by bernadette.poessnicker -

Impuls #1 – Buch: Creating Characters for the Entertainment Industry

Mein erster Impuls ist das Buch Creating Characters for the Entertainment Industry von Kenneth Anderson, Devon Cady-Lee, Cécile Carre und Hollie Mengert. Es behandelt die Herangehensweisen an Character Design aus der Sicht von Game Designer:innen, Illustrator:innen und Animator:innen. Dieser multidisziplinäre Ansatz eignet sich sehr gut für mein Masterarbeitsthema und beleuchtet unterschiedliche Bereiche. Das Buch verfolgt einen sehr praktischen Ansatz, ist klar strukturiert und erklärt den typischen Ablauf eines Character Design-Projekts.

• Introduction: Grundlagen und Zielsetzung des Character Designs

• Tutorials: Detaillierte Anleitungen der Autor:innen für verschiedene Medien wie Animation, Videospiele oder Illustration.

• Try it now: Bonus-Briefs: Praxisaufgaben, um das Gelernte selbst umzusetzen.

Auch ein Glossar, das wichtige Begriffe des Character Designs definiert, ist im Buch enthalten. Das könnte in weiterer Folge auch für meine Arbeit nützlich sein. Die Tutorials sind praxisorientiert und erklären, wie man Originalität entwickelt, Feedback verarbeitet und Präsentationen vorbereitet.

Ein Zitat aus dem Buch bringt die Philosophie der Autor:innen auf den Punkt und fasst für mich gut zusammen, worauf es bei Character Design ankommt:

„Storytelling is the foundation of any character design. Characters do not exist on their own – they exist in a story world.“

Momentan habe ich noch wenig Erfahrung im Bereich Character Design, weswegen ich mich dafür entschieden habe, dazu zu recherchieren und speziell dieses Buch zum Thema zu lesen. Ein Teil meiner Idee für die Masterarbeit umfasst die Entwicklung von Charakteren für ein Kartenspiel sowie die Vorbereitung dieser Charaktere für Animationen (im Rahmen einer Kickstarter-Kampagne).

Ein weiterer Aspekt meines Themas, der im Buch erwähnt wird, ist die Vorbereitung von Illustrationen für Animationen. Ein Thema, mit dem ich sowohl im Arbeitskontext als auch in meinen Projekten an der FH häufig in Berührung komme und das ich in der Dokumentation meines Werkstücks in der Masterarbeit näher erläutern möchte.

Insgesamt begeistern mich an dem Buch auch die Karriere und Arbeitserfahrung der Autor:innen, die bei den großen Firmen der Unterhaltungsindustrie gearbeitet haben: Pixar, Disney, Paramount…

Devon Cady-Lee, Cécile Carre und Hollie Mengert setzen jeweils dieselben Charaktere (die Abenteurerin, den Schuljungen, den Magier und den Drachen) um. Dabei ist es spannend, ihre Herangehensweisen zu sehen und die Unterschiede in ihrer Arbeit, die sich durch die verschiedenen Branchen ergeben.

Ihre Tutorials beschreiben den Arbeitsprozess der Autor:innen, der von der Recherche über Skizzen und Iterationen bis zur finalen Umsetzung reicht, und beinhalten im Detail den Brief, den Umsetzungsplan, Gestaltung, Korrekturschleifen, Posen, Kolorierung und Kostüme. Dabei wird auch der Umgang mit Feedback und die Integration von Originalität in den Designs thematisiert.

Das Buch betont auch die Bedeutung des Storytellings: Charaktere existieren nie allein, sondern immer in einer narrativen Welt, die ihr Aussehen und ihre Persönlichkeit beeinflusst. Diese Verbindung von Theorie und Praxis macht das Buch zu einer wichtigen Ressource für mich, da ich sowohl bei der Gestaltung des Werkstücks als auch bei der Erklärung des Gestaltungsprozesses in der Master Arbeit darauf zurückgreifen kann.

Unterschiede Illustration, Animation und Game

Unterschiede beim Character Design ergeben sich oft im Hinblick auf die Kleidung der Charaktere. Während bei der Gestaltung für Illustrationen oft komplexere Kleidung und Accessoires verwendet werden können, kann das im Animationsbereich Komplikationen mit sich bringen. Insgesamt bieten die Autor:innen einen guten Überblick über die verschiedenen Anforderungen.

Ein anderer hilfreicher Abschnitt des Buchs befasst sich mit der Erstellung von Turnarounds. Dabei werden die Charaktere aus verschiedenen Perspektiven – von vorne, der Seite und von hinten – dargestellt, um die Konsistenz des Designs zu gewährleisten. Vor allem für die Produktion von Animationen oder 3D-Modellen ist das entscheidend.

Darüber hinaus zeigt das Buch auch, wie man gezielt durch Farben, Formen und Gestik die Persönlichkeit eines Charakters definiert. Große, runde Formen wirken beispielsweise freundlich, während kantige Designs oft Stärke oder Aggressivität ausdrücken.

Insgesamt hat mir das Buch wertvolle Einsichten und Methoden gegeben, um Charaktere für verschiedene Medien und Zielgruppen zu gestalten, und ich werde es definitiv für die Gestaltung der Charaktere des Kartenspiels nutzen können.

Weiterführende Links:

https://characterdesignreferences.com

https://figurosity.com/figure-drawing-poses?actions=310&page=1

https://posemy.art

„Dieser Text wurde mit Hilfe von ChatGPT 4o auf Beistrichfehler und Rechtschreibfehler korrigiert. Der inhaltliche Kern der Arbeit ist davon unberührt.”

by anna-katharina.hammerer -

IMPULS #1 – Welche Tipps uns Titelsequenzen für das Storytelling geben können

Bei der diesjährigen Adobe Max gab es etliche Vorträge online zum mitverfolgen. Mein erster Implus-Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit einem der Vorträge, nämlich Movies, Myth, Metaphor: Art of Film and TV Title Sequences. Vortragende dieses Talks war Karin Fong. Karin Fong ist eine Gründerin von Imaginary Forces und arbeitet als Director und Designerin. Sie hat unteranderem an etlichen bekannten Titelsequenzen für TV und Film mitgearbeitet, wie Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Lisey’s Story, oder Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In ihrem Vortrag auf der Adobe Max ging es darum welche Storytelling-Tipps uns Titelsequenzen geben können für die Arbeit an jeglichen kreativen Projekten. Mit Hilfe von Fallbeispielen erklärte Fong ihre Herangehensweise an Titelsequenzen und das daraus resultierende Storytelling. Da ging es vor allem um die Research-Phase, die Ideation-Phase und das Entwickeln von passenden Metaphern. Auch erzählte sie, wie sie Konzepte Kunden präsentiert und verkauft.

