Interactive Narrative Week 2 Blog Entry 1

I played the game Never Alone and I really enjoyed it. An interesting thing about it is how the story is told. A narrator introduces the story from the ordinary world and what disruption pushes the protagonist, Nuna, to embark on a quest/adventure. This gives me, the player, a goal. The game doesn't really give me much freedom to change the course of the story (aside from dying) as the game itself is based from an Inuit myth and I have to follow that story. The story is even narrated every now and then. But it doesn't really put me off from playing the game. Even though the story is narrated and I'm aware that I wouldn't be able to make a significant impact, I'm still engaged on playing the game. Uncertainty plays a big part on that because I don't know how the story will progress. Uncertainty infuses the game with dramatic tension. (Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play, 2004) The game doesn't instantly reveal the overlying story arc, or what my real objective is; rather it gives me little puzzles to solve in order to progress into the story. The investigative nature of it keeps me engaged. After solving a number of puzzles, it reveals the story little by little. For example is the Terrible Man. I didn't really know who this villain is and what his objective is before helping the Owl Man. After retrieving the drum for the Owl Man, he gives me an item, the bola, which is what the villain is actually after.

The cinematic scenes of the game show the personality of the characters. I don't really have much control over the interaction of the main characters aside from making them run and switching between them. They just automatically follow each other and they both help each other, e.g.  the fox can communicate with spirits and Nuna can push objects. I haven't really gone very far in the game to exactly know why the fox is helping Nuna. But from the dynamic of Nuna and the fox, which I can both control, I can deduce that the spirits are guiding Nuna. Like the puzzles themselves, the story is told through discovery. Certain easter eggs are also found when playing the game which contain commentaries, interviews and behind the scene videos.  They all reveal a little something about the story such as symbols, the role of the spirits, the Inuit culture and the myth itself.




References:

Upper One Games (Developer). (2014). Never Alone [Video Game]. United States: E-Line Media

Salen, K., Zimmerman, E. (Authors). (2004). Rules of Play [Book]. United States: MIT Press

Script Draft

AFTERNOON

INT. APARTMENT. INSIDE MR. BRIGHTSTAR’S ROOM.

WINDOWS WIDE SHUT WITH ONLY THE SLIGHTEST LIGHT PENTRATING THE ROOM. A GLOOMY AURA SURROUNDS IT. THE ROOM IS IN A CLUTTERED STATE, REFLECTING ITS OCCUPANT’S STATE OF MIND.

POV: MR. BRIGHTSTAR IS LOOKING CLOSELY AT HIS COLLECTION OF FRAMED NEWSPAPER HEADLINES. HIS FACE CAN BE SEEN CLEARLY FROM THE REFLECTION, A PICTURE OF EMPTINESS AND MISERY, REMINISCING ON WHAT WAS. HE MOVES TO THE SIDE STARING AT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. THEY ALL DISPLAY HIS HEROIC AND EPIC FEATS, SAVE FOR THE LAST ONE. THE GLASS SHATTERED, IT IS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF THE DAY THAT REDEFINED HIS LIFE. A HUMILIATING DEFEAT, ONE OF HIS OWN MAKING DUE TO HIS RASH DECISION.

MEDIUM LONG SHOT/ESTABLISHING SHOT, HIGH ANGLE: MR. BRIGHTSTAR IS STANDING IN HIS ROOM. HE LOOKS DOWN, LOOKING AWAY FROM THE PICTURE FRAME.

CAMERA PAN, HIGH ANGLE: CAMERA FOLLOWS AS HE WALKS AWAY. HE THEN SITS ON THE COUCH AND PUTS HIS HANDS ON HIS FACE.

MR. BRIGHTSTAR (INTERNAL MONOLOGUE): I’ve never been the same since the incident. I lost my powers and now I feel like I have no purpose.

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT, HIGH ANGLE: HE STRAINS TO USE HIS POWERS BUT TO NO AVAIL.

Every day I try. Every day I hope that my powers would come back. But every time I try, it just gets darker and darker. 

MR. BRIGHTSTAR STARTS WEEPING. THEN A GENTLE KNOCK ON THE DOOR INTERRUPTS HIM. HE LOOKS AT THE DOOR.

