The Overview
This project would be my first foray into the world of VR design. I was given the prompt of creating something for an existing brand/ company in VR with multiple gamified interactions with the viewer. What better brand than Ghibli Studios? I wanted something that felt fun and nostalgic and thus I created interactive VR promoting Ghibli's animated film "The Secret World Of Arrietty".
The Problem
Create advertising for Ghibli's The Secret World Of Arrietty through VR so that players can be enticed to watch the movie.
The Solution
I made a gameified story in VR in which the player is asked to find and catch Arrietty who is hiding behind common kitchen objects. After catching Arrietty, she prompts the viewer to visit the official movie website.
The Research
Storyboarding, Moodboard, & Model
Instead of starting out with the moodboard like I do for every project, I was told to begin from storyboarding. In my story I wanted to take the idea of Arrietty hiding behind common pantry items in order to escape the viewer. I wanted the aesthetic to be something soft and gentle and a little vintage which is a common aesthetic seen in Ghibli films. I also wanted to have an actual 3D model of Arrietty to rig, but unfortunately I was unable to find one at the time. I also knew that due to the shelf clutter, I would need an Arrietty model that was low-poly to reduce lag, and so I chose a model that was reminiscent of Arrietty from far away.
Low-Poly Woman Red Dress 3D Model by Razvan Savescu
VR Screenshot & Usability Study
The objects I had used in Adobe Aero for the pantry shelf are all flat pngs in order for the file size to stay smaller. Looking at this now, I think I should've gone with a far more condensed wallpaper pattern in order to simulate vintage wallpaper better. The VR was also a little clunky as shown in the usability study, but this is definitely something I could remedy if I were able to work on it for longer.
VR QR Code
Here is the QR code to the final project so that you may experience it on your own!! If you cannot view the project via QR code, here is the link to the final project as well!
Outcome + Reflections + Next Steps
I really enjoyed getting to learn something new and to be able to put VR under my toolbelt. This project was also a lot of fun due to the fact that I have been a diehard fan of Ghibli since I was a toddler. Although this VR project is not perfect by any means due to the time constraint I had, I still felt that this project turned out very well. If I had the chance to work on this project again, I would definitely find a more accurate model of Arrietty (or make my own since I want to get better at Blender) and fix the project so it wouldn't be as clunky during use. Overall I felt that this project was a success and I look forward to working on other VR designs in the future!
