Caldwell - Story structure and development: a guide for animators, VFX artists, game designers, and virtual reality

Story Structure and Development

A Guide for Animators, VFX Artists, Game Designers, and Virtual Reality

Story Structure and Development

A Guide for Animators, VFX Artists, Game Designers, and Virtual Reality

Craig Caldwell

CRC Press

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Caldwell, Craig, author.

Title: Story structure and development : a guide for animators, VFX artists, game designers, and virtual reality / Craig Caldwell.

Description: Boca Raton : Taylor & Francis, a CRC title, part of the Taylor & Francis imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group, the academic division of T&F Informa, plc, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016048892| ISBN 9781498781732 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138708358 (hardback : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Video games--Authorship. | Virtual reality. | Online authorship. | Computer animation.

Classification: LCC GV1469.34.A97 C35 2017 | DDC 794.8--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016048892

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Dedicated to

Dee, Ryan, and Joanna

Contents

Craig Caldwell is USTAR (Utah Science Technology and Research) professor in digital media, University of Utah. Having worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation and Electronic Arts games he has extensive experience in the industry approach to creating animation and games. Caldwell has been a co-founder and arts director for one of the top-ranked interactive games programs, Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE University of Utah) with its numerous award winning games. He has served as head of the largest film school in AustraliaGriffith Film School, Griffith University as well as chair of the Media Arts Department and associate director of the New Media Center at University of Arizona; as well as having been selected as a DeTao Master, Institute of Animation and Creative Content on the SIVA campus, Shanghai, China. Caldwell speaks frequently on story at major conferences such as SIGGRAPH, FMX, Sundance, CCG Expo, and Mundos Digitales. He earned his PhD from the Advanced Computing Center for Art and Design, Ohio State University.

Every day we tell each other stories, but these are not the dramatic stories we see in the movies or encounter in interactive games. Dramatic stories are more than just what is happening they are about why things are happening and how it affects the viewer.

The dictionary definition of story is a sequence of events . Dramatic stories are still a sequence of events, but the fundamental difference is that they are a sequence of connected events. Many years ago, E. M. Forster ( The emphasis moves from what happened to why it happened.

Figure 1.1

E. M. Forster, novelist.

Stories connect audiences to what individuals think, and what cultures value. The important questions in a story are: What do people want? Why do they want it? How do they go about getting it? What stops them? What are the consequences? These are fundamental. Dramatic stories are about a main character, who goes after something but it gets increasingly difficult (conflict) and by the end, they are changed, and see the world differently.

The Why underscores how we use a story to understand life; why things work the way they do. Stories aid human beings in their search for meaning; to make sense of why we are alive. They give us a perspective on priorities in our lives. For generations, cultures have proposed answers to these questions through myths ( Today, we get this information through novels, movies, animation, and interactive games. In dramatic stories, we see a main character that (1) has a problem which cant be avoided, (2) is faced with difficult choices, and (3) which has serious consequences if they are not successful.

Figure 1.2

Ancient mythology.

Today, audiences have even higher expectations from dramatic stories. Joseph Campbell, author of the Heros Journey story structure, emphasizes that audiences have evolved from searching for clues on the meaning of life to additionally seeking an experience of being alive in stories. ).

We are trying to find what we hope the audience will feel while watching this movie. Every other department is on board the environment, the coloring, the lighting, the animation, to make the strongest possible statement; that when people are in a theatre they are going to Wow, this is something special, this is something that affected me .

Figure 1.3

Joe Ranft, Head of Story, Pixar, 19902005.

Linda Seger (

Figure 1.4

Linda Seger, story consultant and author of Making a Good Script Great , Samuel French Trade, 1987.