This week we’ve been hard at work setting up the very basics for the game, making sure all technical pipelines and stuff are working in a way that enables us to get up to speed and work more efficiently later on. We are strong believers in optimizing our own everyday tasks so we can concentrate on the fun parts: being creative and actually making the game!
We now have silver stars! If someone does something really awesome for the team or the game the other crew members get to award him/her with a star!
Last week we introduced our code ninja Johan, today it’s all about Erik, our awesome artist! Erik is responsible for all things art, 3D and animation in our games. He also loves dinosaurs (protip, never go into a discussion with Erik about whether or not dinosaurs had feathers)!
Erik (left) and his friend Jerémy (right) at a game jam. Erik is very fond of game jams where you get to make a new game in a very short time period, usually 48 hours. It really pushes you out of your comfort zone!
Hello Erik! Who are you?
– I’m the art director and lead artist at Midnight Hub. I have previously worked as a concept artist at Massive and Paradox. I love to sketch, draw, build things in 3D and solve creative problems!
– Creative problems?
– Yes, my whole life I’ve been very fascinated about different kinds of creative processes and outlets. As a kid me and my dad used to craft airplane toys out of wood, make robots of scrap, take care of weird pets and explore the wilderness. Creative processes for me are not limited to making games.
– Why did you chose to start your own studio?
– I’ve worked on two big studios already, which was very fun and great learning experiences, but I really want to get involved in the whole game art process, not only the 3D or only drawing the cool concepts. I love to see my my creations take form and get into the game in a very short time. I don’t want to wait three or six months for the things I do to be part of the game. A small studio offers short turnaround times and a very familiar feeling!
– What can you say about the art of Lake Ridden?
– Right now I don’t want to reveal too much. I think it’s important not to show too much since the game is a horror title. Much of horror and scary elements depend on the imagination of the viewer/player. The player’s own fantasy will always create something far more scary than we ever could, if we just give them the right clues. This is why many horror movies and games fall short once the monster or ghost is shown. This being said, we’re in the middle of exploring a wide range of visual styles for Lake Ridden, and hope to be able to show you something soon. Hang in there!
– Let’s talk about inspiration! Where do you get yours?
– I’m a firm believer that you need to do A LOT of things to grow your visual library. You need to go out in the real world and experience it, I can’t spend all my waking hours just drawing and playing games. That way I would only end up making copies of what’s already out there. I think the best thing is to go back to the roots for inspirations and influences. If you look at a game and admire their art style, it’s important to look at what inspired them in the first place. Was it nature, space, an urban legend or something else?
Erik posts art like this on his own, personal blog over at EAN Art. This image is not for Lake Ridden, but a personal project.
Next week we’ll be publishing our last interview with the crew, with the studio manager and producer Sara!