Titelsequenzen werden oft als Einladungen, Appetizer für die darauffolgenden Handlungen oder als Portale in andere Welten genutzt werden. Titelsequenzen können Emotionen erwecken, Ideen anschneiden oder ikonische Bildwelten vorstellen. Doch auf welche Aspekte muss man bei der Erarbeitung von Titelsequenzen achten?

Wichtige Bedenken bei der Erarbeitung

Die Integrierung von Metaphern zum Geschichten einzurahmen ist oft kraftvoller als wenn man sich buchstäblich am Ausgangsmaterial bedient. Trotzdem muss man einiges bei der Erarbeitung von Titelsequenzen beachten.

  1. Kreditierung des Casts und Crew
    • Die Nennung des Casts und der Crew ist das zentrale Element jeder Titelsequenz. Gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Parameter, wie die Zeitdauer der Sichtbarkeit eines Namens, die Reihenfolge oder die Größe müssen immer berücksichtigt werden. Doch Fong sieht diese Bindung eher als eine willkommene Herausforderung diese Qualitäten durch die Storytelling-Perspektive zu betrachten und daraus etwas zu formen.
  2. Stimmung festlegen
    • Main Titles sollen die Stimmung der nachfolgenden Handlung aufnehmen und behandeln. Es muss zwar nicht immer 1:1 die Stimmung der Serie/ des Films übernommen werden, doch die Stimmung muss zum Narrativ passen.
  3. Sei spezifisch
    • Wenn man eine Titelsequenz für eine Krimiserie, als Titelsequenz für eine komplett andere Krimiserie verwenden kann, dann ist die Titelsequenz nicht gut genug. Main Titles sollen in ihrer visuellen und inhaltlichen Sprache einen Wiedererkennungseffekt haben. Auch Reihen sollen durch das Main Title Design einheitlich gehalten werden. Die visuelle Sprache ist die Klammer. Beispielsweise wurde bei Spiderman: No way home beim Title Design darauf geachtet, dass der analoge Stil und die Anlehnung an den Mathematik/ Physikunterricht erhalten bleibt. Trotzdem haben sie sich überlegt, wie sie die Kerninhalte innerhalb dieser Richtlinien einbinden können.
  4. Das Handwerk bestimmt die Emotion
    • Die Wahl der visuellen Sprache, wie bereits erwähnt, hat einen enormen Einfluss auf die hervorgerufenen Emotionen des Publikums. Deshalb ist es wichtig, sich Gedanken darum zu machen, welcher Stil die intendierten Emotionen auslösen kann. Bei Lisey’s Story haben sich Fong und ihr Team dafür entschieden, den Vorspann mit echten Puppen zu drehen, da das reale Material der Puppen im Zusammenspiel mit echten Puppenspielern, dem Ganzen etwas viel rares und zerbrechliches verlieh, als wenn alles im Computer stattgefunden hätte. Essentiell dabei war es, dass im Spiel mit practical effects kleine Fehler entstanden, welche dem Ganzen etwas menschliches verlieh.
  5. Extrahieren
    • Es ist wichtig den Kern einer Erzählung ausfindig zu machen und seine Idee auf dieser aufzubauen.
  6. Mehr Fragen aufwerfen als Antworten beantworten
    • Um das Interesse des Publikums auf sich zu ziehen ist es wichtig, in einer Titelsequenz mehr Fragen in den Raum zustellen, als diese zu beantworten. Durch die Handlung hinweg, wird das Publikum die Fragen beantworten können.
  7. Höre auf die Arbeit
    • Es ist immer wichtig, sich die Frage zustellen: Was möchte die Titelsequenz erreichen? Was sind die Anforderungen und Erwartungen, die sie erfüllen sollte? Oftmals wollen wir etwas neuartiges – noch nie zuvor Gesehenes – in die Welt setzen. Doch in diesem Bestreben können wir leicht das Wichtige aus den Augen verlieren, nämlich: die Gelegenheit uns mit dem Publikum zu verbinden.

Gestaltung als iterativer Prozess

Die Erarbeitung eines Projektes ist immer ein iterativer Prozess. Es scheint, dass alles im Zusammenhang mit dem Thema steht. Deshalb ist wichtig, viele Möglichkeiten und Visualisierungen auszuprobieren. Es ist in Ordnung, ausgearbeitete Ideen zu verwerfen, wie es bei Fong und ihrem Team bei der Erarbeitung von Percy Jackson and the Olympians der Fall war. Das Team von der Serie hat ihnen vorgegeben, dass sie gerne etwas hätten, was die Verstrickungen der Familie der griechischen Götter symbolisiert. Dadurch hat sich das Team mit verschiedensten Visualisierungen von Stammbäumen und der Götter beschäftigt. Schlussendlich ist etwas herausgekommen, dass viel zu sehr austauschbar war – also, zu wenig Wiedererkennungswert gehabt hat. Doch durch die Reevaluierung ist das Team auf einen zentralen Aspekt gestoßen, welcher sie auf die Fährte zu ihrer finalen Titelsequenz brachte. In den Büchern ist der Transfer des Olymps in die oberen Etagen des Empire State Buildings von zentraler Bedeutung. In diesen Gebäuden gibt es viele Murals, was laut Fong, eine wichtige amerikanische Kunstform ist. Deshalb entschieden sie sich die Endtitel als riesengroßes Mural erscheinen zu lassen, in dem wichtige Momente in der Handlung dargestellt sind. Bei der Visualisierung haben sie auch darauf geachtet, dass bildliche Ebene die Charakteristika alter Murals und ihre Anlehnung auf den Jugendstil aufzeigt werden.

Gestaltung als kooperativer Prozess

Das Produzieren von Filmen ist ein kooperativer Prozess. Fong arbeitet gerne mit Menschen zusammen, die besser als sie sind. Auch ist es wichtig, auf die Vorstellungen anderer zuhören. Vor allem, wenn ein Regisseur oder eine Regisseurin bereits gewisse Vorstellungen oder Vorgaben hat.

Ideen verkaufen

Um Personen von der Idee zu überzeugen, sollte bei der Präsentation auf das Drama und die erzählte Geschichte geachtet werden. Man muss versuchen, einen essentiellen Aspekt aufzugreifen, welcher bei den Personen Emotionen auslöst. Beispielsweise hat Fong und ihr Team bei Lisey’s Story dem Regisseur eine Marionette geschickt. Die Idee vom Einsatz von Marionetten, war zwar die vom Regisseur selbst, doch dem Team ging es bei dieser Aktion darum, den Regisseur davon zu überzeugen, die Titelsequenz in live-action zu drehen. Durch das Zusenden der Marionette sollte der Regisseur die Haptik und Einzigartigkeit der Marionette spüren, was durch computergenerierte Bilder kaum möglich ist. Auch die Testfotos und Mock-ups im theatralischen halfen dabei.

