

 

Shattering and flying out toward the viewer, and then flying inward away from the viewer to reassemble itself as the words broken glass studios. Would be cool if the letters had a cracked looking texture of sorts after they assemble themselves.

[SneaksieDave 39]

Ideally, I would like to see a splash screen that starts with a black screen that completely shatters, sending the shards flying outwards. They then reassemble to form the words Broken Glass Studios.

Same. Could make the animation of breaking logo and then run it backwards, even.

[squill 0]

nice tests but i wouldn't show the title right at the start. Also have you though about different ways how to show the logo other then glass? To me using glass would be a bit too obvious but that's my opinion.

 

If it's more in line with the thief theme you could use for instance a simple shadow(thief cape) which reveals the logo or if do you want to use glass you could start with (little) cracks on the side or use the cracks you already have which finally break and reveals the title.

 

anyway in my enthusiasm i did a quick test today to illustrate above for ideas:

breaking glass

[SneaksieDave 39]

That's pretty cool. How about the glass is opaque, frosted, or distorts the view behind it, so that when the pieces fall away they reveal the name believably? Or use stained glass (ooh pretty) so it obscures the name till it falls away.

[Darkness_Falls 63]

Oh - in theme with "Picking up the peices left from Looking Glass Studios", you should just have the "Broken Glass Studios" logo shatter - but play it in reverse. So there's a pile of broken glass - and it plays in reverse (with the sound effect in reverse too) and forms the Broken Glass Studios logo

Ooh, I forgot about that saying! Great idea.

 

Sneaksie and Squill, those are awesome ideas, too!

 

I love this animation stuff; wish I was more adept. Perhaps in due time I will be able to make some of these ideas come to fruition!

 

Thanks for all the feedback/ideas...

[SneaksieDave 39]

A little bit wicked idea comes to mind. Maybe as the shattering pieces (hit by an arrow?) are falling away, they fall, one by one, till two of the last ones remain...

 

(making an obvious reference to LGS and a borderline "hold-your-breath-is-this-copyright-infringement??" moment)

 

Then after a tense extra second or so, of course the last pieces fall away revealing the whole name.

[Darkness_Falls 63]

LOL! That's a hilarious idea

[Subjective Effect 22]

I think Broken Glass Studios is a pretty poor name overall. It was... amusing at first, but if you're really running with it I'll give it to you straight - Team Dark Mod is better, or just TDM team.

 

However, it would totally be worth it if SneaksieDave's idea was used.

 

Use the LGS font and have it morph into the Broken Glass font after the name is revealed.

[New Horizon 470]

I think Broken Glass Studios is a pretty poor name overall. It was... amusing at first, but if you're really running with it I'll give it to you straight - Team Dark Mod is better, or just TDM team.

 

However, it would totally be worth it if SneaksieDave's idea was used.

 

Use the LGS font and have it morph into the Broken Glass font after the name is revealed.

 

 

I really have to disagree on that front, and I don't think any of us ever considered it amusing. Team Dark Mod to me is just kind of boring and obvious, but Broken Glass Studios gives a really nice nod to the past, and has plenty of meaning for what we've essentially done...which is pick up the pieces of what was left behind by Looking Glass. Team Dark Mod is simply a title of who we are, Broken Glass is both who we are and what we've done. It won the vote back in the day, we've used it in reference to ourselves. I don't think it's going anywhere.

[Komag 20]

No matter what is done, I think the whole video should be about 5 seconds tops! Maybe even as short as 3 seconds.

[Darkness_Falls 63]

I think me titling it a splash screen for a 17+ second video was a bit of a misnomer on my behalf My fault.

 

If a true splash screen is ever created and if it ever gets used, it'll certainly be shorter and more to the point. No worries.

[Domarius 2]

Hey, don't be dissn' "Broken Glass Studios" bro. It's an awesome name.

[Subjective Effect 22]

I just think some people are going to at it is all.

[New Horizon 470]

I just think some people are going to at it is all.

 

We've been using it for a couple of years now...and the response has been favorable. Yes it's a not so subtle nod to looking glass, but it's quite symbolic too. I haven't seen anyone roll their eyes at it yet. It's a sign of respect to Looking Glass.

[Darkness_Falls 63]

I just think some people are going to at it is all.

It's impossible to please everyone; of course some will roll their eyes. I would roll my eyes at "Team Dark Mod" and many others that were proposed. This name was the only one that finally brought a good amount of unity and solidarity behind what the name should be. There was a lot less divisiveness with this name than all of the other ones. Squabble Studios was mentioned as a candidate in jest for good reason, lol.

[New Horizon 470]

This name was the only one that finally brought a good amount of unity and solidarity behind what the name should be.

 

Indeed.