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Evan Skolnick (Game Writer and Narrative Designer, Independent)
Location: Room 2006, West Hall
Date: Monday, March 18
Time: 10:00 am - 6:30 pm
Pass Type: All Access, GDC Conference + Summits, GDC Summits - Get your pass now!
Topic: Design
Format: Tutorial
Tutorials: Storytelling Fundamentals in a Day
Vault Recording: Not Recorded
Audience Level: All
This dynamic, engaging presentation on the fundamentals of story development is designed for anyone and everyone interested in improving the narrative quality of their games. Hosted by Marvel and Telltale writing veteran Evan Skolnick, the comprehensive tutorial covers narrative structure, vibrant character development, storytelling best practices, and more.
Nearly every member of a development team ultimately contributes to the implementation of the game's narrative, and so becomes, to one degree or another, a storyteller. But without a shared language of story spoken by all team members, an unfocused narrative result is almost inevitable. This session is designed to provide that common frame of reference, so that everyone on the team is driving the game story in the same direction.
Last year's attendees of this perennial workshop (a broad mix of designers, artists, engineers, producers and writers) called it "engaging", "informative", and "absolutely amazing".
Attendees will gain understanding of narrative's place in games and some of the main theories of story. They will also learn vital rules and tools related to characterization, exposition delivery, believability, and impact on the audience. Concepts are reinforced via insightful lectures, entertaining examples, skill-building exercises and practical case studies.
This tutorial is mainly intended for game developers with limited story development experience. No prerequisite knowledge is necessary to understand the content of this session. However, familiarity with foundational "nerd culture" movies (Star Wars, LOTR, Aliens, Terminator, etc.) and landmark story-centric games (BioShock, Portal, Half-Life, Uncharted, etc.) will enhance the experience.