Update on Solar Echoes Video Comic (part 3)

The background art has been one of the big challenges in putting together this video comic. The places I have imagined for the scenario don't exist exactly as I've envisioned them, and though I can make some exceptions, others are very specific. For instance, the scenario involves a warehouse with a garage door on the front, a security panel next to it, a side door on the building, and a ladder on that same side up to the roof. Drawing this freehand would be the easiest solution, but art takes time and is expensive—plus, artist John Fell is currently working on a few new characters that will be in the video comic. So, I needed to come up with a way to make the backgrounds that I need. I'm a decent artist, but my work is not going to measure up against someone like John, so I found a solution. I've been taking (and finding) photographs of different locations and then I've gone into Photoshop to alter them, adjusting them to fit the scenarios in the video comic. For instance, that warehouse I mentioned? I found a photo of a warehouse with the angle I needed, but the garage was on the wrong side, there was no ladder and no security panel, and it was in the daytime (the scene is at night.) After some work in Photoshop, I was finally able to create the scene I was envisioning.

Update on Solar Echoes Video Comic (part 2)

I'm nearly finished with preparing all the background art for the various scenes in the video comic. The scenes, like the character art, are static—this is, after all, a comic, not an animated movie—but I am hoping to have a few brief moments of animation. For instance, when the Union Guard skimcar lands, I have three different pieces of art that I will sequence to show it land and then turn off its lights. These will be short, but the accompanying sound effects will also serve to make these moments a little bit like motion cut scenes. The focus of this comic is on the characters, though, and already I find myself listening to some of the scenes over and over, because the character parts are so distinct and fun to listen to. I really can't wait to add some visual personality through the character art to bring these voices to life even more. As an example, I finished an audio scene recently where the Reln character, Sepharu (played by Alexander Peters), sounds incredibly smug. His attitude inspired me to go into Photoshop and alter the Reln character art to look like he has a smug grin on his face while talking. There won't be a lot of animation during the comic, but character expressions will change according to the content of their speech. This is one of the reasons I needed the voice parts first before I could begin putting the visuals together.

Update on Solar Echoes Video Comic (part 1)

I have all the voice parts in now! Each of the voice actors has sent me their lines in an audio file, and I've been working on putting together the different scenes. One scene, scene 5 (out of 30 scenes), was particularly long, about 3 pages of parts involving the voices of 8 of the 10 different characters, so I put that together first. Some of the voice parts needed some digital alteration to sound like the aliens they represent. For instance, character artist John Fell is acting the part of the Omul, Elsor, and Omuls speak telepathically, so I added in some reverb to simulate telepathic speech. The plant-like Erwani was tough to figure out, but when actor Chad Haarer sent me his voice part, I was able to alter it by copying and pasting his voice against the original two times, and then changing the pitches of these other two lines while altering the volume levels to balance. He ended up sounding very alien, but his speech and inflection is still clear and discernible. There will also be subtitles for everyone that speaks, in the JRPG storytelling comic style, which will help, but everything came out so well, it's easy to understand everyone without the text!

Resistance to New Technology (part 4)

In a science fiction novel I was writing 15 years ago, I described what is essentially AR and MR. The main character was able to see a digital overlay through his very eyes because of nanites (microscopic robots) that were attached to his optic nerve, relaying information directly to his brain. I never finished that novel, and I remember my wife's words at the time—I should finish the book before it becomes reality. But in reference to the concept, I was thinking this: why would we necessarily have to wear glasses when we could have contacts that contained microscopic bots, or even eyedrops that deposited them onto our eyes? If you saw the opening to the Olympics and watched the hundreds of tiny drones coordinating their movements collectively into different shapes, then it is not a stretch to imagine tiny nanites doing the same, aligning in front of your eye to display or project digital images into your vision, then moving back to the periphery of your cornea or contact lens. Some might say that people would never adopt this, but look back through recent history at how technology has been readily adopted despite the naysayers.

Resistance to New Technology (part 3)

In an age where we are used to wireless controllers, bluetooth pairing, and wifi everywhere we go, we've raised our standards and expect more from our technology. Will developers adjust to meet these demands? The market says that developers will adjust to consumer standards, not the other way around. VR headsets are seeing a large adoption rate, despite their downsides, but even so, the popularity of the technology is encouraging new start-up companies to try and create a better headset. Already, wireless VR headsets are emerging on the market, and the industry honestly looks like it's exploding in all directions. AR, some say, might not be as successful, and this is blamed on complaints about the smartglasses. Unwillingness to wear them could be just a short blip in the history of technology, though, because if developers ride out the resistance, they may see this technology become as widespread as smartphone use. Smartglasses might not even be the right way to go, either. Making the glasses thinner and lighter is obviously one helpful step, but what if AR images could be projected to your vision by other means?

Resistance to New Technology (part 2)

People are not willing to wear AR smartglasses everywhere they go. It wasn't long ago when Google Glass failed spectacularly with beta testers that were quickly labeled “Glass-holes” by those that had to deal with them. Technology can be intrusive, and there is often a fine line between acceptable and convenient technology vs. obnoxious and frustrating. Often, when a new technology emerges, it does so in a form that is rarely as streamlined as it could be. Take the VR headsets as an example: they are large, clunky, expensive, and most of them require cords. Sometimes it takes a clear vision for there to be enough adoption of technology still in its infancy. I was skeptical about VR at first—until I tried it. Then, I suddenly realized the immense potential of this technology, and bought a headset right away. VR's potential is still being unlocked and there are years of discovery yet to come, but many, like me, can see its potential clearly and want to be there every step of the way as it develops. I'm willing to deal with the irritating cord on my headset and the slight discomfort that comes with wearing it for several hours at a time. Regarding AR, perhaps it's not entirely the discomfort of wearing smartglasses; one factor in its dwindling adoption rate might simply be that the technology feels more like a gimmick than something visionary with vast potential. Why all this smartglasses stuff when I can do essentially the same things with my smartphone?

Resistance to New Technology

I was reading an article the other day about AR: “Augmented Reality.” If you're unfamiliar with the term, it is different from VR (Virtual Reality) because it melds the real world with digital overlays. AR is not to be confused with Mixed Reality (MR). To explain MR, imagine looking through the camera of your cell phone at the other side of your room and seeing a Unicorn or an Ogre standing there, as if it's really in your room. If you're familiar with the successful Pokemon Go video game, then you understand MR. What is AR, then? It involves wearable technology that provides digital information and interaction that enables the user to more easily work and complete tasks, like a PC desktop superimposed over your vision. Smartglasses are used to superimpose computer-desktop icons and information and provide a wearable, visual interface wherever you go. Yet, in the article I read, there are concerns that the adoption rate for AR is going to decline soon. Why?