Level Advancement - Office Letter

[Joe.w]

I've started work on recreating the office letter movie from the original TH, and this is what I've created so far.
It's quite similar to the original TH in the way the letter is shown, but without a background yet. The original used what looks like a desk, with a large "casebook" on it.

I'd like to continue to improve it, with ideas from the community as to how much we could differ from the original.
Perhaps keeping the envelope and letter, and having different things on the desk?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ktwf1zqpjqc1us/CTH%20level%20advance.mov

Let me know what you think!
Joe.

[Lego3]

Nice! :-) I'll think about what to do to make it differ, the original look is very efficient...

[MarkL]

To remind us of what the original looked like here is a screenshot

I thought that in place of the Casebook we could have computer screen (Modern looking flatscreen for desk top or even a laptop) with a spreadsheet open on it.

Then inplace of the tablets/pills we could have a tablet computer running CorsixTH (a play on words). I was thinking perhaps a can of Pils lager, but then I remembered that some children might play the game.

I am not too sure what the object is on the left - any ideas?
On the right it looks like a couple of test tubes and a tooth brush or maybe a clothes brush.  Perhaps we could have some DVD's, but instead of being work related they could be for other games (Transport Tycoon for example) and then perhaps a ipod and headphones. 

[Grimdoc]

Maybe we should rename the "fax" into "e-mail" too? To make our own twist.

[Joe.w]

Some great ideas! I'll see what I can come up with over the next few days.
I like the idea of keeping the desk as it was in the original, but with the modern twist as mentioned.

I am not too sure what the object is on the left - any ideas?

I'm pretty sure it's a top down view of a skull, although it is hard to tell with 320x240 video.

Joe.

[Grimdoc]

I'm pretty sure it's a top down view of a skull, although it is hard to tell with 320x240 video.

Joe.

Yes, it must be a skull.
Probably from a patient in the research machine!

[Lego3]

Maybe we should rename the "fax" into "e-mail" too? To make our own twist.

One idea is then to let the winning letter movie instead show a printer that prints the letter since you got it as an email but want to read it on paper anyway? A hint to the "paperless world" that never happens. :-P

The new fax fullscreen window would then of course be a computer screen instead.

[MarkL]

I am not too sure what the object is on the left - any ideas?

I'm pretty sure it's a top down view of a skull, although it is hard to tell with 320x240 video.

Joe.

Now you have said it, I can see that is exactly what it is.

[MarkL]

In the original it is clearly a letter, has a stamp and is in an envelope.  So am I the only one that think it was strange how the letter appeared one letter at a time as if it was being typed in front of you.  (Almost like a teleprinter)

I am not sure I like the idea of the email or it being printed as that is too similar to the fax we currently have.  I think it is still the custom most times to get a letter for a job offer, but perhaps as it opens up it should be already written and not typed one letter at a time.

You could get a text message, but I can't imagine there being many job offers sent by a text - I could be wrong though.

[Joe.w]

The new fax fullscreen window would then of course be a computer screen instead.

You mean the in-game fax machine?
The idea of changing the in-game fax machine to a computer is a nice idea, it brings the game into the 21st century. Would it just be as simple as changing the image background? The computers keyboard could then be used to enter the games cheats, as it used to be with the fax machine.

One idea is then to let the winning letter movie instead show a printer that prints the letter since you got it as an email but want to read it on paper anyway?

I think having a printer print out an email would take too long, unless it's really quick. I'm trying to keep the whole animation under about 5 seconds, minus the time it takes to type/display the letter on-screen, which as I understand will be handled by the game along with the tick/cross buttons? Is this correct?

Also, who prints out their emails anyway 

So am I the only one that think it was strange how the letter appeared one letter at a time as if it was being typed in front of you.

My guess is that it was a technical limitation. Since the text couldn't be shown as the letter opened, it was typed on when the last frame of the movie was paused, rather than it just appearing in one go.

Joe.

[Joe.w]

Hello again!

I thought I'd post an an image of what I've been working on this week.
Here is the background to the winning letter animation, the office scene. This image is missing the letter/envelope, but it will appear from behind the computer and open up much the same as the previous video I posted.

It's still very much a work in progress, there are some more adjustments I'd still like to make for the things I'm not yet happy with. (the mouse, for example!)

The work is all my own, but there may be some issues with using TH graphics on the tablet screen. Maybe we'll have to figure out something else for the tablet to show.

Any changes/improvements/suggestions anyone would like made, just mention them here and I'll do my best.

Hope you like it so far.
Joe.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bwbz3w514w4bspy/Office.png

[MarkL]

Brilliant, I love it.

If you are worried about the image on the tablet, use our menu background.

[Joe.w]

Hello Again!

Brilliant, I love it.

If you are worried about the image on the tablet, use our menu background.

Thanks for the comments MarkL!
Great idea about the tablet, I've changed it to the image you sent in this latest render. It now shows the menu background.
There are more a few changes still to be made, like fading the scene behind the letter to black as was in the original.

The following is a test render and was only rendered in 720p to lower the render times. Let me know the resolution you'd like the final to be in. Ideally 1920x1080p as most monitors have resolutions this high nowadays.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1jml8c5qqe2ihze/CTH%20level%20advance.mp4

Thanks again, and any comments/suggestions are welcome.
Joe

[Lego3]

Very good! :-)

[mirek2]

Looks great!
Could you use a different computer screen, though? The iWork doesn't really fit the game-y, non-serious feel of the scene. Perhaps just put the spreadsheet over the whole screen, change the font to Comic Sans and change the colors to feel less professional.
Also, the gray letterhead is very hard to see. Could you make it black?

As for the tablet screen, maybe use a screen from one of the other proposed cut screens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gFHOASPjNbc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc0zYkdeyq0.