Reed Miller
ANIAM: A Pre-Production CapstoneddddddMountain’s Grip
Mountain’s Grip was a 2D Platformer level created using Unity’s 2D Game Kit. The level takes place in a cave formation on the side of a mountain in an alien world, filled with winding paths, acid pits and devilish creatures. The creatures are both biological and mechanical, and their lives remain connected to the last remnants of civilization on the mountain.Paper Map
Level and Visual Design
The overall feeling I hope to produce with this level is a sense of claustrophobia and cramped space. The goal is to start the level with a somewhat loose sense of control, before slowly easing them into a design that tests their ability to move and to think.
Visually, I was limited to the assets given to me by Unity’s 2D Game Kit, so I had to improvize with the tools I had. Thankfully, the kit provided the perfect assets for my vision, creating a space that was cramped and gave off a feel of abandonment and age.
Final Images
About Me
Reed Miller is an undergraduate senior at the University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in Arts, Technologies and Emerging Communications with a concentration in Games and Animation, as well as minoring in Business Administration.
Reed is flexible in his approach to game design, having experience in concept art, level design, narrative design, and game design and playtesting. He is also a great team-worker and a profound communicator, willing to work on anything that needs to be done.
Artist Statement
When I brainstorm ideas for content, my initial plan consists of simply studying history. I approach ideas through my interest in history, and through that search, I come up with ideas that may not just express my heritage but also explore ideas unheard and unseen. I do this to evoke a sense of relaxation, a way to express my feelings in a way that draws me away from the stresses of modern life. The medium that resonates with me the most is digital 2D art, uniting a love for both drawing and electronics.
My work is inspired by the Expressionist movement of the early 20th century, which reflects my beliefs in adding emotion in my work. When it comes to subject matter, I like to create my versions of cultures that I’m familiar with, as a means to express those cultures and inspire people to learn more about them. My ideas usually stem from traditional artworks of various cultures, which I use not just as inspiration but as a baseline for authenticity and staying true to the ideas of the people who created such works. Lastly, I hope that my projects lead people to learn more about underrepresented cultures around the world and to truly explore what lies beyond our cultural bubble here in the West.