Scriptwriting for Games | ||
Instructor:
Lindsay Grace |
Document Name | Description | Week | Printer Friendly | ||||||
Team and Competition Guide | Outline of teams competition and team policy for completing group assignments and final product. | 0 | |||||||
Syllabus Winter 2008 | Course requirements, grades, et al. | 0 | |||||||
Max Payne Transcript | A transcript of Max Payne's opening cinematic and game play: defines PC character and emotion, sets up situation, and tells a complete story. | 1 | |||||||
What is a Game Writer? | An overview of the scriptwriter?s role and responsibility in video games. This is an excerpt from a larger document created by the IGDA Game Writers SIG. | 1 | |||||||
Film Script Sample Excerpt | A sample from a famous film. Evaluate this script style and format. Is it valuable for writing games? | 1 | |||||||
Self Evaluation Form | Complete this form before turning in your 30 page (or so) script. | 11 | |||||||
Interesting Game Concepts and Stories | Information about games that have received strong praise or criticism for their atypical approach to game storytelling or story concept. | 2 | HTML | ||||||
Hall of Shame Game Concept Case Studies | Review these game concepts from the hall of shame. | 2 | |||||||
Hall of Shame Video Links | Links to videos for the Hall of Shame Case Studies (bad games) | 2 | HTML | ||||||
Introduction to Game Type and Game Genre | Describes the difference between video game type and video game genre. | 2 | |||||||
Foundations of Interactive Storytelling (optional) | Suggested, but not required, reading about the task of writing for games. | 2 | |||||||
Max Payne Interactive Transcript Sample | A sample of basic branching using the Max Payne game | 2 | HTML | ||||||
Common writing errors explained | A list of common writing errrors at the college level. This is based on research at the University of Maine. | 2 | |||||||
How to Polish those Great Ideas | A simple plan for proofreading your work before review. Following these steps will greatly improve your writing mechanics. | 2 | |||||||
Dialogue Fun | A few links to dialogue critiques. This is just to get you thinking about what you are about to write. | 2 | HTML | ||||||
Game Concept Writing Overview | An overview of the game concept statement or game premise. | 2 | |||||||
Game Concept Review Sheet | Game Concept review sheet for evaluating student game concepts in class. To be completed by each team, for each student game concept | 3 | |||||||
Plot Structure Overview | A 2-page outline of the fundementals of plot as they apply to linear storytelling. Describes three-act structure, unity ot action, and mystery. | 3 | |||||||
Interactive Storytelling Part I (Optional) | Optional excerpt from the IDGA?s overview of storytelling in games. This document describes advanced topics in game event structure. It is an older document, but the content remains useful. | 3 | |||||||
Video Game Audience Research Links | Links to reliable statistical research about game players. This is useful when writing the target audience/demographic section of your design document. | 3 | HTML | ||||||
Cinematic Vocabulary | Vocabulary of Camera: a list of standard camera terms. These are useful when describing a cinematic scene such as a trailer or cutscene/obligatory cut. | 4 | |||||||
Camera Language: Video Examples website. | Website containing sample animations of camera movement and a guide to basic camera terms. You can also view it at http://camera.lgrace.com. This is an extension of your reading assignment. | 4 | |||||||
Game Storyboard Sheet | Blank sheet for panels of your cinematic sequence storyboard. | 4 | |||||||
Storyboard Links | Links to game storyboards and reading about creating storyboards. | 4 | HTML | ||||||
Camera Language Resource Links | Links to useful sites that describe and demonstrate traditional camera framing, transitions, and movement terms. | 4 | HTML | ||||||
Game Storyboard Sheet | A blank sheet for storyboarding. Please divide into panels. | 4 | |||||||
Storyboard Links | Links to storyboards on the internet. Use as reference for your in-class work. | 4 | HTML | ||||||
Character: Major Game Summaries | A list and description of a few major game characters. These PCs have been important in recent storytelling for games. | 5 | |||||||
Character Arc Worksheet | A quick tool for helping you stay on track when developing characters for your game. | 5 | |||||||
Character Diamond Generator | Using Freeman's concept of a character diamond, this page helps you create a diamond for a character. | 5 | HTML | ||||||
Sample character profile | Character sketch/description example: Max Payne | 5 | |||||||
Major Game Characters | A list and description of a few major game characters. These PCs have been important in recent storytelling for games. | 6 | HTML | ||||||
Tips for Writing Good Dialogue | Tips for writing good linear dialogue, which can also apply to non-linear and emergent storytelling | 6 | |||||||
Dialogue Systems: Linear Conversation Example | Linear conversation is one of the simplest dialogue systems used in games. It is an old approach. Review this example from my Zombie Master case-study game. | 6 | |||||||
Dialogue Systems:Non-Linear Dialogue Sample | This is an example of non-linear dialogue. It is a hybrid of the action dialogue and dialogue menu systems described in class. It uses the Zombie Master in-class case study. | 6 | |||||||
In-Game Dialogue Template | A template for creating in-game dialogue d for non-lienar story. (Excel spreadsheet) | 6 | |||||||
Sample Dialogue Response List | Sample, partially completed dialog list for fictional game. | 6 | |||||||
Gameplay Fundamentals | A document outlining essentials of all games | 8 | |||||||
Level Assignment | Complete at least one level, describing several choice a player can make. | 8 | |||||||
Final Project Guidelines | Final project guide for Scriptwriting for Games final team project. | 8 | |||||||
Levels and Story Overview | A quick introduction to writing story based levels using interactive structure. | 8 | |||||||
Final Project Grading Guide | Detailed grading criteria for final projects. | 8 | |||||||
Setting Resources Links | Additional reading about setting | 9 | HTML | ||||||
Name Generators | Name generators for ideas on character, setting, et al. | 9 | HTML |
This document is an archive of resources provided by Lindsay Grace, Associate Professor of Game Design and Web Design at the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago. The resources provided here concern undergraduate level instruction in art and design for the commercial arts. This includes video game art and design, web design, film making, and commercial writing. These resources are to be used by students of the Art and Design college. The use of materials not written by Lindsay Grace, if any, are provided within the definition of Unites States of America "fair use laws." Any third party content is provided with the understanding that it meets all local, state, and federal copyright restrictions.
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For information about the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago please visit their website at http://www.artinstitutes.edu/chicago/
Although Lindsay Grace works for the Illinois Institute of Art / EDMC this site is not an officially sanctioned publication of the Illinois Institute of Art. The views, comments and content provided on this page are not necessarily those of the college.