INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING (IST)

Transcription

1 INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING (IST) COURSE NUMBER: DIG6027C SEMESTER/YEAR: SPRING 2015 INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Diana Reichenbach COURSE TA OR COORDINATOR: TBD CREDIT HOURS: 3.0 CLASS LOCATION: CSE E413 CLASS MEETING TIME(S): TUESDAY - PERIODS 5-6 THURSDAY PERIOD 6 OFFICE HOURS: NRG 0116 TBD CONTACT: CANVAS lss.at.ufl.edu COURSE COMMUNICATIONS: Students can communicate directly with the instructor regarding the course material in- class or through CANVAS. Students are also encouraged to come to office hours held in at the Digital Worlds Reve. REQUIRED SOFTWARE AND TOOLS: GameSalad Game Developer (available free: ) Adobe CC REQUIRED TEXTS AND ONLINE RESOURCES: A collection of required readings will be available online as.pdfs Lynda.com, Online Photoshop tutorial (FREE access for UF students) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS: us/categories/ Cookbook- Tutorials : GameSalad Cookbook Tutorials : GameSalad YouTube Channel COURSE DESCRIPTION: Integrates participation and storytelling as foundations of interactivity. Explores how storytelling evolved through different mediums and how it is incorporated into contemporary interactive platforms. A semester- long group project will give students experience with creating a real prototype using industry standard production flows. PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: None required COURSE GOALS AND/OR OBJECTIVES: During this course the students will understand linear and non- linear interactive narrative techniques, develop an interactive storytelling project in a variety of platforms, effectively use a variety of standard media tools and techniques, utilize a production methodology that includes storyboarding & project breakdown, and use appropriate language to present their ideas and final projects. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS: The course incorporates lecture, in- class discussions and assignments to apply and reinforce skills learned. Additionally, students will work on a collaborative group project, which will be presented at the end of the semester Page 1 of 8

2 Course Schedule: Week 1 1/06-1/08 Class Topics + Objectives Class Introduction - Start of Development Brief introductions Syllabus review and outline of course goals History of Storytelling Games and Cinematic Language Screen Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us : Questions Posed: What is interactive storytelling? What are good examples of interactive storytelling? Thurs, 01/08: Visit by client to talk about group project prototype. Reading Zipes, Jack: The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre - Chapter 1: The Cultural Evolution of Storytelling and Fairy Tales: Human Communication and Memetics Crawford, Chris: Interactive Storytelling Chapter 1 (available as.pdf) 2 1/13-1/15 Play a Game: Play a game for at least a ½ hour; write a brief summary about the experience. Tell a Bedtime Story: Tell a bedtime story from memory. Write down thoughts and observations about the experience. Group Proj: Think about how you would like to contribute to the group project. Come to class ready to discuss. Developing Story Concepts Discuss roles of group project. Breakdown of elements needed. Assign role(s) for Group Project Finish: Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us : Reading Jenkins, Henry: Game Design as Narrative Architecture MDA: A formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research Break Down the Language of Cinema: Watch a sequence from a film and list each element of it. How did the scene begin, how did it end? What cinematic language tricks were used to shorthand information to you? Group Proj: Page 2 of 8

3 Week 3 1/20-1/22 Class Topics + Objectives Character Designer: Character sketch Writer: Story Development. Proj. Manager: Build project in Basecamp (update weekly), assign deadlines Narrative Types in Games Tuesday, January 20: Santa Fe Planetarium Narrative Models in Games Group Proj: Class discussion of character designs and story for group project. Santa Fe Planetarium Reflection: Write a summary of your experience at Santa Fe planetarium. How does this venue shape storytelling? Group Proj: Character Designer: Character sketch Writer: Story Development Designer: Graphics research for style. Bring in style frames to discuss. Sound Design: Start developing music and gathering sounds. Make a list of sound assets based on interactivity so far 4 1/27-1/29 Graphics in Video Games Watch History of Graphics in Games: history- of- video- game- graphics- is- a- walk- down- memory- lane Group Proj: Class discussion of character designs and story for group project. Review style frame reference. Make a list of assets needed for book. Group Proj: Character Designer: Build Character. Writer: Continued Story Development. Designer: Start building graphic assets Developer: Start building shell for book in Game Salad 5 2/3-2/5 6 2/10-2/12 Strategies for Interactive Storytelling Discussion of strategies: Branching trees, foldback schemes, etc. History of Interactive Narrative, discussion of CYOA Group Proj: Review of progress Pick an interactive example to discuss in class. This discussion will help to come up with ideas for student individual final projects. Create a Branching Tree Diagram outlining a CYOA Variations/Experiments in Interactivity + Client Review Students present interactive examples Examples of interactive solutions beyond games Group Proj: Client Review for feedback Page 3 of 8

