Transmedia Zurich - World Building
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Transmedia Zurich Dec. 2nd 2013 Colab Zurich World Building and Character Development Mark Melnykowycz
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World building is an essential component of story creation. Here we discuss points of what it means to build a world, how to prototype one using Unity 3D, and the wonderful contributions from Alex McDowell at the X Media Lab Transmedia conference.
Transcript of Transmedia Zurich - World Building
Transmedia Zurich
Dec. 2nd 2013Colab ZurichWorld Building and Character
Development
Mark Melnykowycz
Transmedia ToolkitWhat is TransmediaWorld Building Basics
http://www.transmediazh.ch/http://www.meetup.com/Transmedia-Zurich/
Transmedia Toolkit
Story Consumption Container
Meetups Ideas Experiences
www.transmediatoolkit.org
Why Transmedia?
Transmedia
Story
Media Channels
Users Audience
Engagement Narrative
Emotions
The over-arching purpose of building a world is to setup the context and conflict for the characters. They may triumph in a traditional story structure, but only because they have the opportunity to, either by their own devices or by being placed in a unique situation.
World Building
Story Structure and Conflict
A Generic Story
Character evolves
Character overcomes challenges
Character presented with challenge
Generic HeroGeneric Threat
Finds courage... Triumphs!
Character Change Through Conflict
Character evolves
A character evolves/changes due to conflict inherent in the story
Relationships
Environment
Story Development
Character Driven World Driven
How will the world affect character development?
Generic environment, used as a setting for character interaction to take place.
The story of a character in a given environment, which forces action / conflict
...become a different person...character traits stay the same
Contemporary super hero
Traditional action hero
Die HardArnold Schwarzenegger
Ironman, Thor, Spiderman, etc.
WatchmenDark NightMan of Steel
X-men
Simple dialogue, hero never dies, always triumphs.
Question their actions and place in the story, supporting characters die, like real life.
Good vs. Evil Good? vs. Grey Zone
World Building Basics
Story
Characters
World
Conflict
Characters represent the windows through which the audience experiences the story by emphasizing with those characters and their choices/actions.
Conflict is the reason that characters grow and evolve, the reason why they change, and teach the audience how to live (or not live) their own lives.
The world sets the stage, the context in which the characters exist and deal with the conflicts they are presented with. The boundaries of the world can directly influence how conflict materializes.
World
Origins Logistics
Conflict
The origin story is the logical set of events which allow the world to exist, similar to how we explain our own history on the Earth.
The speed and ease which a character can negotiate their world w i l l p r o f o u n d l y influence how they can overcome challenges.
World building often revolves around origin stories. If the world exists in a certain time or physical set of laws govern it, then logic dictates how it has evolved.
World
Location Time Physics
Where is the world? Is it a city, a new p l ane t , a co f fee house? Each comes with specific physical boundaries.
Time is an important physical boundary that c a n d r a m a t i c a l l y influence characters. Place a person in another time or use a world from a different time?
If it’s a new world, does it respect the physics of Earth as we understand them? Changes the basic laws of gravity or physics can have a profound influence on characters.
The context in which the characters exist and deal with the conflicts they are presented with.
Character Integration
Build World
Character Journey
Define Character
Define your world, physics, time, location, etc.
The character journey helps define character traits or elements based on the logistic cha l l enges o f the world.
Based on the origin logic of the world and the Character Journey, fine-tune character traits that define who they have to be to fit with the logic of the world.
Character traits can be determined after building the world
How does a character move around the world?
Character Journey
Character becomes sick Must go to
hospital
How would she die?
Never invented gasoline, all hydrogen
Transportation logistics
Alex McDowellX Media Lab Switzerland
2013
X | Media | Lab Switzerland 2013: TransmediaAlex McDowell – Transmedia’s Renaissance Man: Narrative Designer for Minority Report; Fight Club; Man of Steel; Associate Professor, USC – School of Cinematic Arts; Visiting Artist, MIT Media Lab (Hollywood)
Alex McDowell has working on world building aspects for many movies, such as Minority Report, Fight Club, Charlie and Chocolate Factory, Man of Steel, etc.
X | Media | Lab Switzerland 2013: TransmediaAlex McDowell – Transmedia’s Renaissance Man: Narrative Designer for Minority Report; Fight Club; Man of Steel; Associate Professor, USC – School of Cinematic Arts; Visiting Artist, MIT Media Lab (Hollywood)
At X-Media Lab I got a fine appreciation for the aspect of origin and story/character evolution related to the framework or boundaries of the world one wishes to create.
X | Media | Lab Switzerland 2013: TransmediaAlex McDowell – Transmedia’s Renaissance Man: Narrative Designer for Minority Report; Fight Club; Man of Steel; Associate Professor, USC – School of Cinematic Arts; Visiting Artist, MIT Media Lab (Hollywood)
In creating the world for Man of Steel, design logic started from the Superman “S” and the organic-inspired form logic for the Krypton world. The language of Krypton served to define the identity of Krypton society, and also integrated into the spaceship and physical planet design.
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683341/alex-mcdowell-on-creating-krypton-and-the-future-of-production-design
More info:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=105221
X | Media | Lab Switzerland 2013: TransmediaAlex McDowell – Transmedia’s Renaissance Man: Narrative Designer for Minority Report; Fight Club; Man of Steel; Associate Professor, USC – School of Cinematic Arts; Visiting Artist, MIT Media Lab (Hollywood)
Starting from organic forms, the design philosophy of Krypton included only curved lines. Since Krypton was a dying planet, fully mined of resources, this was reflected in the stratified terrain of the planet.
Virtual World Building and Prototyping
Physical Virtual World Building / Prototyping
In case you don’t have the resources of Alex McDowell, how can you digitally build a world for your story?
Flexibility to build physical terrain
Ability to add in elements like buildings, tanks, etc.
Able to use free tools and access a community for support
Physical Virtual World Building / Prototyping
Unity 3D• Multi-platform Game
development• Terrain building• Visualization• Integration of buildings,
people, etc.• Free version
Sketch out worldsThe Hobbit Map
http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/File:F27c_thorins_map_from_the_hobbit.jpg
In prototyping your world, the digital canvas can act as a way to visualize the place you’re creating. This can allow easy play in the creation process, giving context to the world you’re creating in your mind.
Paint terrain and topography features
Add textures for grass, rock, water, etc.
Add buildings, people, tanks, etc.
Load new models
Paint on topography
Load textures
Use different brushes
Unity User Interface
Mark [email protected]
Transmedia Zurichhttp://www.transmediazh.ch/
http://www.meetup.com/Transmedia-Zurich/
