Story Structure and Development

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 Australia—Griffith 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.

Part 1 – Story Structure (Plot)

Chapter 1 Plot – the structure

What is a Dramatic Story?

Plot… what is it?

3 Act Structure

Multiple Acts

Plot Shapes

Plot Structures – The Short

Structural Comparisons

What do all plots have in common?

References

Chapter 2 Setup Act I (beginning)

Types of Setup

The Opening Image

Exposition (what does the audience need to know?)

Show Don’t Tell Rule

Inciting Incident (starting the story)

What’s at Stake (why an audience cares)

Story Questions (keeps the audiences watching)

End of Act I – New Story World

References

Chapter 3 Conflict Act II (the middle)

What happens in the Middle?

Increasing Conflict

Types of Conflict

Turning Points/Reversals

Cause and Effect (connected events)

End of Act II – Crisis

References

Chapter 4 Resolution Act III (end)

Endings – for the Viewer

Climax

Resolution

Meaning

References

Chapter 5 Plot Driven Stories

Story Genres

Story Types

Only a few basic Plots

References

Part 2 – Story Principles

Chapter 6 Story Components

Is Conflict necessary?

Premise – What is the Story about?

Theme – What does it mean?

Emotion – Purpose of dramatic story

The Setting (situation)

References

Chapter 7 Story Techniques

Narrative Questions

Surprise

Suspense

Comedy

Foreshadowing – Creating anticipation

References

Chapter 8 Interactive Narratives

Why Story in Games/XR?

Story versus Narrative

World Storytelling – Narrative as Story World

Immersive Story(telling)?

AI & Human Storytelling?

References

Part 3 – Bringing Characters to Life

Chapter 9 Character

Character - Why do we watch?

Archetypes vs. Stereotypes

Create Finding your Characters

Backstory vs. Character Profile

Identification/Empathy

Love your Characters

Villains

References

Chapter 10 Character Motivations

What does a character want?

Need - What a character really, really wants

Conflict reveals character

Character Flaws (Fatal)

Setting as Character

References

Chapter 11 Character Driven Stories

Character Stories

Fear - the Inner Journey

Choices – it is why we watch

Types of Change

Character Arc

Unity of opposites

References

Part 4 – Storytelling (the development)

Chapter 12 Generating Ideas

Brainstorming Ideas

Three Types of Research

Asking… What If?

Clichés – good or bad?

Point of View – Whose story is it?

References

Chapter 13 Development

The Development process

Borrow, Adapt, Steal

Problems are at the beginning

Know your Ending

Dialogue – its functions

Making the story… Short

References

Chapter 14 Viewer (Audience/Player)

Meeting Viewer’s Expectations

Who know What? When?

Gaps – the unexpected

Believability

Are Coincidences OK?

References

Chapter 15 Subverting the Story Formula

Disrupting Story Expectations

Breaking Genre Tropes & Plots

Hybrid Genres

Eastern vs. Western Storytelling

References