Creating a character isn't always a clear cut path from point A to point B. As an artist it may be difficult to adapt to change, especially when working in a new direction or with a different engine.

In this GDC 2014 session, former lead character artist at Irrational Gavin Goulden discusses the development of Elizabeth and other characters from BioShock Infinite and BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea through the context of an asset pipeline.

Goulden offers examples of the multiple directions the art team went through during development and explains what worked and what didn't.

He explains how the team settled on their final direction for Elizabeth, the evolution of the characters encountered during combat, how the general population got an extreme overhaul, and why all of the changes were significant in helping to create a stronger end product. 

Artists interested in seeing how Elizabeth came to be designed can now watch the talk completely free via the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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