Metascape Media™ - | The Making of Metascape Media™ |

The Making of Metascape Media™

The making of Metascape Media™

Introduction:

A lot of generalized information concerning the creation of Metascape Media™ has been posted within the Developers Log, so I thought I would create a section that actually got into the details of Metascape's Webdesign, and the meaning behind our Logo, and Space Theme.

Foundation:

As mentioned in the Company Information section, Metascape Media™ is the evolution of MELproductions. This evolution was necessary to complete the Transformation from an Audio-Media only Company, to a full service Multi-Media Company. During 1998, MELproductions released The Gates of Infinity Music CD World Wide. It was the Companies largest production endeavor of that time, and all MELproduction themes were based around this hit release.

It was during November 2005, that the transformation began, but a new theme was needed, and what better way to introduce Metascape Media™ to the World by using the next Music release as a Company theme, after all, the foundation of Metascape began with Music!

Metascape's first Music release, Electra Prime, was to become a sequel for The Gates of Infinity, yet with a completely different storyline and scenario. In fact the only compatibility between the two releases would be an Epic storyline, the Music Genre, and an "out of this world" theme. The Foundation was set, the Design began.

Design:

Metascape's Logo:

Basing Metascape's theme on Electra Prime seemed to be the accumulated thought of years finally merging together. Metascape's Trademarked Logo, being two Pyramids merged as one, was thought of during my teen years. I wrote about it in numerous stories, and invented the merged double sided Pyramid as a symbol for Multi-Dimensionality during the 1980's.

For those interested in the possibility of Multi-Dimensions, one of my favorite books, and a great introduction to this subject is: The Fourth Dimension, a nonfictional scientific journey created in 1984 by Rudy Rucker.

Using Vue 5 Esprit, a 3D Graphics Application, I finally 3D Modeled, Textured and created a Space Scene for the Pyramid I had invented during my childhood. It was such a wonderful feeling to finally bring this symbol from my youth into a virtual manifestation.

3D Modeled, Textured, and Scene Created Company Logo

Metascape's Webdesign:

I began the design with the following points in mind:

Must be Unique, no "me too" Corporate Website looks.

Must fit Electra Prime's theme of "Space Travel".

Must be hand drawn to showcase my Graphic Art skills.

Must Not use Flash, as it's not yet a common standard like JAVA.

With the above guidelines, the design began. I started by realizing the center point of Metascape's identity, the Company Logo, should also be the center of the Companies Website. But that's were I ran into difficulty...

As of May, 2006 no one had ever attempted to create a drop down, centered and split, navigational menu anywhere on the Internet! I tried Java script to no avail because I soon discovered you can't have dual JavaScript menus within the same HTML driven page, and this menu needed to be split into two sections below the Logo. After much consideration, research, and ingenuity, Metascape's lead CSS designer, Edie Russell, created the CSS driven Menu required to navigate this site.

After creating the Logo, as mentioned above, I began to hand draw the layout graphics using Photoshop Elements 4, around the actual Logo Graphic. So not only is the Logo the centerpiece of this Website, it was the centerpiece of this Website layouts Graphic Art development. Ironic in a way, as the Logo began in a 3D graphic program, loaded into a 2D graphic program, and 2 Dimensions surrounded its 3 Dimensional wisdom ;-)

After the Main layout graphics were complete, I created a static Bluish Nebular background which gave this site the look of traveling through Space as you scroll up or down, and after many versions, named this Website's design according to Electra Prime's theme: Pleiadian Starship Version 1.5.

Since Version 1.5, many Sub-Page Elements have derived from it's original creation including: right & left dual side bar pages, left side bar pages, right side bar Word Press themes, and center split dual subjective pages. Will Metascape's layout ever change? Well of course! Evolution is imminent!

~MEL~ 5/2007

Hand Drawn Graphic Layout