The Forest - Update #6

Good afternoon everybody. So now that it's the next day, a proper update for you all. Once again thank you for being so patient with my glacial progress. Here's a link to the work-in-progress render:

https://youtu.be/FbNTfCJQkdg 

So a breakdown on time:

• Week 8 - Recording audio for minutes 30 to 60. Segments 7 to 13 (of 24)
• Week 9 - Adding the visual components using game footage.
• Week 10 (last week) - Quality assurance work.
• Week 11 (this week) - Quality assurance ran over a bit sorry. Spilling into this week.

Here's a shot of the current timeline as it exists in Adobe Premiere. The latest batch has been added to the green, to make a full hour of footage to render.

The blue is the next batch of segments to be recorded. With the purple being the batch after.

Frustratingly, I was really hoping to include segment "14 - The problem of scale". As I thought it was a pretty good capstone to end a video on. Analysing a specific blunder I feel some pieces of media make in the transition from scope to completion. But alas I simply ran out of time to squeeze it all into 3 weeks.

Heck, the existing footage as it is, is also missing some critical animated sequences. As you might have noticed with "TO DO" markers in the video itself. It's been a bit tight.

So by now you may have noticed the unusual structure to the script. After some initial background (with Subnautica and supposition about mystery stories), the video-essay switches gears into what is essentially a walkthrough. Specifically focusing on building up a 'word cloud', which has yet to be properly animated in After Effects. And is represented only as yellow text.

The purpose of that word cloud is to track the pertinent questions that a player might start asking about the game and its story. And whilst I can't predict all of the questions everyone might have, I can at least provide mine. Which I've collected going through the livestreams. Existing first in post-it note form on my wall in my flat. And then later as a big After Effects composition.

Where appropriate, I even include the in-stream vocalisation of that question. Provided I'm not too verbose.

Again, why I'm doing this should become crystal clear later in the video. I can't really talk about it now without spoilers. But I'm hoping it comes together in the finale.

 I've got this all planned out :)

In addition to the walkthrough, you can also note the deviations in the form of talking about the importance of quality assurance. Showcasing (I hope pretty obviously) why it matters in software development. That it's really easy to create something that plays like hot garbage with inadequate testing. Or a lax attitude to checking ones work before committing.

Admittedly, those two segment are a little self-serving and indulgent. But I felt the urge to include them, as they'll definitely come up again in the finale. Providing a 'mudding the water' problem, on top of the main problem I'm going to discuss. Where you're not sure what is included on purpose. And what is just a lack of forethought.

Again, the addition should make sense as the video continues.

Going forward, the next batch of work consists of segments 14 to 19 (of 24).  These are structurally very similar to this - more walkthrough, this time into the very deep areas of the map. Discussing the major elements of the plot. With segment 19 being the literal ending + credits. So it wraps up there.

Segments 20 to 24 I've dubbed "the drop" in my script. And I'll discuss those much later.

The plan now is to, once again record the audio, do the visuals, quality assure the visuals. Over the course of the next 3 weeks. Will drop another half an hour on you then. Bringing the run time up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Also err...these render times are getting a bit silly. With my PC needing a good 4 hours to chug through it. So for the sake of efficiency I'm probably going to deliver  the next WIP render in 30 minute form if that's alright? Saving the rendering of the whole thing until the very end.

Thank you folks. And thank you for your support. Have a lovely week.