This document summarizes an experiment the author conducted in Photoshop to practice animating a background for a side-scrolling run and gun video game. In the experiment, the author drew a forest background and character using basic tools in Photoshop. The character's legs and a firing bullet were animated on different layers. To animate the background, the author created a new frame and copied sections of the background to the left to simulate movement. This helped the author learn how to smoothly transition an animated background. For the final product, the author will incorporate a moving background, character animation, and genre elements from this experiment.

1. Experiments
Abbie

2. Process
This was the first experiment I created on Photoshop.
The genre of my final video game product is a run and
gun game that is side scrolling. Therefore, I thought I
needed practice making the background smoothly
transition past so that it looked like the character is
running. Firstly, to draw the background I used the
pencil tool in pixels. Using the same tool, I drew the
trees and ground. To make the trees look more realistic
I used the dodge and burn tool to incorporate some
highlighted and shaded areas.
I wanted to create a character that would be similar and look similar to my final product that I had some
practice before production. I copied the character from Google to help me draw the character successfully.
Once again I used the pencil tool and the dodge and burn tool to help add more dimensions to the avatar.
Whenever I made a mistake, I used the eraser tool in the block format to erase any mistakes. I drew the
characters legs on different layers so that I could change the position of his legs as he ran. I started with his
legs drawn like he is standing, then the legs change on the next frame to his leg raising and falling. This
means there is a smooth transition of his legs going up and down to create the illusion that he is running
through the forest. On each frame, I also included a bullet firing from his gun that would move position on
each frame.
To make the background move, I created a timeline with a new frame. After this, I highlighted a section of
the background using the rectangle tool. Then on the new frame I moved the background towards the left.
The highlighted area was then copied on the new frame filling the gap from where the background has
moved. Last time, I struggled with making the background move, therefore this practice has helped me a lot.
I now know how to make the background move smoothly with the correct tools.

3. Reflection
• What elements of your experiments will you
include in your final product? One element of my
experiment that I will include in my final product is the genre of the game: run and
gun. The concept of the final product is to shoot the disease which is spreading all
over the city. Therefore, my experiment follows this genre and will be incorporated
in my video game. In my experiment, I included a bullet that would fire out of the
gun: I will also include this in my final product to create the illusion like the bullet
is shooting out the gun and killing the disease. A final element I will include in my
final product is the colour scheme. The colour scheme in my experiment is green
and brown. In my video game, it will be set in a forest which means the colours
and scenery will be the same, however they will be drawn in much more detail.

4. Process
This was my final experiment. I did not have time to
create any more, incorporate audio or colour due to
college being shut for weather conditions. I wanted to
create a simple concept that would be another way for
me to practice moving the background in a smooth
transition.
To create this basic design I only used two tools: pencil tool on the pixel setting and the eraser tool
on the setting block. I copied the design from Google Images and changed some of the shapes to
influence the image to appear like a landscape. The only effect on this experiment is that I edited
the background so that it moved in a full circle. Once again, I created a timeline and a new frame for
each time the background moved. I moved the background to the left so that elements of the
buildings were missing. I then used the rectangle tool and highlighted the areas that were no longer
visible and copied them to fill the empty space on the right hand side. I did this technique several
times until the background went in a full loop smoothly.
After this, I exported the file into a GIF file type. Once the game had been exported I opened up the
product using FireFox.

5. Reflection
• What elements of your experiments will you
include in your final product? The only element from my
experiment that I will include in my final product is the moving background.
Because I now have several practices on how to move the background smoothly in
a full circle, my final product will also feature this. My final product will have
buildings and architecture in its world, however in the clip I am going to create it
will just be trees.