Video: How powerful skies define narrative in The Last of Us
In this 2014 GDC session, Guerrette walks through the artistic considerations of creating a compelling, dramatic sky to cast as a backdrop for The Last of Us.
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"Today I want to talk to you guys about skies," begins Naughty Dog's Keith Guerrette. "Something that's the most overlooked, and often snubbed in part of your environment--part of your visual presentation. It's the sky."
In this 2014 GDC session, Guerrette walks through the artistic considerations of creating a compelling, dramatic sky to cast as a backdrop for The Last of Us.
Guerette provides an overview of what the sky can do, along with the power that a well-designed sky can have on players when establishing a tone. The hardest part about creating good skies, he admits, is making them move.
With the aid of pictures and video, Guerrette shows the audience how different skies played a huge role in The Last of Us. But first, he breaks down the effect lighting can have everything from how people perceive facial expressions all the way to time of day.
For example, Guerrette explains how the passage of time is relayed through light direction and how the narrative is effected by lighting. Setting the sky is imperative for setting the mood.
Visual effects artists curious to see how they can utilize the power of the sky in their projects can now watch the talk completely free via the official GDC YouTube channel!
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