Weitere Erscheinungsformen von Titelsequenzen

Titelsequenzen dienen nicht nur als Einleitung in das Gesehen des nachfolgenden Film oder der nachfolgenden Serie, sonder sind auch Teil des visuellen Erscheinungsbild. Losgelöst vom Film oder von der Serie agieren sie im viralen Raum. In diesem bekommen sie mehr Macht zugesprochen, als in ihrem eigentlichen Nutzen. Sie sind wie die verwendete Typografie oder die Titelmusik Gedächtnisstützen und können ihre Eigenleben durch memes etc. annehmen.

Erkenntnisse aus dem Vortrag

Wie schon Karin Fong in ihrem Vortrag gesagt hat, die Herangehensweise an Titelsequenzen kann universal auf alle möglichen Gestaltungsprojekte angewendet werden. Ich habe mich dabei vor allem dafür interessiert, welche wichtigen Aspekte des Storytellings ich für meine Erarbeitung eines kurzen Animationsfilms mitnehmen kann und ich bin zum Schluss gekommen, dass tatsächlich viele Punkte auch für mich anwendbar sind. Der Vortrag zeigt auf, dass nicht nur die Beschäftigung mit dem Inhalt, sondern auch Entscheidungen wie intendierte Stimmung, visuelle Sprache oder Beschäftigung mit dem Zielpublikum aussehensthenden Personen sowie dem Alleinstellungsmerkmal den Unterschied machen.

Quelle

Adobe Max (15.10.2024): Movies, Myth, Metaphor: Art of Film and TV Title Sequences – S6000. Online unter: https://www.adobe.com/max/2024/sessions/movies-myth-metaphor-art-of-film-and-tv-title-s6000.html (zuletzt geöffnet am 27.10.2024).

by anna-katharina.hammerer -

#31 – Analysis of external Master thesis – Evoking Interest through Storytelling

The Master’s thesis titled „Evoking Interest through Storytelling: A Cognitive Narratological Investigation of Suspense, Curiosity, and Surprise“ was written by Michael Krendl. He submitted the thesis at the University of Vienna in 2024. The thesis was supervised by Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Paolo Petta. ​

Short summary of the thesis

The thesis explores how narratives evoke powerful responses/ emotions with a focus on suspense, curiosity, and surprise, which are termed the Universals of Narrative by Meir Sternberg. ​It investigates the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind these responses and how they can be systematically crafted in storytelling. ​

The key sections of the thesis are:

  1. Introduction: Establishes the theoretical position and fundamental concepts. ​
  2. Narratological Correlates of Interest: Discusses directive and propulsive concepts of interest, including erotetic narration and narrative functionalism. ​
  3. Psychological Theories of Interest: Explores the functions of interest, the appraisal theory of interest, and the distinction between interest and liking. ​
  4. Curiosity: Examines information gaps, perceptual curiosity, and epistemic curiosity. ​
  5. Suspense: Analyzes the interplay of hope and fear, the (Anti-) Goal Model of suspense, and related emotions. ​
  6. Surprise: Differentiates between types of surprise, such as mismatch-based surprise, astonishment, and insight, and discusses the expectancy-disconfirmation hypothesis. ​
  7. Interest & the Seeking System: Proposes the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, which combines learning potential and effect appraisal to explain curiosity and interest. ​

The thesis concludes with a summary of findings, emphasizing the importance of narrative coherence, the role of epistemic emotions, and the practical applicability of the proposed models in narrative design. It also suggests areas for further investigation, such as the role of boredom and defamiliarization in storytelling. ​

Level of design

On the design level, the master’s thesis is kept quite simple, yet it appears appealing. Michael Krendl did not use a „standard template“ for his thesis. Instead, he embedded his work in a custom layout. His layout employs a lot of white space at the margins and less line spacing (unlike what is typical for „standard templates“). The text is set in justified alignment, making his work appear more compact and visually appealing.

He chose a serif font in various weights. I couldn’t precisely identify the font, even with technical tools, but one thing is clear: it is not Times New Roman. The serif font is a classical Antiqua, characterized by strong main strokes, fine hairlines, and small serifs that are horizontally positioned and have square endings. The axis of the rounded letter forms is perfectly vertical.

Krendl uses bold, italic, and regular font styles in his thesis. The headings are set in bold. I did notice some kerning errors in the headings, but I cannot determine whether this is due to the font’s preset configurations or the document’s compression.

For the body text, the regular font style is used, while italic is used for highlights. This differentiation in font styles creates a hierarchy/structure within the text. The additional variation in font sizes and the use of color for highlights make the textual hierarchy more evident. Long quotations are indented.

As mentioned, various methods are employed for highlights in the thesis. Important terms, references to individuals, or examples are emphasized in italics by Krendl. Literature references and the first mention of authors are set in blue. Personally, I am not a fan of the blue highlights, as they immediately draw attention and distract from the actual content. My suggestion would be to set literature references and first mentions of authors in italics and to highlight important terms, references to individuals, and examples in bold.

The thesis contains only a few image sources, which are centered and integrated into the body text.

As an orientation aid, the chapters and subchapters are numbered. An additional aid is the header, which indicates the respective chapter in which one is located. Each part is also separated from the other by a divider page.

Degree of innovation 

The degree of innovation in the thesis can be considered high for several reasons:

  1. Interdisciplinary Approach: The thesis integrates cognitive science, psychology, and narratology to explore how narratives evoke emotions like suspense, curiosity, and surprise. ​ This interdisciplinary approach is innovative as it combines insights from different fields to provide a comprehensive understanding of storytelling. ​
  2. New Models: The thesis introduces new models, such as the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, which combines learning potential and effect appraisal to explain curiosity and interest. ​This model attempts to reconcile existing theories by Berlyne and Loewenstein, offering a fresh perspective on how interest is generated and sustained. ​
  3. Detailed Analysis of Emotions: The work provides a detailed analysis of epistemic emotions and their role in storytelling. ​ By distinguishing between different types of curiosity and surprise, and by proposing a five-factor model of suspense, the thesis offers nuanced insights that go beyond traditional narrative theories.
  4. Practical Applicability: The thesis aims to facilitate the narrative design process by providing practical methods and models that writers can use to evoke interest in their audiences. ​ This focus on applicability makes the research valuable not only for academic purposes but also for practitioners in the field of storytelling. ​
  5. Addressing Gaps in Existing Research: The thesis addresses the limited scholarly attention given to how stories should be crafted to evoke emotions. ​ By systematically exploring the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind narrative interest, it fills a significant gap in existing research (according to him). ​
  6. Future Research Directions: The thesis identifies areas for further investigation, such as the role of boredom and defamiliarization in storytelling, which opens up new avenues for research and contributes to the ongoing development of narrative theory. ​

Overall, the thesis demonstrates a high degree of innovation by offering new theoretical models, integrating multiple disciplines, and providing practical insights for narrative design.

