The Mission
To set myself a creative dark-ride project in which I could demonstrate the breadth of my creative skillset within an industry-specific context.
Skills Demonstrated
Illustration, Concept Development, Storytelling/Narrative Development, 3D Modelling, Communication of Creative Vision, Copywriting, Rendering
Tools Utilised
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Trimble SketchUp, Procreate, Nomad Sculpt
Join Professor Gardner and her helpful assistant Herb, as you explore the marvel and mystery hidden within her shed of secret surprises!
Avoid a prickly reception in the Cacti corner, squeeze past the Secateurs, and 'Romain' calm as you come face-to-face with the world's largest Turnip.
Anyway… 'Lettuce' not get too ahead of ourselves. Go on, into the shed for 'Beets' sake - we’re running short on 'Thyme'!
Introductory Narration (Cubase Pro, Logic Pro, Adobe Audition) - VO by Guy Harris [www.voiceoverguy.co.uk]
Prof. Gardener's 1st Place Potato (Procreate)
Prof. Gardener's 1st Place Watermelon (Procreate)
Prof. Gardener's 1st Place Parsnip (Procreate)
The Backstory
Professor Gardener really had achieved it all… with her scientific, secretive, and surprising vegetable growing techniques, she had been the talk of the town fair nation-wide! Nobody had ever grown such prodigious produce. But one vegetable had always eluded her… the dreaded Turnip!
In her secretive shed she slaved away, crafting weird, wacky and wonderful ways to grow the largest Turnip ever! Rumour has it that some of her experiments lead plants to dance, sing, and even help out around the shed!
But while Professor Gardener is away on important seed-gathering business, competitors have been snooping to steal her stupendous shrubs! That’s where you come in… Prof. Gardener needs your help to keep the shed safe - but you need to keep this hush hush (vegetable thieves could be anywhere!).
Come along to the open day! Follow the signs to the shed and head on in - Herb will be your guide. Together you can spot the vegetable nabbing varmints and help Professor Gardener win her most prestigious prize.
Backstory Narration (Cubase Pro, Logic Pro, Adobe Audition) - VO by Guy Harris [www.voiceoverguy.co.uk]
Prof. Gardener's 2nd Place Turnup (Procreate)
Project Aims & Scope
My aim is to develop a dark-ride attraction concept that is fun for families with younger children, while still providing a layer of entertainment for older guests.
At this stage, I intend to explore the attraction exterior and ride vehicle design. My current focus is upon developing exciting (and workable!) ideas for the project. I then intend to further develop upon these initial concepts as the project progresses. I hope to explore more elements of this attraction in the near future!
Prof. Gardener's 1st Place Cucumber (Procreate)
Project Constraints
For the Prof. Gardener’s project, I established rough budgetary and spatial constraints in which to work with. This has helped to 'root' (get it!) my design decisions within the real world, as well as pushing myself to consider other creative solutions that may not have initially been apparent.
This dark-ride project has been conceived with a UK regional theme park in mind and (as an estimate) would be considered to be a medium-to-large scale investment - dependent on park resources and capital of course!
Prof. Gardener's 1st Place Pumpkin (Procreate)
Mascot
Key to delivering the on-ride element of the story is ‘Herb’ - Prof. Gardener’s helpful assistant!
In a world of inventive professors, gardens, secrets, and surprises, it only makes sense that your tour guide would be a talking plant - right? Herb knows everything there is to know about the garden world, and he can’t wait for you to join him on a laughter-filled "tour" (with a dash of mischief for good luck!) - he’s not quite as fond of surprises though… and you better be on time!
As the Shed of Secret Surprises project is narrative based, I made the decision to develop a mascot/narrator in which to deliver core of the story - tying individual scenes together into a cohesive themed dark ride experience.
Entry Plaza
Welcome! Open garden today, and everyone’s invited!
When initially considering the plaza concept, I kept coming back to one phrase: ‘organised chaos’. I wanted to provide an open space for families and groups to gather outside of the attraction, while still maintaining the eclectic and detailed feel found in other imagery for the project. The main entrance arch acts as the plaza’s “weenie” (in Disney terms!) - tying together a number of different props and directing visitor attention around the perimeter of the area as they discover more about the story.
Entry Plaza - Ambience Loop (Cubase Pro, Logic Pro)
Entry Plaza - Development Poster (Adobe Illustrator, Procreate)
Entry Plaza - 3D Model Animation (Trimble SketchUp)
Entry Plaza - Concept Drawing #1 (Trimble SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop)
Entry Plaza Pencil Concept #1 (Trimble SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop)
Entry Plaza Pencil Concept #2 (Trimble SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop)
Entry Plaza - Concept Drawing #2 (Trimble SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop)
Façade
Just a normal shed… nothing to see here! A perfect disguise for the magic and wonder that lies just past that very average looking door.
This concept is based around a number of layered 2D set pieces, using colour and perspective to create a sense of depth. I felt that this was a viable means of creating large, colourful and detailed scenery in fitting with the attraction storyline, while remaining within the rough budgetary considerations I set forth for this project.
I decided to adopt a cartoon styling when considering the initial façade concept. I wanted to embrace a brightly coloured and playful aesthetic, harking back to childhood. This felt natural given the intended demographic for the attraction, as well as the original “larger than life” design intention.
Façade - Initial Idea (Adobe Illustrator, Procreate)
Façade - 3D Model Animation (Trimble SketchUp)
Façade - Concept Render #1 (Trimble SketchUp, Chaos V-Ray, Adobe Photoshop)
Façade - Concept Render #2 (Trimble SketchUp, Chaos V-Ray, Adobe Photoshop)
Façade - Concept Render #3 (Trimble SketchUp, Chaos V-Ray, Adobe Photoshop)
Façade - Concept Art (Trimble SketchUp, Chaos V-Ray, Adobe Photoshop)
Ride Vehicle
Planning on taking a magical tour through a secret shed, laden with surprises? Take the wheelbarrow! What better mode of garden-themed transport for our guests than an unusually large ‘barrow - and once you hop in, it only gets more surprising… you can be sure of that!
Once again, I decided to adopt cartoon styling for these initial illustrations. Displaying my intention for seating configuration and rough vehicle form while still maintaining a sense of fun.
Ride Vehicle - Initial Concept Poster (Adobe Illustrator, Procreate)
Ride Vehicle - Basket Development (Adobe Illustrator)
Tracked Ride Vehicle Illustration (Procreate)
Trackless Ride Vehicle Illustration (Procreate)
Signage
“No Turnips Left In This Shed Overnight”
Frequent use of signage will be key in communicating the Prof. Gardener’s narrative. I hope to underpin key aspects of the story (examples seen opposite) with simple verbal phrases. It is my aim for this colourful communication to develop guest understanding of the Prof. Gardeners world, further immersing them.
The target audience for this attraction is broad and it is important to acknowledge that many guests may have a lower reading age. This must be taken into consideration in written communications, preserving the attraction’s ability to tell a fun, yet meaningful, story.
Signage Poster (Adobe Illustrator, Procreate)
Uniform
Team members will don colourful and comfortable gardening attire to fit the attraction aesthetic and support the underlying story. Individuality is to be encouraged within the selection of clothing outlined above - matching the eclectic use of signage and colour found in other elements of the attraction concept.
Key to bringing the uniform to life will be the use of props. Found under the ‘Accessories’ title above, each customer-facing team member will be provided with some form of (preferably interactive) prop to increase guest interaction and further solidify the attraction aesthetic and underlying narrative. Props may include Watering Cans (that squirt water!), pocket-sized talking Gnomes, Squirting Flower gag and colourful gardening gloves for the colder days!
