Art Reactor, a school for digital arts, is now running its first ever summer video game studio for high school students. The studio consists of a skilled team of 10 ninth to twelfth grade students who specialize in computer programming, 3D and 2D digital art, game level design, and creative writing. The team meets twice weekly in Mill Valley. They are creating an indie video game which they plan to release online when completed. The studio’s goal is to finish the project during the summer program’s ten-week tenure.
The students, who have dubbed their studio Two Tables, are in a stage of creating concept art and finalizing the storyline of the game. The game, entitled Flatline, is centered around an amnesiac protagonist, who awakens on an island composed entirely of discarded trash. The player encounters an ally in a mechanical cat, who informs them that in order to leave the trash island, they must first recover their memories from the waste, battling monsters and coming to terms with the darker aspects of their past.
The studio began the process of creating Flatline during the first meeting on June 10, 2013. The students brainstormed ideas through writing, artwork, and collaboration, establishing a team ethic that would continue through the summer. They finalized the plot idea, based on several individual suggestions, and began the concept art stage, which consisted of 3D and 2D artwork created using programs such as Blender, Photoshop, Art Rage, and Sculptris. Flatline artwork and blogs by the students detailing the process can be found at the Art Reactor website, http://www.theartreactor.com/home/summer-game-studio/.
The benefits of this game-making opportunity for a high school student are plentiful. Digital artists and programmers are offered many lucrative jobs in today’s economy, often for well-known companies such as Disney, Rockstar, and Ubisoft, as well as places in art schools across the country. The effect of digital media on the art world is becoming more acknowledged as well, and teens such as those working at Two Tables are able to find more and more venues for their creativity. The program doesn’t only offer chances for careers, however. It also offers an opportunity to meet and work with like-minded teens who share a common passion for art, gaming, and creativity.