Independence

As mentioned before, Krendl addresses the limited scholarly attention given to emotions. Furthermore, he states the lack of differentiation between conflict in real life (e.g. a dispute) and narrative conflict. Also, there is no clear concept of narrative conflict. By systematically exploring the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind narrative interest, it fills a significant gap in existing research (according to him).

His thesis combines different research fields (cognitive science, psychology and narratology) with each other, making it an interdisciplinary approach. He uses different theories and suggests an alternative in form of the Learn/Effect Model of Interest. 

All these aspects, let me to believe that his thesis has a high level of independence. 

Outline and structure

  1. Titlepage:
    • Lists: title, author, degree, university, year and the supervisor.
  2. Table of Content:
    • All the adjacent chapters and sub-chapters are listed. The main chapters appear in bold, while sub-chapters are indented. The acknowlegdements and dedications, abstract, Kurzfassung and bibliography are not listed.
  3. Abstract + Kurzfassung:
    • Krendl summarizes shortly his thesis in an abstract (english) and also in a German version (Kurzfassung).
  4. Foreword
    • In his foreword he states his motivations and personal interest for the research. ​He already uses statements of others to underline his interest and the importance of this thesis.
  5. Part 1: Introduction
    • Krendl establishes the theoretical position and fundamental concepts required for the thesis.
    • Chapter 1: Interest & Cognitive Narratology ​ 
      • Discusses affect, emotion, mood, epistemic emotions, and cognitive narratology. ​
      • Introduces narrative functionalism and its components. ​
  6. Part 2: Narratological Correlates of Interest ​
    • Chapter 2: Directive Concepts of Interest ​ 
      • Explores erotetic narration and the universals of narrative (suspense, curiosity, and surprise). ​
    • Chapter 3: Propulsive Concepts of Interest ​ 
      • Discusses peripeteia, anagnorisis, conflict, and collision. ​
      • Introduces a model of narrative conflict. ​
  7. Part 3: Psychological Theories of Interest ​
    • Chapter 4: Interest & Aesthetics ​ 
      • Examines the functions of interest, appraisal theory, and the distinction between interest and liking. ​
    • Chapter 5: Curiosity ​ 
      • Analyzes information gaps, perceptual curiosity, and epistemic curiosity. ​
    • Chapter 6: Suspense ​ 
      • Discusses hope and fear, the (Anti-) Goal Model of suspense, and related emotions.
    • Chapter 7: Surprise ​
      • Differentiates between types of surprise and discusses the expectancy-disconfirmation hypothesis. ​
    • Chapter 8: Interest & the Seeking System ​ 
      • Proposes the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, combining learning potential and effect appraisal. ​
    • Chapter 9: Summary of Findings ​ 
      • Summarizes the key findings and theoretical contributions of the thesis. ​
      • Discusses the cognitive approach to narrative design and the primary aspects of narrative design. ​
      • Highlights areas for further investigation. ​
  8. Appendices
    • Appendix A: Memento (2000): An Example of Extreme Dechronologization ​
    • Appendix B: The Learn/Effect Model of Interest ​
    • Appendix C: Primary Aspects of Narrative Design ​
  9. Bibliography
    • Comprehensive list of references and sources cited throughout the thesis.
    • No differentiation between analogue or digital (but most of the references are books).

Krendl wrote of every chapter a mini-introduction and at the end of every chapter he summarizes the chapter shortly. Sometimes he also gives a sneak-peek for its relevance in adjacent chapters. In summary, his thesis is well structured and has a cohesive outline.

Degree of communication

The degree of communication in the thesis can be considered high based on several factors, of which many have been discussed earlier. 

The thesis has a clear structure and is well-organized into distinct parts and chapters, each focusing on specific aspects of the research. ​This clear structure helps readers navigate through the complex topics discussed. ​Another aid is the detailed table of contents. It provides a clear roadmap of the thesis, making it easier for readers to locate specific sections and understand the overall flow of the thesis. The personal foreword and the introduction help readers to ease into the topic. Also, the use of sub-headings helps the readers to break down the content into manageable sections. This makes it easier for readers to follow the arguments and understand the key points being made. ​

On theoretical basis the thesis deals with an interdisciplinary approach. The thesis effectively integrates insights from cognitive science, psychology, and narratology. ​ This interdisciplinary approach is communicated clearly, showing how different fields contribute to the understanding of narrative interest. ​Furthermore, the thesis integrates theoretical and practical insights. For example, it introduces new models like the Learn/Effect Model of Interest and provides practical methods for narrative design, making the content relevant for both academics and practitioners. ​The final chapter summarizes the key findings and theoretical contributions, reinforcing the main points.

Also the inclusion of additional resources (integration of appendices) and the bibliography helps readers who seek to research further into the topic. 

Overall, the thesis demonstrates a high degree of communication by being well-structured, clearly written, and effectively integrating theoretical and practical insights. This makes it accessible and valuable to a broad range of readers, including scholars, students, and practitioners in the field of storytelling.

Scope of the work

The scope of Michael Krendl’s thesis is broad and interdisciplinary, encompassing several key areas:

  1. Narrative Theory:
    • The thesis explores fundamental concepts in narrative theory, such as suspense, curiosity, and surprise, which are referred to as the „Universals of Narrative“ by Meir Sternberg. ​
    • It examines how these elements are used in storytelling to evoke interest and engage audiences. ​
  2. Cognitive Science:
    • The work integrates cognitive science principles to understand how narratives affect human cognition and emotions. ​
    • It investigates the cognitive processes that enable readers to comprehend and construct narratives, focusing on mental representations, coherence, and the need for sense-making. ​
  3. Psychological Theories of Emotion:
    • The thesis delves into psychological theories of emotion, particularly those related to epistemic emotions like curiosity, confusion, and surprise. ​
    • It discusses how these emotions are evoked by narratives and their role in maintaining reader interest. ​
  4. Narrative Functionalism:
    • The research introduces and elaborates on the concept of narrative functionalism, which states that narrative elements must serve a purpose within the plot to maintain coherence and interest. ​
    • It distinguishes between propulsive and directive functions of narrative elements. ​
  5. Interdisciplinary Approach:
    • The thesis adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from narratology, cognitive science and psychology to provide a comprehensive understanding of how narratives evoke interest. ​
    • It bridges the gap between theoretical insights and practical applications in storytelling. ​
  6. Models and Theories:
    • The work proposes new models, such as the Learn/Effect Model of Interest, which combines learning potential and effect appraisal to explain how interest is generated. ​
    • It also introduces a model of a five-factor model of suspense, providing frameworks for analyzing and creating engaging narratives. ​
  7. Practical Applications:
    • The thesis offers practical insights for writers and storytellers on how to craft narratives that evoke interest through suspense, curiosity, and surprise. ​
    • It discusses techniques like gapping and the use of mood cues to enhance narrative engagement. ​
  8. Empirical and Theoretical Contributions:
    • The research contributes to both empirical and theoretical knowledge in the fields of cognitive narratology and emotion psychology.
    • It suggests areas for further investigation, such as the role of boredom, defamiliarization, and the empirical validation of proposed models. ​

