Chelsea Rae Cantrell
MFA Thesis
Frankie
the frog
The goal for my VR models and research is to advocate for the expansion of VR into illustration markets, as well as expand storytelling into emergent technology.
Frankie The Frog demonstrates how traditional illustration techniques can be integrated within the medium of VR, using a prototype story book. Powered by the Oculus quest and VR painting software Quill, I will demonstrate traditional painting techniques in VR through interactive storytelling.
Page 1 - Frankie checks the weather
Page 3 - Frankie is now all wet!
Digital Illustration
Digital Illustration
Digital Illustration
Page 2 - Frankie caught in the rain!
During my MFA, I learned the importance of illustration presentation within the contexts of storytelling. Story is told through not only the text on the screen, but through the composition, color choices, and expression displayed on the character. Using my animation background as a foundation, I began pre production on this concept by illustrating the three main storytelling moments in Frankie the Frog. I paid special attention to body posing, color, and angles. The aim in the concept phase was to develop visuals at eye level with a small frog, immersing the user in the main character's experience.
The story built around the images state a clear beginning, middle, and end to demonstrate clear storytelling: Frankie the Frog gets caught in the rain. In the above figures, Scenes 1-3 are designed in traditional children's book aesthetics as a framework for the VR painting. Scene 1, we meet our character. He is standing outside his home before going on a walk. Scene 2, a storm rolls in and washes him away! In scene 3, we see Frankie all wet after the storm.
Concept
Google cardboard was my first introduction to Virtual Reality. The device is used by peering through two lenses like a pair of goggles and your smartphone placed inside. Your phone acts as the theater screen, and the lenses convert the display as a 360 experience. This accessibility, needing only cardboard, lenses, and a smartphone, inspired me to further explore this emergent technology.
Moving from Google cardboard, I began to explore software that allow you to create the image in the VR headset while experiencing it simultaneously. As accessible as the google cardboard might be, it is entirely dependent on your smartphone to produce the image. I wanted to focus on free access, as accessibility is still a strong focus for my exploration. That's when I began working in free painting and animation app for the Oculus: Tilt Brush and Quill.
VR Paint Time-lapse
Google Cardboard and Oculus Quest device
Tilt Brush & Quill
Research
Process
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Enchanted Tree: Test Model
Tilt Brush
Secret Pond: Test Environment
Tilt Brush