MID SHOT: THE DOOR CUTS THE SHOT IN HALF AS BOTH SIDES ARE SHOWN BUT IS SLIGHTLY TILTED TOWARDS THE ROOM. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR IS WELL LIT.

MRS. BRIGHTSTAR: *Knock knock* (Muffled) Hey hon, are you alright? *Momentary silence* I.I…I cooked something. It’s your favourite.

MR. BRIGHTSTAR: *Sniffling* I’m not hungry…

MRS. BRIGHTSTAR: *Awkward sing-songy voice* I made it extra yummy for you. That’s right! More cheese!

MR. BRIGHTSTAR: Go away, I’m not hungry…. I…I’m….. busy. *Wipes away his tears*

MRS. BRIGHTSTAR: *Agitated voice* Busy doing what? I know it’s been hard for you lately and I can never imagine what you’re going through but it’s also been tough for me. Please don’t push me away.

MR. BRIGHTSTAR: Don’t make this about you!

MRS. BRIGHTSTAR: I…I didn’t mean it that way. It’s hard for me to see you like this, it breaks my heart every time. Don’t push me away, help me understand. Let’s talk about this.

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT (MRS. BRIGHTSTAR): MR. BRIGHTSTAR OPENS THE DOOR, LETTING LIGHT SPILL INTO HIS DARK ROOM.

MID SHOT: THEY ENTER THE ROOM AND THEY BOTH SIT ON THE COUCH. HE DISTANCES HIMSELF, LOOKING AWAY.

CAMERA OVER HIS SHOULDERS

MRS. BRIGHTSTAR: This doesn’t have to be your burden alone. I’m your wife.

CLOSE UP

MR. BRIGHSTAR: I’m not the man I used to be. I’m not a world-saving champion anymore. I never realized that I could lose my light. Now, without it I feel like a burnt candle.

MID SHOT

MRS. BRIGHTSTAR: Hey, hey. *She holds up his chin* You’re still the light of my world.

CAMERA ZOOMS IN. THEY SHARE A SMILE AND THEN THEY HUG, HOLDING EACH OTHER TIGHTLY. SLOWLY FADE TO BLACK. 

Character Profiles

Protagonist

Name:  Mr. Brightstar

Age: 30+

Race: Light Being

Gender:  Male

Living Situation: Middle class family man

Occupation: Former superhero

Personality - Best Traits: Bold, Lively, Enthusiastic, Brave, Righteous

Personality - Flaws: Arrogant, Rash, Reckless

Desires/Likes: Wants his powers back, Save the world, Be the man his wife fell in love with, Protect his family, Save people from evil forces, A challenge, Being mighty, Lasagna

Fears/Dislikes: Not being able to protect people, especially his family, Fall short of his wife's expectations, Losing his powers, Losing purpose, Feeling useless, Evil


Supporting Character

Name:  Mrs. Brightstar

Age: 30+

Race: Human

Gender:  Female

Living Situation: Middle class working woman

Occupation: Shop Manager

Personality - Best Traits: Cheery, Quirky, Observant, Thoughtful

Personality - Flaws: Awkward, Short Tempered

Desires/Likes:  Cheering up her husband, Cooking for him, Singing, Having quirky fun, Watching Movies

Fears/Dislikes: Evil doers, Losing her husband, Drifting apart from friends, losing her shop/job, Burnt food

Feedback

The feedback I got concerns mainly the ability of the superhero and how it ties up with the theme. My initial idea for him is that he is able to bend reality to fit the brief given to us. But his abilities has to reflect his personality. I made a character template which I will upload soon. The idea I have based on the feedback I received is that his powers are light based. His personality is that he is a white knight; bold, brave, lively and enthusiastic. He is always ready for a challenge and confronts them with energy and courage. But he is also quite arrogant leading him to be rash and reckless. This resulted into him acting as such during one confrontation which later became an incident that redefined his life. He's thinking that without his powers, he's nothing. He is now a broken man without a purpose, at least that's what he thinks. He overlooked the fact that his wife still needs him and that to her, he is not nothing.

