Dissertation Proposal

I've put this in the digital drop box on the Uni's Black Board, but just incase that doesn't work I thought I'd stick it here too.

Student name: Rachelle Fryatt
Date: 23 May 2010
Subject for Research: How animals and their behaviours are incorporated into games.

Outline/Rationale for proposed dissertation topic:

For my dissertation I will be looking at the various ways that animals are incorporated into games, whether as allies or enemies. My dissertation will focus primarily around how game designers, concept artists and animators bring animals into virtual environments and how they make them interact with the players.
The main two areas that I will be writing about are:
1. How animals behave especially through body language, are translated in games, and how they are exaggerated and played upon in order to communicate their meanings to the player.
2. How artists portray various animals for a game by exaggerating certain features depending on the nature of the creature, even using real life animals as a base for designing fabricated creatures and monsters.

Research Methodology:

I believe that there will be numerous ways in order for me to gain the research needed for me to write my dissertation. Some of these will include visiting zoos, reading books by animal experts, and looking at concept art books for various games and films. I also know that several films on DVD have special features which talk about the design aspects of characters, such as on the Van Helsing DVD where they talk about the process they went through to design their werewolves. Lord of the Rings on DVD also contain many special features which centre around the development of their character designs, such as the “Fell Beasts”- giant flying creatures.
I will also conduct primary research by attempting to contact professional artists in the industry and enquiring as to how much animals influence concept art, how they go about the designing process and how they bring life to the designs in game.
I also believe that it would be very beneficial to contact as many professionals who work with animals as possible, such as trainers and rehabilitators who understand why animals do some of the things they do, and what can provoke them to such behaviour.

Resources:

I plan to use several different sources for my research, including both primary and secondary sources. For my primary research I will study the behaviour of various different types of animals by visiting centres such as Chester Zoo, Pili Palas, and other locations where animals can be observed.
Although zoos are perhaps not completely ideal to study non domesticated animal because they are sometimes prevented from displaying some natural behaviours, it will how ever give me the chance to study other behaviours first hand instead of relying completely secondary sources.
I will take photographs and film different animals, as well as make observational sketches. I also feel that studying my own domesticated animals will be a benefit. Dogs and cats are being used more and more in games today, and are often used as companions for the player and therefore play a large role.
My secondary sources of research will come through studying documentaries and footage filmed by others of animals displaying behaviours that I will not be able to observe in captivity.
Another large amount of my research will involve reading material by different animal behaviourists and experts such as Cesar Millan and Jane Goodall.
I will also be looking at various concept artists and games, especially the World of Warcraft and Guild Wars series, as animals as both companions and enemies play a massive role within the game.

First Bibliography:

“Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar’s Way to Transform Your Dog...And Your Life.” By Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (2007). Paper back, available online at: http://www.cesarsway.com/shop/Be-the-Pack-Leader-New-York-Times-Bestseller-Hardcover [Accessed January 2010]

The Art of “Avatar”. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; Media tie-in edition (24 Nov 2009) [Accessed January 2010]

Second Bibliography:

“The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour”. Online at: http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk/ [Found 23 May 2010]

“Animal Behaviour Society”. Online at: http://www.animalbehavior.org/ [Found 23 May 2010]

Cesar’s Way. Online at: http://www.cesarsway.com/ [Accessed 23 May 2010]

The Jane Goodall Institute UK. Online at: http://www.janegoodall.org.uk/ [Accessed 23 May 2010]

Van Helsing (2004) Two Disk Collector’s Edition [DVD] Extra Features. Universal Pictures UK. Online at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Van-Helsing-Two-Disc-Collectors/dp/B0002U4A9A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1274705598&sr=8-4 [Accessed 23 May 2010]

The Art of “How to Train Your Dragon”. Titan Books Ltd (26 Feb 2010) Online at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Train-Your-Dragon-Film/dp/1848566654/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274642177&sr=8-1 [Accessed 23 May 2010]

Guild Wars Gallery. Online at http://eu.guildwars.com/gallery/art/ [Accessed 23 May 2010]

The Art of World Of Warcraft. Brady Games; 1 edition (5 Jan 2006) Online at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-World-Warcraft-BradyGames/dp/0744007259 [Accessed 23 May 2010]