For this assignment, we have been asked to design and create an immersive experience for our project influenced by the story and concept of Alice in Wonderland, going down the rabbit hole. This experience shall be made in 4K format suitable for the Google cardboard, being a 360-rendered outcome.
For this project, I want to create a dreamscape experience that takes the user away from dull and boring reality into a world of madness. The quote “, Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality” is a perfect way to explain what I want to achieve within this assignment’s storyline, I would like to show the viewer how powerful the imagination can be when the mind slowly drifts off away from reality.
I have 2 different ideas in mind regarding the story, both including the same concept, of having your mind spiral down the rabbit hole.
Story Idea 1 –
Slumberland:
To begin, the user will be sat in an English lesson classroom at their desk listening to the teacher at the front of the class reading a book out loud to everyone. Each class member has the same book as the other, all following the teacher’s words. You, the user, slowly start to dissociate and drift off into a dreamscape about the book you are holding.
(All sounds and visuals slowly begin to fade to black)
The sounds of clocks ticking start to grow louder and louder, and the user opens their eyes to see everyone’s disappeared. Your book begins to glow and trails around the room leading behind you, revealing a massive whole of the unknown.
(The book Glowing shall be the guide for the viewer)
Both the book and the user then fall down and enter the abyss.
(Enters rabbit hole scene, a spiral of colour and falling objects)
At the end of the hole you land in the seat of the Mad Hatter’s tea party, there are cakes, sweets and all sorts of treats on the table.
(The book slowly floats in front of you, still glowing as bright as before, you try to grab it when you suddenly hear voices coming from the bushes)
The user quickly grabs the book and it stops glowing, the glow gets transferred to the cake in front of you which says eat me. This then shrinks the user down to the size of an ant, and they see a massive object hover over their head. It gets closer and closer then suddenly drops.
(Everything goes black)
You wake back up in the classroom, the teachers right in front of you shaking their heads.
Things to consider:
-Motion/Movement
-Sound assets
-3D assets
-Environment
Story Idea 2 –
The Dark:
To begin, you are getting tucked in bed at night and then your mum leaves the room, turning the lights off.
(this is when your mind starts to play tricks with you)
You start to hear noises and scratches coming from your wardrobe. Some shapes start to disappear into the darkness.
(A flash of lightning appears and claps outside the window)
This lights up the room for a second, a ball bounces out of the wardrobe.
The sounds of foot’s steps begin to creep around the room.
(A flash of lightning appears once again)
Revealing a small stuffed rabbit that you haven’t seen before sitting at the end of the bed.
(The storm outside gets stronger)
Objects start shaking and twisting around the room.
The curtains suddenly swing shut, and everything goes quiet and black.
(expects a jumpscare but instead, you hear birds chirping)
Your eyes begin to open again, it was just a dream and it’s morning.
Things to consider:
-How am I going to make this immersive?
-Sound Assets
-3D Assets
-Navigation
Overview –
Out of both of the story ideas, I am currently leaning towards the bedroom visual path. I feel like I can capture the concept of going down the rabbit hole in a unique way of putting the viewer in the body of a child afraid of the dark at night, being able to warp the structures around the user leaving them in a stationary position. The first idea was great to some extent, but I found that basing the story’s dreamscape on Alice in Wonderland would be rather difficult for the time given.
References:
(485) Pinterest – Concept Art 1 (Accessed, 6/02/23)
Should High School Start Later? Teens May Need The Sleep (experiencegla.com) (Accessed, 13/02/23)
(489) Pinterest ( Accessed, 16/02/23)