4 Week 7 2/17-2/19 Class Topics + Objectives Developing an Idea Final Proj: Students start thinking about final individual projects Game Design Documents Pitching Ideas Reading GDD examples (.pdf available) Final Proj. Prepare an idea to present to the class. (look at format sheet for reference) 8 2/24-2/26 Presentation of Ideas Schedules Final Proj: Presentation of Ideas Final Proj. Make a schedule and continued idea development (include mode of delivery) 9 3/10-3/12 SPRING BREAK MARCH 2 MARCH 6 Work on Interactive Projects: Critique and Development Individual sessions for final project development 10 3/17-3/ /24-3/26 Work on Interactive Projects: Critique and Development Work on Interactive Projects Class Critique of Final project 12 Work on Interactive Projects Page 4 of 8

5 Week 3/31-4/02 Class Topics + Objectives 13 4/07-4/09 Client Review Class Critique of Final project Group Proj: Client Review for feedback 14 4/14-4/16 Work on Interactive Projects Final Project Wrap up! 15 4/21 16 Final: Presentation of Individual Projects Finalize Group Project and work on presentation Group Proj. Final Presentation Final: Group Project Presentation to Client 4/28 COURSE PROJECTS All weekly projects are due the Monday after they are assigned by 11:59 PM EST Project Name Due 1 Semester Group Project 04/28 2 Individual Final project 04/21 Page 5 of 8

6 ACTION ITEM ASSIGNMENTS Quiz Name Due 1 Play a Game 01/15 2 Bedtime Story 01/15 3 Language of Cinema 01/22 4 Santa Fe Planetarium Reflection 01?29 5 Interactive Example 02/10 6 Branching Tree Diagram 02/12 GRADING BREAKDOWN: Percentage Attendance/Participation Students are expected to attend classes and 20% participate in discussions, critique and group work Action Item s - A series of written and presentation assignments 20% Group Project - There will be a semester- long group project to provide training in collaboration, scheduling and industry standard production workflow. The result will be a real working prototype based on product needs of a real client. Individual Final Project An individual group project in the form of a working prototype or PowerPoint presentation. 35% 25% GRADING SCALE: Letter Grade % Equivalency GPA Equivalency A % 4.0 A % 3.67 B % 3.33 B 84 86% 3.00 B % 2.67 C % 2.33 C 74 76% 2.00 C % 1.67 D % 1.33 D 64 66% 1.00 D %.67 Page 6 of 8

7 E, I, NG, S- U, WF 0.00 COURSE POLICIES: ATTENDANCE POLICY: a. At the sole discretion of the instructor, documented Emergencies or medical situations may be the only acceptable reasons for an excused absence. At the very least, students must contact the Instructor 24 hours before class time if they wish to be considered for an excused absence. b. Unexcused absences will accrue to the detriment of the portion of the final grade given for class participation. c. Three unexcused absences will result in the drop of one letter grade (i.e. The student will now only be able to obtain a maximum grade of B for the course). MAKE- UP POLICY: a. At the sole discretion of the instructor, Exams may or may not be taken late. Documented Emergencies or medical situations may be the only accepted reasons for an excused absence on the day of an exam. b. Any assignment turned in past the due date may lose up to 10% of the total point value of the assignment for each class day it is late. ASSIGNMENT POLICY: a. At the sole discretion of the instructor, late work may be penalized according to the late policy. b. Any assignment turned in past the due date may lose up to 10% of the total point value of the assignment for each class day it is late. COURSE TECHNOLOGY: The students will be required to have access, and use a personal computer with the access to the Internet. The required software and hardware are expected to be installed and tested prior to class sessions/assignments. UF POLICIES: UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Dean of Students Office ( The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. You must submit this documentation prior to submitting assignments or taking the quizzes or exams. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the office as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code at Page 7 of 8

8 NETIQUETTE: COMMUNICATION COURTESY: All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all messages, threaded discussions and chats, more information can be found at: ONLINE COURSE EVALUATIONS: Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on ten criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at GETTING HELP For issues with technical difficulties for E- learning in CANVAS, please contact the UF Help Desk at: Learning- (352) 392- HELP - select option 2, Any requests for make- ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from LSS when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST e- mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make- up. Other resources are available at help for: Counseling and Wellness resources Disability resources Resources for handling student concerns and complaints Library Help Desk support Disclaimer: This syllabus represents the instructor s current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. Such changes, communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected. Page 8 of 8