The Idea

For my final year of study I have decided to thoroughly analyze the importance of lighting techniques within a range of different examples such as film, photography, and literature and study how they influence the composition of video games. Each relevant media has their own unique way of using light to represent atmosphere, emotion, genre or even subtly indicating the change of events within the narrative. The importance of lighting should never be underestimated and it is with that thought I have chosen this subject as a focal point in my studies. The composition of lighting can often go unnoticed consciously, but subconsciously it is one of the most crucial design factors that make us as the audience react accordingly based on how the theme, narrative or genre of the story being told to us. It is evident even in historical and cultural examples how the effect and power of lighting can portray such drastic moods and help develop the atmosphere of a scene or story. I believe for my studies that it is important to make identified connections between historical and cultural examples to show how it has influenced the effects of lighting in the present and also how itʼs creatively implemented in game design.

I have chosen to focus on the theme of an underground station because of how frequently theyʼre beginning to appear in current video games. I believe the usage of metro or subway stations in video games creates a familiar and relatable atmosphere for the player, therefore making the game world more coherent and realistic. This implementation of environment is making our game worlds and narratives far more believable than they have ever been before. Primarily because theyʼre situations in which we have been exposed to ourselves in reality in some way or another. Applying a fictional story, atmosphere or genre to this relatable element can then depict new experiences for the audience when they encounter that element again in reality. Whether positively or negatively, the way in which relatable environments are transferred make the game world believable as itʼs interacting with the player on a personal level. It is with that where I will focus on how we look at underground stations presently. There are many opinions on the London tube service itself, I believe both equally for and against. A positive example is the novelty of being in a famous city or the aspect of getting around efficiently. A negative example commonly is the fear in claustrophobia or stress with delays. With these different opinions and popular use in game design, I will focus on how effective use of lighting can portray different emotions in that scene.