In summary, the scope of the thesis is extensive, covering theoretical foundations, cognitive and emotional mechanisms, practical storytelling techniques, and interdisciplinary connections. It aims to provide a deep understanding of how narratives evoke interest and offers valuable insights for both academic research and practical storytelling. ​

Orthography and accuracy

The thesis is written with a high level of accuracy. All the citations are stated. Every direct reference cites its page number. It was interesting to me that Krendl references indirect literature citations only by stating the author’s name and publication year. Also, I haven’t seen any mistakes in spelling or grammar.

The thesis is written in a language that is academic yet accessible, aiming to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively. The writing style is formal but not overly technical, making it approachable for a wider audience.

Literature

Krendl uses a wide variety of literature from different authors. As mentioned, the various sources relate to the fields of cognitive science, psychology, and narratology. Furthermore, Krendl does not focus on just one work by an author, but refers to multiple works by the same author on a topic that have been published at different times.

His literature sources are primarily books or e-books. He does not separately list internet contributions in a bibliography. Most of the sources are from the last century or the early 2000s, with only a few more recent books. I cannot assess whether this is due to a lack of research in this field in recent years, as I have not yet looked deeply into the topic.

by giovanni.pacifico -

09 – “Story Teller” – Prototype Development

Introduction

After conducting a thorough analysis of different research papers and exploring various existing authoring tools, I embarked on the journey of developing my own prototype. This process involved the examination of the strengths and weaknesses of each tool, as well as an in-depth understanding of the theories and methodologies presented in each research paper. With this knowledge, I then proceeded to apply what I had learned to the creation of my prototype. The objective of this blogpost is to document the process that I underwent during the prototyping phase.

Methodology

I began by listing all the sections I wanted to reimplement from StoryTec, including the G-Flash card system and Story Curve Visualization mode.

  • Story Editor: This is a free canvas where users can drag, resize, move, and zoom in and out of elements.
    • Scenes: These contain characters, interactive elements, and behaviors such as actions, dialogue, and events.
    • Complex Scenes (which I’ll refer to as Stages): These are the environments where scenes take place. They contain stage-specific elements and, of course, the scenes themselves.
  • Stage Editor: In StoryTec, this was a pluggable framework capable of constructing scenes in various ways. For ease of use, I will integrate this as a function of the Story Editor, utilizing a toolbar with drag-and-drop flashcards, similar to G-Flash. In my version, the cards will be fully customizable through the Property Editor.
  • Property Editor: This is a separate tab that adapts based on the selected item. It can add any kind of property to any element.
  • Action Set Editor: In StoryTec, this was a separate editor for setting the logic between element interactions. In my prototype, it will become a button in the Tool tab, connecting elements similarly to how Figma handles prototyping.
  • Asset Manager: A separate tab where uploaded assets can be dragged and dropped either onto the open canvas as images, videos, or sound, or onto elements as properties.
  • Story Curve Visualization: This is an option in the top bar that changes how the scenes are displayed, toggling from the free canvas to a double-axis view of the Story Curve.

After identifying the core features and buttons for my tool, I sketched a basic information architecture on paper. Following this, I created preliminary wireframes to visualize the page’s layout.

Pages, tabs and cards

Starting from the sketches, I prototyped a low-fidelity version of the main pages for my authoring tool.

The home page displays all the stories that a user might want to create, presented in a straightforward gallery.

Each Story file features an „infinite“ zoom canvas where elements, cards, and assets can be dragged and dropped, resized, opened, and minimized. This design maximizes flexibility of thought.

When an element is clicked, the Properties tab displays all details of that specific instance, and allows the creation of new properties if necessary. These properties can be used and referenced as logic variables when establishing connections between elements.

The Stage button in the Bottom Tool Bar offers two main interactions: the New Stage card and the Element card. Both can be dragged onto the canvas and resized to create the desired composition.

Similarly, the Scene button in the Bottom Tool Bar enables the user to draw a new scene or select one of the cards for characters, elements, or behaviors.

Finally, the Story Curve View visualizes different scenes on the Narration order/Story order axis. You can personalize this visualization using the settings tab.

Goals & Conclusion

The main goal of this prototype is to thoroughly test the usability of various complex features, particularly for beginners and new storytellers. I aim to conduct an extensive user test to gain insights into whether the basic principles of User Experience (UX) are being followed and function as intended.

After initial testing and result analysis, I’ll create a higher fidelity prototype. This version will focus more on the user interface, using feedback from the initial tests to ensure a smoother, more intuitive user experience.

In my next blog post, I’ll show the main features of this prototype through a detailed demo video. This will help me show the tool’s functionality and potential.

by giovanni.pacifico -

08 – Trevor Paglen’s “Cyclops” – A complex ARG for a complex storytelling

Introduction

In the realm of digital storytelling, few experiences are as intricate and immersive as „Cyclops,“ an alternative reality game crafted by artist Trevor Paglen. „Cyclops“ serves as a masterclass in nonlinear, interactive narrative, demanding a blend of diverse knowledge areas from its players. This makes it an ideal case study for my authoring tool, which is designed to enable the creation of complex, multifaceted stories that engage audiences in unique and profound ways. Through this blog post, I want to explore how „Cyclops“, with its sophisticated storytelling structure, perfectly aligns with the capabilities of a robust authoring tool.

Summary

„Cyclops“ is an intricate and intimidating alternative reality game designed by artist Trevor Paglen. It features a basic black-and-white digital interface reminiscent of 1970s computer systems and demands extensive knowledge in fields like cryptography, vintage computers, logic, music, and PSYOPS history. Launched at the 2023 Chaos Communication Congress, it required 700 professional hackers three days to reach just the fourth level. Since then, a dedicated group on Discord has continued to collaborate, achieving 53% completion of level three. The game immerses players in complex puzzles and psychological challenges, often guided by Eliza, a reference to the first chatbot, enhancing the sense of psychological warfare.

