Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games

✍ Scribed by Christy Marx

• Publisher: Routledge & CRC Press
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 313
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This second edition of Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games expounds on the previous edition with more information on how to construct narratives for these three forms of visual storytelling media. Christy Marx’s book offers an in-depth look into scriptwriting and how to break into each of the featured industries. The text goes into detail on visual storytelling: how to compose exterior storytelling (animation, games) and interior/exterior storytelling (comics and graphic novels); as well as considerations for non-linear videogames. The advice within these pages can be used to build a transmedia career across animation, comics, graphic novels, and videogames.

Key Features

• An insider's perspective on career rules of the road on writing for comics, videogames, and animation
• Written for beginners and professionals alike
• A nuts-and-bolts guide to script formats, terminology, networking, and valuable advice on writing for each medium

Author Bio

Based in Northern California, Christy Marx is an award-winning writer, story editor, TV series developer, game designer, and narrative designer. Her many credits include Babylon 5; Captain Power and Soldiers of the Future; The Twilight Zone; G.I. Joe; Jem and the Holograms; Spider-Man; He-Man; X-Men Evolution; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Conan the Adventurer; Birds of Prey; Amethyst; The Sisterhood of Steel; Sierra On-Line adventure games; PC, MMO, and console games; Zynga mobile games; and more. For full credits, visit www.christymarx.com.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Author
Introduction
Transmedia Overview
ANIMATION
1 History/Evolution of Animation
Genres and Categories
Features
Television Series and Shows
Children’s Animation
Animation for Adults
Anime
Alternative Forms of Animation
2 Terminology
Script Terms
Other Animation Terms
3 The Basics
The Television Animation Process
Script-driven Shows
Board-Driven Shows
The Script Process
The Springboard
The Premise
The Outline
The Script Format
The Basic Layout
The Title Page
The Differences
Difference #1: Calling Out the Shots
Difference #2: Dialogue and the Lip Synch Factor
Difference #3: Script Length
Writing to Length
Working Out Act Breaks
The 3D Script versus the 2D Script
Restrictions Breed Creativity
Other Things You May Be Expected to Do
Scriptwriting Software
The Animated Feature Film
Beyond the Basics
Keep Your Story Editor Happy
Be Kind to the Storyboard Artist
Present Tense and “-ing” Words
Verboten Words
Everybody Gets Out Alive
Imitatable Behavior
Subtle Emotion
Use of Slang
Dialect
The Other Translation Problem
Getting around the Lip-Synch Problem
Capitalizing Character Names
Be a Good net Citizen
The “Spykecam” Outline and Script
4 Breaking and Entering
Breaking into Television Animation
Spec Scripts
Networking
Ways to network
Writing Contests and Other Outlets
Script Database Services
Internet Searches
Learning about the Business
Breaking into Feature Animation
Selling an Animation Series Concept
The Animation Bible
What Goes into an Animation Bible
Using Artwork in a Pitch Bible
What Will Sell and Why
Getting in the Door
Getting an Agent
Once You Have an Agent
Getting Paid
Unions and Organizations
The WGAw and the Animation Writers Caucus
IATSE Union 839 aka The Animation Guild
Location, Location, Location
ANIMATION RESOURCES
Books
Trades and Magazines
Organizations
Contests and Competitive Writing Programs
Script Networking Sites
Film Festivals for Writers
Schools
Informational Sites
Copyright and Legal Information
Writers on Writing
Entry Level Industry Jobs
Obtaining Scripts
COMICS
5 History/Evolution of the Comic Book
Publishing Options
Genres and Categories
6 What Is a Comic Book?
Web Comics
Mobile Platform Comics
Newspaper Comic Strips
The Production Process
Terminology
The Comic Book Script
Script Style (Plot-Script-Art)
Plot Style (Plot-Art-Script)
The Script Format
Instructions for Letterer and Colorist
The Visual Elements
Script Length
Beyond the Basics (Advice, Tips, and Tricks)
The Page and Panels
Be Kind to Your Artist
Panels and Gutters
Panels and Text
Comic Book Script Sample
7 Breaking and Entering
Conventions
Social Media
Workshops, Seminars
Clubs or Associations
Email Contact
Personal Appointment
What If You’re Invited to Pitch?
Create Your Own Comic
Web Comics
Finding an Artist
If You Absolutely Cannot Find an Artist
Copyright and Ownership
The Trade-Off: Ownership versus Making a Deal
Getting Paid
Location, Location, Location
Agents
Unions and Organizations
COMICS RESOURCES
Books
Talent Searches and Submission Guidelines
Legal Help
On-line Courses
Websites about Comics
Digital Publishing
Organizations
Conventions (A Short List)
Copyright and Trademark
Literary Agents that Represent Graphic Novels
VIDEOGAMES
8 History/Evolution of Videogames
The Boundaries of Interactive Entertainment
The Evolution of the Videogame
Story-Driven versus Gameplay-Driven
Game Genres
Game Categories
Adventure
Action/Adventure
Arcade Games
ARG: Alternate Reality Games
AR: Augmented Reality
Battle Royale
Casual
Educational
First-Person Puzzlers
FPS: First-Person Shooters
Hypercasual
MMOG: Massively Multiplayer Online Games
MOBA: Multiplayer Online Battle Arena
RPG: Role-Playing Games
RTS: Real-Time Strategy
Sandbox
Serious Games
Sims: Simulators
Sports (also eSports)
Strategy
Third-Person Shooters
Virtual Worlds
Need for Story Summary
9 Design Roles and Terminology
Game Designers
Narrative Designer
Game Writer
“We Can Do Anything…”
Videogames and Hollywood
Terminology
Terminology for Writers
Game Development and Game Playing Terms
F2P (Free-to-Play) Terms
10 Deeper Dive into narrative Design
The Pizza Box Metaphor
Linear versus Non-linear
Choice
What If…
Variables and Flexibility
Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master
The Interface
Game Verbs
Narrative Tools
Localization
Three-Act Structure in Games
ACT 1
ACT 2
ACT 3
Game Parameters
Zone
Time or Phase
Player Level
Player Race, Faction, or Class
Acquisition of Game Objects
Acquisition of a Quest
Predetermined Events
Quests
Quest Givers
Quest Logs
Quest Stages
Repetition
Visual Storytelling
Immersion
Virtual Reality Storytelling
The Player’s Mindset
11 Story-Driven Games and Branching Dialogue
Branching Dialogue
Pruning Branches
Weighted Dialogues
Faction Systems
Timed Dialogues
12 Game Writing
Game Writing as Haiku
The Script Format
Game Writing Jobs
FMV/Game Intro
Game Bible
Quests
Cutscenes and Cinematics
Dialogue
In-Game Text
Naming NPCs and Game Objects
Story or Script Editing
Technical or Game Manual
Website and Promotional Materials
Beyond the Basics (Advice, Tips, and Tricks)
Version Control
Recording Dialogue
Game Bible, Game Story, and Cinematic Samples
13 Breaking and Entering
The Million Dollar Question
Publishers and Developers
Looking for Work: Freelance or Employee
The Employee Track
The Freelance Track
Where to network
Timing
How to Find the Who
The Employee Track
The Freelance Track
Quality of Life
Getting Paid
The Employee Track
The Freelance Track
Location, Location, Location
Agents
Unions and Organizations
GAMES RESOURCES
Books
Trade Shows and Conferences
Networking
Websites about Games
Game Writers
Unions and Organizations
Tools
Looking for Jobs
Schools
Index