My Detroit Hood Project: Full Progress Overview

This project is my attempt to create a dramatic and atmospheric representation of a Detroit neighborhood. The goal is to bring to life the essence of a Detroit hood, capturing its unique character and mood. Below, I’ve outlined my progress so far, where I currently stand, and the next steps I plan to take to push this project forward.

Project Goal

The purpose of this project is to design a realistic or stylized urban environment inspired by Detroit's residential neighborhoods. I want the setting to evoke themes of isolation, resilience, or nostalgia, with a strong atmospheric feel.

Ultimately, this project could serve multiple purposes, such as:

• Cinematic storytelling (e.g., short films or animations).

• Game design (for a narrative-driven or exploration-based level).

• Portfolio piece to showcase my skills in 3D modeling, lighting, and environment design.

My Next Steps

1.1. Expanding the Environment

To build out the neighborhood, I’ll need to add:

• Additional Structures: Neighboring houses to form a cohesive street or block.

• Roads and Sidewalks: A proper street layout with sidewalks, driveways, and other urban details like cracks or potholes.

• Props: Things like streetlights, fire hydrants, mailboxes, garbage bins, and parked cars.

• Vegetation: Grass patches, overgrown weeds, and trees to add realism and texture to the environment.

1.2. Adding Detail to the House

I plan to focus on making the house look more realistic and lived-in by adding:

• Textures: A weathered look with chipped paint, grime, and signs of aging.

• Windows and Doors: Small details like curtains, blinds, or reflections, as well as a house number or mailbox slot.

• Porch and Yard: Adding props like a rocking chair, flower pots, or a newspaper on the porch, and overgrown grass or fallen leaves in the yard.

1.3. Enhancing the Stormy Atmosphere

To improve the stormy mood, I’ll experiment with:

• Animated clouds and weather effects like rain.

• Lightning to add dynamic light flashes.

• Reflective puddles or wet surfaces to show recent rainfall.

What I Plan to Deliver

Here’s what I aim to achieve by the end of this project:

1. A Fully Realized Neighborhood: A detailed and cohesive Detroit street with multiple buildings, streets, and props.

2. High-Quality Renders: Cinematic still images and animations showcasing the environment under different lighting conditions (e.g., stormy night or rainy day).

3. Optional Interactive Scene: If time allows, I’d like to make this an explorable scene in a game engine like Unreal Engine or Unity.