Paglen’s goal was to create a public art project native to the online world, fostering a community united by shared interests in digital security and coded messages. Cyclops prompts players to reflect on their relationship with digital media and social interactions, blurring the lines between gaming and psychological manipulation. Paglen and his team of experts spent a year developing this intricate digital landscape, which echoes the haunting possibility that today’s internet might be an extension of historical psychological control programs like MK Ultra.

My Conclusions

The main reasons why “Cyclops” is a suited as a case study for my project are:

  • Its Complex Narrative Structure: „Cyclops“ features a nonlinear storyline that challenges players to navigate through cryptographic puzzles, vintage computer systems, and psychological tests. This complexity requires an authoring tool that can handle multiple narrative branches and interconnected storylines seamlessly.
  • Interactive and Immersive Elements: The game’s integration of various media forms, such as audio tracks, ASCII scripts, and visual puzzles, demonstrates the need for an authoring tool capable of embedding diverse interactive elements that enhance user engagement.
  • Collaborative Problem-Solving: „Cyclops“ necessitates collective intelligence and collaboration, which can be facilitated by an authoring tool that supports multi-user interaction and real-time collaboration features. This feature would go outside of the pure realm of an authoring tool for storytellers but could be an interesting future feature to give the player of any ARG a platform where they are able to collaborate, solve and piece together the story that the artist is trying to convey.

References

https://donotresearch.substack.com/p/artist-profile-trevor-paglens-cyclops

by giovanni.pacifico -

07 – Authoring Tools for Storytelling – G-Flash, StoryTec & Story Explorer

Introduction

In my research for case studies on tools for storytelling I’ve read and analysed the two following papers, „G-Flash: A Simple, Graphical Authoring Environment for Interactive Non-Linear Stories“ and „StoryTec: A Digital Storytelling Platform for the Authoring and Experiencing of Interactive and Non-linear Stories“. They provide insightful perspectives on authoring tools designed for different user groups. These tools vary significantly in complexity and user experience, offering valuable insights for developing a prototype authoring tool for interactive, non-linear storytelling. My goal is to gather the insights from these research papers and use them to design my prototype. Furthermore, I will use insights from the research paper “Visualising Nonlinear Narratives with Story Curves”, already discussed in the previous blogpost, to have in mind clear UX goals for my prototype.

Summary

G-Flash and StoryTec are both digital storytelling platforms designed to support the creation of interactive and non-linear stories, but they differ in their specific features and approaches.

G-Flash, as described by Jumail et al. in 2011, focuses on providing guided learning and assistance to young children in creating digital stories using flashcards as the main media element. It emphasizes the tutored approach to guided learning, allowing students to receive the right amount of assistance without compromising their creativity and motivation. The system architecture of G-Flash is Flash-based and web-based, with a focus on using illustrated flashcards to guide story creation.

On the other hand, StoryTec, as introduced by Göbel et al. in 2018, is a digital storytelling platform that enables the authoring and experiencing of interactive and non-linear stories. It provides an authoring environment with different editors for creating and manipulating story units, as well as a runtime engine for controlling interactive scenarios during runtime. StoryTec also includes a Story Editor for managing story structures and an Action Set Editor for defining transitions among scenes..

In summary, G-Flash focuses on providing guided learning and assistance to young children using flashcards, while StoryTec is designed to enable the creation and visualization of interactive and non-linear stories through its authoring environment and runtime engine.

Both platforms aim to facilitate the creation of digital stories, but G-Flash emphasizes guided learning for children, while StoryTec provides a comprehensive authoring framework for interactive and non-linear narratives.

My conclusions

From G-Flash, I could incorporate the concept of guided learning and assistance giving within the digital storytelling application to help beginner creative writers. This can be achieved by providing a tutored approach and using flashcards-like visuals as a media element to guide story creation. According to the study, the use of illustrated flashcards motivates children and helps them recall their experiences; this can be a valuable feature to include in my authoring tool to improve recall of more complex events in a non-linear story.

From StoryTec, I can take the focus on a user-friendly and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) for the authoring environment to help beginner creative writers without programming skills to create interactive stories. Additionally, the separation of story structure and story content in StoryTec can be a valuable insight to consider when developing your authoring tool, as it allows for flexibility in creating and playing different story elements based on the same structure. A runtime engine for the interactive storytelling platform would be interesting to implement but requires more research.

To enhance the user experience, I want to incorporate the visualization technique of Story Curves, [Blogpost 6] to reveal nonlinear narrative patterns and provide a helpful overview of the story structure. This visualization method can be used to help beginner creative writers understand the nonlinear narrative patterns in their stories and provide a visual representation of the story’s structure. I am going to take in consideration UX issues discussed in the Story Curve paper regarding the Story Explorer tool:

  1. Readability and Learnability: The evaluation of Story Explorer highlighted that some participants had difficulty in reading both story and narrative order at the same time. This suggests that providing a clear distinction between different narrative orders and visual aids for reading two axes could be useful for reading story curves.
  2. Control of Origin and Time Jumps: Participants in the evaluation study of Story Explorer struggled with the initial disorientation caused by the placement of the origin at the upper left corner and confusion between flashforwards and flashbacks. The analysis suggested that providing control of the origin of the axes and visual aids for time jumps could improve user experience.
  3. Scalability and Clean Visualization: Story Explorer integrated mechanisms to ensure a clean and scalable visualization, even for stories with hundreds of scenes. The semantic zoom feature with different representations for story elements was identified as a key factor in preventing clutter in the story graph representation.

In conclusion, by combining the insights from G-Flash, StoryTec and Story Explorer I can develop an authoring tool that provides guided learning, assistance giving, and a user-friendly interface for creating interactive, non-linear stories using the Story Curves visualization Method.

References

  1. Jumail, D. R. A. Rambli and S. Sulaiman, „G-Flash: An authoring tool for guided digital storytelling,“ 2011 IEEE Symposium on Computers & Informatics, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2011, pp. 396-401, doi: 10.1109/ISCI.2011.5958948.
  2. S. Göbel, L. Salvatore and R. Konrad, „StoryTec: A Digital Storytelling Platform for the Authoring and Experiencing of Interactive and Non-Linear Stories,“ 2008 International Conference on Automated Solutions for Cross Media Content and Multi-Channel Distribution, Florence, Italy, 2008, pp. 103-110, doi: 10.1109/AXMEDIS.2008.45.
  3. N. W. Kim, B. Bach, H. Im, S. Schriber, M. Gross and H. Pfister, „Visualizing Nonlinear Narratives with Story Curves,“ in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 595-604, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2017.2744118.
by giovanni.pacifico -

06 – Visualizing Nonlinear Narratives with Story Curves

Introduction

In the realm of digital storytelling, presenting nonlinear narratives can be particularly challenging due to their complex structures and the intricacies involved in their visualization. The paper „Visualizing Nonlinear Narratives with Story Curves“ introduces an innovative approach to tackling this issue through the development of story curves and the Story Explorer tool. As I move on into the creation of my prototype, the insights from this paper will be instrumental in shaping the way I visualize and manage nonlinear narratives. By integrating story curves into my prototype, I aim to enhance the user’s understanding and interaction with complex storylines, providing a more intuitive and engaging experience.

