FMP Prep Project

Ahe Zhang

Chinese Classics

Impact of Pop Culture on Perception

About this project:

realistic rendering in Unreal. Since I aim to work in 3D character design in the future, I want to create a game ready high-quality 3D character model in this project.

Proposal 1: Nuo Culture(傩文化)

• My first project primarily revolves around the theme of "Nuo Culture," which is an integral part of traditional Chinese culture, and I'm deeply fascinated by its concepts.
• In simple terms, it stems from the primitive ancestors' lack of understanding and reverence for nature. Its purpose was to ward off misfortunes and pray for blessings. The Nuo mask is a symbolic representation of Nuo culture. In Nuo rituals, it serves as the vessel for deities, and in Nuo dances, it's used as a costume. There's a saying: "Without the mask, it's a person; with the mask on, it's a god."
• Nuo culture has evolved from initially wearing various masks to scare away wild animals, to serving as a medium for witchcraft and communication with the divine, and now it's more about entertainment and symbolic significance.
• In this proposal, I aim to use Nuo culture and its derivatives as references. I want to create a project themed around witchcraft and deities. I'll be looking at "Black Myth: Wukong" and the "God of War" series as benchmarks for production quality and narrative concepts.

�Proposal 2: Water Margin Game Adaptation

• This project is similar to the Black Myth Goku, adapted from the Four Great Books
• Item Features:
• Violent aesthetics: The characters and stories in Water Margin are full of violent aesthetics, from Wu Sung fighting a tiger to Li Kui fighting a bull, each story is full of power and passion. This unique aesthetic style can bring a unique visual and auditory experience to the game.
• Straying from the edge of the law: Water Margin describes the story of 108 heroes who rose up in Liangshan Mountain. Although they have lofty ideals, they are legally mountain thieves and rebels. This setting of straying from the edge of the law brings a wealth of moral and ethical choices to the game, where players can experience the struggle between justice and the law.
• Astrological Background: Each hero has a corresponding astrological constellation, which are not just stars in the sky, but also have their own stories and abilities. This setting is too "game".

Proposal 3: You Shen(The procession of the gods)

• One of the traditional New Year customs in Fuzhou villages has recently become popular online. I'm interested in this because, during the "You Shen" event, participants need to be inside a contraption (similar to lion dancing). They use a unique walking method to make the contraption's arms move. With many young people joining, it has integrated modern elements like dazzling lights and rhythmic music. While some think it's not elegant, I believe it introduces more people to this culture and attracts more to carry it on.

Summer project

• Planning:
• During my sophomore year projects, I became quite familiar with the 3D modeling process, related software, and various techniques such as topology, hair, materials, and stylization. Given this background, my goal for this project is to further develop my character creation skills, aiming to produce a hyper-realistic model without immediate concerns for optimization. In the long run, I envision myself working in a gaming company, specifically creating 3D character models, or becoming a freelancer, offering services to clients. I've noticed many 3D artists use a digital portrait of themselves as avatars on their personal websites. Inspired by this, I want to create one for myself. It presents a great opportunity to observe and learn about facial structures, allowing me to study my facial details closely using a mirror.

• Process:
• For hair creation, I opted for particle hair techniques because the fine fuzz on the face can't be achieved using hair cards. In terms of materials, I didn't use mapping techniques. Instead, I sculpted a high-resolution model in ZBrush and then baked and colored it in Substance Painter. I encountered some issues while handling the SSS (Subsurface Scattering) material. One of the reasons might be an incorrect size setting for the head.