I reckon the feedback I got really helped me flesh out the character more and refine the theme and the story itself.

Story Ideas

I came up with 3 story ideas for the group cinematic project.

The first one is about a superhero who struggles to come into terms with what has happened after an incident, affecting his relationship with his wife. He used to be a world saving champion but after losing his powers, he feels broken and lost. This results into him being distant towards his wife. But when he is confronted by his wife, she tells him that although he can't save the world, he could still save her world. The character is going to be 3D. His powers are going to be animated in 2D. My initial idea for this is that he is able to bend reality, being a 3D character himself. But he loses his powers and it turns into 2D which basically doesn't do anything. I mixed superhero and family drama genres for this one.

My second idea is about a creature that is blackmailing a person to be its companion. It has a bomb inside its mouth ready to explode. The person reluctantly complies but in the end, the person realizes that all it needs is a friend. I haven't really fleshed out this idea. The idea is that it's going to be a 2D creature with a 3D bomb inside its mouth. I mixed buddy comedy and sci-fi for this one.

My third idea is about a person who is fed up with his/her life and struggles to control the ticking time bomb within. The bomb is a 2D character which tells the person that he/she is a ticking time bomb and that a mental breakdown is inevitable. It has a 3D pocket watch to constantly remind the person of the inevitable. The person doesn't speak at all except when talking to his/her boss which is the source of his/her stress. It is mostly internal monologue wherein the bomb narrated everything the person is feeling inside. It is a quite a mischievous character, urging the person to punch/hit the boss which he/she does at the end. I mixed psychological and comedy for this one.

I really like my first idea and I'm going with it. I really like mixing the superhero genre with quite a tragic drama about trauma and how it could affect one's relationship with someone and/or his family.

Rationale

This was my first time animating in 3D. It was challenging but a lot of fun. The transition from working in 2D to 3D was quite hard but I managed to get the hang of it. It does go through the same process in the  production and they use the same principles in terms of animation. I enjoyed 3D modelling a lot. I got the hang of UV texturing after a while and it’s actually really fun to find the right texture to peel out the feel of the character. Rigging was very technical and i found it really challenging. But with practice, I got the hang of it. I learned more about animation after doing 3D animation. I saw how the principles of 2D animation work through the limitations of 3D. I learned how important timing, key poses, inbetweens and secondary movements are.

I chose the chestburster scene from Alien because it is very iconic and it is easy to identify. This gave me a lot of room for ideas to mess around with. At first it was only supposed to be one worm but from Keat’s feedback and suggestions I thought it would be more awesome to have more little worms coming out after the big one. From this idea that Keat suggested, I thought i could make the “mama” worm comfort the little ones. It gives that contrast between a gruesome death and an adorable moment for the worms which works for a comedic twist on the horrific scene from Alien.

I enjoyed blend shapes a lot. I made blend shapes for my face rig and the chocolate blood. I saw how important the face topology and landmarks are on making facial expressions. I modeled the face of my character based on a real face. I practiced making a human head to learn about how to properly make the topology of the face. Of course I modified this for my character.

At first I was planning to just paint my background. But then I decided to build it. It was really fun building an environment despite a short amount of time. I enjoyed building the egg and the goo. Together with the refrigerator, it creates an indexical relationship about eating something out of that egg without showing it but hinting it. Lighting my environment was also really fun. I messed around with different lights to find out which ones would work best. I also messed around with the reflectivity settings for each material to make the environment look more awesome. I also like messing around with different light colours to create a filter to suggest a mood. I also put in a space picture to complete the setting. When I saw what it looked like rendered, I was really happy.

I encountered some problems with my rig after testing it out, some were easy to fix, some were not so much. Even though they limited the extent of the availability of different poses for my character, I did manage to animate my character properly despite these problems. I also animated 6 separate worms. It was really fun making the worms move in different ways as different individuals rather than make them move in a similar way which could have made it look mechanical. At the end, I’m very happy with what I’ve made. I’m looking forward to learn more and improve.

Final Animation

This is the video for my final animation. I'm really happy with what I've done. I learned a lot about 3D animation and animation in general by making this sequence. It was really fun and I'd like to learn more :)