Thesis Concept Art

Toward the end of last semester, I passed my initial thesis review. Personally, I'm thrilled with the results and excited to have entered the "real work" phase of graduate school.

The Cloud Collector

In which a lonely little girl finds a friend in a magical being, the "Cloud Collector".

The cloud collector's cave.

The little girl's treehouse.

The cloud collector.

 Though I'm only creating the models for this project (for now!) the story is well-suited to a short animation that I hope to see realized post-graduation.

Demo Reel 2010

Figured I'd better get this posted before the semester really kicks in, and I get too involved with other work...

3D Modeling Reel, 2010 from Lysandra Silber on Vimeo.

Contact: lysandraws@gmail.com

Sultanahmet

A 3D model of a mosque largely inspired by Sultanahmet (the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul, built in Maya for my Advanced Environments class. This render never would have come together without the help of my friends and colleagues Amrinder Jassar and Eivind Andvig. Thanks, guys!


Mosque Turntable from Lysandra Silber on Vimeo.

Puffin Stuff

A plethora of puffins.

(If you can't read the caption on this one, it says:
"I brought you this delicious fish. It was just swimming in someone's yard..." It's a koi.)





Feel free to blame Tom Bertino and Peter de Sève for this post.

Enfin

A still from my Digital Matte final. For some reason, the video simply refuses to work right.

If you look very closely below the rock pile... you might see something unusual about this temple.

If I ever manage to fix the video, I'll post it. =)

The Sleeping Forest

Hot damn, two WIP posts in one day???

Old Man Oak.

Integrated into the Sleeping Forest. This is very much a work in progress, so it might not look anything like this when it's done!

Thinking three-dimensionally

At long last, here are some test renders of a few Maya models I've been working on:

Hughes H-1B Racer, short wing version.

Date palm tree, Phoenix dactylifera.

Sultanahmet Camii, the Blue Mosque of Istanbul.

Should be done any day now...

Green-Eyed Monster

A sketchy piece I made over break, entitled "Jealousy."

An oldie but a goodie

From MS Storyboarding, Spring 2009 - now with sound sync!

Feed the Birds from Lysandra Silber on Vimeo.

Thesis Abstract

Muhuhuahahahahaha.

Abstract – Hero for Hire

The player character is a young hero who joins a temp agency specifically designed for contract hero work, and gets more than he bargained for in the process. The city in which the action takes place is a jumbled-together parody incorporating aspects of the home cities of assorted superhero comics. Everything tends toward the cartoonish and stylized (think futuristic as seen through the lens of the 1950s), but most of all, there is nothing dark or gloomy about this city. The heroes constantly gripe about the lack of crime.

Inspiration

Disney-Marvel merger, classic Looney Tunes, SCUMM-era LucasArts, Brad Bird, Fable, the Jetsons, Dr. Horrible.

Story

It's March 2012, and the heroes of Megalopolis can't get a job. The glory days of heroism in the city resulted in an astonishing decline in crime; so much so, in fact, that the city's once-renowned heroes have been reduced to temping. These days, you're more likely to see the Blue Wonder or Wingman taking specialty espresso drink orders at the local java joint than stopping the Ringleader from his heinous crime sprees. Heroism pays minimum wage at the only agency left in town, if you're lucky enough to get booked. And the only villain left realized long ago that he was much better at running a legitimate business than a racket. In this utopia, the citizens only call Heroes for Hire when their cats get stuck up a tree.

But all that is about to change.

On a routine cat-saving mission, our young hero inadvertently witnesses a secretive meeting where the top hero in town (Strongarm) is pleading the last villain (Mister X) to engage in one last heist, “for old time's sake,” that would leave both men filthy rich. After the meeting, Strongarm catches you spying. He will offer you various choices: a cut of the profits in exchange for your silence, threatening the loss of your job if you spill the beans, impassioned pleas not to go to the authorities, and the like. That's where the fun begins: you can choose to pursue a life of goody-two-shoes heroism, while the public condemns you for locking up the incredibly popular Strongarm - or descend into the grimy underworld of Megalopolis, using your charisma and newfound skill at blackmail to rake in the cash and give your heroic brothers and sisters plenty to do.

If you choose the hero path, Megalopolis reviles you, Strongarm eventually escapes from prison and faces you as a broken-down has-been. If you choose the villain path, Strongarm has a crisis of conscience when he realizes that you have become vastly more popular with the citizens of Megalopolis than he ever was.

Environments

Megalopolis by day – a retro-futuristic, somewhat Disneyfied utopian vision of the future, circa 1960. Lots of sweeping curves, arcs, impossible geometry, a monorail. Clean and shiny with splashes of bright colors. Situated at the edge of a desert.

Megalopolis by night – as soon as the sun sets, the hero signals pop on from every rooftop causing a jumble of lit logos against the clouds. Will probably use the same model as the city by day, with the addition of neon lights, lit signs, streetlights, and the hero signals.

The Evil Lair^TM exterior – the home of Mister X, the not-so-bad villain left in town. Distinguishing features: A large cave set in the side of an enormous, daunting mountain, stalactites in the shape of teeth, etc... and a big honking Vegas-style neon sign with a giant flashing arrow that says “Lair” pointing directly at it.

The Evil Lair^TM interior – tastefully appointed, reflective of Mister X's astonishing success at a number of business ventures throughout Megalopolis.

Heroes for Hire Agency lobby – clean, modern, spare, following the aesthetic of most of the city. A large receptionist's desk and some chairs comprise the furnishings. All over the walls are hung headshots of the various heroes represented by the agency, the largest photo that of Strongarm, the top hero at the agency. It's autographed.

Nefarious Pies interior – the next-door-neighbor to Heroes for Hire, a pizza joint. It's the worst-kept secret in town that Mister X intended Nefarious Pies to be a front organization, but the pizza was too good. The prime hangout and after-school job of most of the sidekicks in town. There's a wicked arcade in back with some 80s classics. Furniture includes your standard round tables and chairs.

The desert – takes inspiration from Maurice Noble's classic designs for the Roadrunner shorts. Where the final showdown between you and Strongarm takes place. Crazy rock formations, cacti and hardy grasses, a good place to play with texture.

Characters

The player – starts as a skinny adolescent, matures into a tall, lean hero. Choice of male or female character.

Strongarm – enormous muscular guy with a tiny head and a garish uniform. Seems moronic at first, but proves to be more cunning than he appears.

Mister X – smooth-talking Steve Jobs type, complete with close-cropped hair, black turtleneck, and gaunt build.

Assorted heroes and sidekicks – can get away with one or two standard models, varying skins and costumes

Citizens of Megalopolis – can get away with a few low-res models with varying skins