The Ring Mistress is a key character throughout the game. She stands at major gateways and also helps guide the player should they need help.
Initial references for this character were drawn from “The American Horror Story’, Burlesque performers and The cirque de solei. Extensive research was conducted that analysed and deconstructed fairground apps and games currently on the market. These seemed to be aimed at a much younger audience than intended for this game young adult/adult 18+
The aim is not the seduction of male, but the empowerment of female. To see our character as a strong woman, for me is about personal control, consent, agreement and boundaries. To draw attention to her ‘female-ness’ in the spirit of Dita Von Teese and drag scene.
Dita Von Teese - Burlesque
Cirque De Solei
The American Horror Story
Silhouette Tests were sketched up as this character will be approached from a distance and so needed to have a clear, recognisable silhouette. The wings Game more of an impactful form but may not be practical depending on the intended movement and motion.
The first design of this character dropped the wings as a character detail and gave her a top hat and tails in keeping with a ring master costume but also included a staff prop with glowing ball and a set of keys.
The design was then tested as a paper puppet before being translated in to line drawing paper cut out aesthetic.
These were the original paper puppet mock ups produced when the project was named ‘wheels’ but since then the project has moved away from this original work of poetry entitled wheels (although the initial development influenced early concept development, the project was renamed ‘Lunarium”.
The current ring mistress was produced as a CGI rigged character with wall cycle animation.
Walk cycle tests
T-Pose
In Phase 3 I would like to see this character develop in regards to form, prop and overall cut paper like feel, attending specifically to how her character is visually represented aside from the associated spoken and written text.
I’d like to make her bolder, braver and stronger - this may require further form and prop R&D to achieve successfully.