Summary

The paper introduces story curves, a visualization technique designed to reveal patterns in nonlinear narratives by mapping events in a two-dimensional plot based on their chronological and narrative order. The core component of this system is the Story Explorer, an interactive tool that allows users to curate and explore the chronological sequence of scenes in a movie script. The Story Explorer parses scripts to extract scenes, characters, and metadata, presenting them alongside the story curves for a comprehensive view of the narrative structure.

A schematic diagram showing how to construct a story curve from a sequence of events in story and narrative order (left). An example of a story curve of the movie Pulp Fiction (right) showing characters (colored segments), location (colored bands), and day-time (gray backdrop). A nonlinearity index is calculated based on the degree of deviation of narrative order from actual story order.

User tests were conducted to evaluate the readability and learnability of story curves. Participants were asked to answer questions regarding pattern recognition within the story curves, and the results indicated a generally high level of comprehension, with an average correctness rate of 80%. The tests highlighted some challenges, such as the simultaneous interpretation of both story and narrative orders, but overall demonstrated the effectiveness of story curves in conveying complex narrative patterns.

The goals of these tests were to assess the practicality of story curves in real-world applications and to identify areas for improvement. The results showed that story curves are a valuable tool for screenplay analysis, education, and film production, offering new perspectives on narrative structures that were previously difficult to visualize. The feedback from professional writers and scholars further emphasized the potential of story curves to revolutionize the way nonlinear narratives are understood and created.

My conclusions

Story Curves are a type of narrative visualization that is able to help both novice and experienced storytellers build a coherent non-linear narrative in, potentially, any kind media of their choice (ARG, video, web, installation, etc.).

With an improved version of Story Explorer new narrative patterns could arise due to new variables, such as media and readers interaction with the story. Adding new feature related to the challenges of multiple media and community creation would be a very interesting topic to explore and could be the ground for my digital prototype.

References

N. W. Kim, B. Bach, H. Im, S. Schriber, M. Gross and H. Pfister, „Visualizing Nonlinear Narratives with Story Curves,“ in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 595-604, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2017.2744118.

by stefanie.weber -

#06 Stilisierung in der Videografie

Die Videografie vereint verschiedene Kunstformen zu einem fesselnden visuellen Erlebnis. Ein gut stilisiertes Video erfordert eine sorgfältige Kombination von Storytelling, Kamera Movements und Color Grading. In diesem Beitrag tauchen wir tief in diese Elemente ein, beginnen mit dem Storytelling und zeigen, wie Kamera Movements und Color Grading die Erzählung unterstützen und verstärken.

Storytelling: Die Grundlage jeder guten Geschichte

Gutes Storytelling ist das Herzstück eines jeden erfolgreichen Videos. Es geht darum, den Zuschauer auf eine emotionale Reise mitzunehmen und ihn durch eine gut strukturierte Geschichte zu fesseln. Eine starke Erzählung hat einige grundlegende Elemente: eine klare Struktur mit einem Anfang, einer Mitte und einem Ende, interessante Charaktere mit Tiefe und glaubwürdigen Motiven sowie die Darstellung von Emotionen und inneren Konflikten, die die Geschichte authentisch und berührend machen.

Eine gut erzählte Geschichte beginnt oft mit einer Exposition, die den Zuschauer in die Welt der Charaktere einführt. Die Handlung entwickelt sich weiter, indem Konflikte und Herausforderungen aufgeworfen werden, die die Charaktere überwinden müssen. Diese Entwicklungen führen zu einem Höhepunkt, in dem die Hauptkonflikte ihren dramatischen Höhepunkt erreichen. Schließlich folgt die Auflösung, in der die offenen Fragen beantwortet und die Geschichte zu einem zufriedenstellenden Abschluss gebracht wird. Eine gut erzählte Geschichte bildet die Basis, auf der die anderen stilistischen Elemente aufbauen.

Kamera Movements: Bewegung und Dynamik zur Unterstützung der Erzählung

Kamera Movements spielen eine wesentliche Rolle dabei, wie eine Geschichte visuell vermittelt wird. Sie können die Stimmung und das Tempo der Erzählung beeinflussen und dem Zuschauer helfen, sich in die Handlung einzufühlen. Die Wahl der Kamerabewegung kann die Art und Weise, wie eine Geschichte wahrgenommen wird, stark beeinflussen und die emotionale Wirkung verstärken. Die unterschiedlichen Kamera Movements und ihre Wirkung oder Anwendung wie folgt:

  • Statische Aufnahmen: Sie wirken ruhig und stabil und eignen sich für Szenen, die Klarheit und Fokus erfordern. Sie vermitteln eine gewisse Objektivität und Ruhe.
  • Schwenks und Neigungen: Diese Bewegungen können verwendet werden, um dem Zuschauer Informationen zu geben und ihn auf bestimmte Details oder Personen zu lenken. Sie fügen Dynamik hinzu und lassen die Kamera dem Geschehen folgen.
  • Tracking Shots: Diese Aufnahmen folgen einem Objekt oder einer Person und schaffen ein Gefühl von Nähe und Intimität. Sie eignen sich besonders für Szenen, in denen die Bewegung der Charaktere im Vordergrund steht.
  • Handheld-Kamera: Handheld-Aufnahmen wirken oft unruhig und spontan, was eine höhere Intensität und Authentizität vermittelt. Sie werden häufig in Action-Szenen oder bei dramatischen Momenten eingesetzt, um ein Gefühl der Unmittelbarkeit und des Chaos zu erzeugen.

Color Grading: Die Magie der Farben

Color Grading ist ein mächtiges Werkzeug, um die Stimmung und den visuellen Stil eines Videos zu definieren. Es geht über die bloße Farbkorrektur hinaus und umfasst die kreative Anpassung der Farben, um eine bestimmte Atmosphäre zu erzeugen.

Durch die gezielte Wahl von Farbtönen können verschiedene Emotionen und Stimmungen erzeugt werden. Warme Farben wie Rot, Orange und Gelb erzeugen ein Gefühl von Wärme und Geborgenheit, während kalte Farben wie Blau und Grün Kühle und Distanz vermitteln. Ein konsistentes Color Grading hilft, einen einheitlichen Look zu schaffen und visuelle Kohärenz zu gewährleisten. Dies ist besonders wichtig bei längeren Projekten oder Serien.

