How background artists shape the emotional tone of movies and games through environmental design
By
Tanya Combrinck
Summary
This article explores the crucial but often overlooked role of background and environment artists in animation, film, and video games. Through interviews with five artists, it examines how background art sets the emotional tone, narrative context, and atmosphere of a production before any action takes place. The piece delves into techniques, creative processes, and the unique skills required to build immersive worlds that evoke specific feelings — from nostalgia to unease — and highlights how these artists collaborate with other departments to bring stories to life visually.
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Key quotes
· 2 pulledEdwige Stoll aims to 'trigger that strange feeling of nostalgia, where you feel as though you've already been there' in his artwork
Morgan Noll, who works as a background and visual development artist in animation and games, tells us that she breaks her backgrounds down into three levels. 'One, what do I want an audience to feel while engaging with this piece? Two, what narrative elements do I want to inform the...'
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