Farben können auch symbolische Bedeutungen haben und subtile Botschaften übermitteln. Beispielsweise kann die Verwendung von Rot Gefahr oder Leidenschaft symbolisieren, während Blau für Ruhe oder Traurigkeit stehen kann. Durch die Anpassung von Kontrast, Sättigung und anderen Farbparametern kann der Videograf die visuelle Sprache des Films prägen.

Techniken und Looks im Color Grading

Primäre Farbkorrektur umfasst die grundlegende Anpassung von Belichtung, Kontrast und Weißabgleich, um sicherzustellen, dass das Bild korrekt belichtet und farblich ausgewogen ist. Sekundäre Farbkorrektur geht einen Schritt weiter und ermöglicht die Anpassung spezifischer Farben oder Bereiche des Bildes, um beispielsweise Hauttöne zu korrigieren oder bestimmte Farben hervorzuheben. Look-Up Tables (LUTs) sind vordefinierte Farbprofile, die schnell auf Videomaterial angewendet werden können, um einen bestimmten Look zu erzeugen und einen konsistenten Stil zu gewährleisten.

Viele Videografen streben nach einem „filmischen“ Look, der an klassische Kinofilme erinnert. Dies kann durch die Anpassung von Kontrast, Sättigung und Filmkorn erreicht werden. Ein filmischer Look verleiht dem Video eine gewisse Tiefe und Textur, die an das Aussehen von Zelluloidfilm erinnert und dem Zuschauer ein nostalgisches und qualitativ hochwertiges Gefühl vermittelt.

Jedoch gibt es zahlreiche Arten und Stile Videos zu bearbeiten und dies ist immer abhängig von ihrem Kontext und der Story, die damit erzählt werden sollte.

❀

Bei meinem „Freiluft“ Day to Night Projekt möchte ich das Storytelling mithilfe von Color Grading und Kamera Movement verstärken. Das Video sollte wie ein Liebesbrief an mein jüngeres ich sein. Um diesen Gedanken zu verstärken, habe ich die meisten Szenen in einer zusehenden Perspektive gedreht und ein Stativ aufgestellt, damit das Footage sehr ruhig wirkt und diese Ruhe auch durch die „nicht“-Bewegung der Kamera vermittelt wird.

Neben dem Footage, das mit dem Stativ gefilmt wurde, habe ich Footage geplant, wo die Kamera Handheld filmt. Diese Bilder sollen Nähe und Authentizität vermitteln. Gleichzeitig sollen sie so aussehen, als würde eine andere Person die Person im Bild ansehen, deswegen auch die etwas unruhigere Aufnahme. Es verstärkt den Effekt von Nähe und vermittelt eine gewisse Emotion von der Person im Frame.

Bezüglich Color Grading bearbeite ich die Farben und das finale Video so, dass es aussieht, als wäre die Szene in der Nacht. Diese kreative Farbkorrektur sollte die Storyline unterstützen, indem sie eine gewisse Distanz zur Szene schafft. Wäre das Footage bei Tageslicht, könnte es so wirken, als wäre es eine Szene in der Gegenwart. Jedoch kann man durch die dunkle Stimmung sogar einen Traum in den Bildern interpretieren. Grundsätzlich ist solch eine Szene in der Nacht auch ungewöhnlich, denn wer spielt, tanzt, sitzt oder liegt in der Nacht in einem abgelegenen Feld am Waldrand ohne jegliches Licht oder Begleitung. Gleichzeitig verstärken genau diese Punkte das Gefühl von Freiheit und Sorglosigkeit, deshalb auch die Weite des Feldes und die offene, fast endlos wirkende Wiese.

Literatur

Snyder, Blake: Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need

McKee, Robert: Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting

Hurkman, Alexis Van: Color Correction Handbook: Professional Techniques for Video and Cinema

Hurkman, Alexis Van: Color Correction Look Book: Creative Grading Techniques for Film and Video

by leonie.dunke -

16 | Pen&Paper

In the past few weeks, I participated in two game nights where I experienced the unique concept of Pen & Paper for the first time. I found the approach of these games fascinating: you create an entire world using certain guidelines that don’t have to be strictly followed. These rules are there to help you immerse yourself in the game and to give you a nudge if you get stuck. I had a lot of fun playing and realised that the creative approach to world-building has many parallels with our degree programme and the development of new concepts.

What Exactly is Pen & Paper?

Pen & Paper (also known as Pen-and-Paper Role-Playing Games) is a cooperative role-playing game where players embody characters in a fictional world. A game master narrates the story, describes the environment, and plays the non-player characters. The players respond, make decisions, and influence the course of the story. Everything is managed with pen and paper, dice, and rulebooks.

What are GM-less Pen & Paper Games?

GM-less Pen & Paper games, also known as „GM-free“ role-playing games, do not have a fixed game master. The narrative and administrative tasks are shared among all players. These games use mechanics that support the progression of the game without a single person taking full responsibility. The rules are often flexible and encourage the creative input of all players. Some games provide detailed instructions, while others offer more room for improvisation, ensuring that all players equally contribute to the story.

My Experience with the First Paper&Pen Game I played

In my first game, we played as reporters trying to uncover a story. The story was unclear at the start, and we only had random words that needed to be incorporated into the game later, forming the framework of the plot. Our goal was not just to reveal events but also to develop characters and explore the relationships between them. The game was guided by questions provided with the game. Each turn began with revealing a question that had to be answered or given to another player to answer. This shaped the character and put them in challenging situations if the answers had negative consequences. The game ended once all questions were answered. Although it could theoretically go on indefinitely, we ended it after three hours. Within this time, we developed very different worlds and characters compared to another group of players.

My Experience with the Game Follow

The approach in Follow was slightly different. At the beginning, we roughly imagined our characters and a world where the goal was to find a treasure. We quickly settled on a pirate story as the foundation. After setting up the basics, we faced challenges that we had to overcome through strategic thinking and storytelling. A character could die along the way, but the player would stay in the game, taking on a new character that had previously appeared as a minor character.

Conclusion

I found it very interesting to see how different the results could be despite having the same framework conditions. This is very similar to design projects, where different concepts emerge despite having the same starting points, depending on the experiences of the participants. A challenge in this type of game is the unpredictability of character development; you could suddenly become the villain. The story changes constantly, making anything possible. It’s important to embrace this style of play and not take it personally if you are excluded from the game, as the progression is unpredictable.

by lamija.kocan -

“Intergenerational Digital Storytelling” | 07

New Feature: Family Health History

In addition to existing features, a new component will be added to the app – Family Health History. This private section will allow users to document and access comprehensive health information about family members, including allergies, intolerances, and more serious conditions such as strokes, cancers, or autoimmune diseases. Access to this feature will be protected by a password, providing users with the option to view this information if desired.

Potential Challenges for me as an Designer:

  1. Designing a User-Friendly Interface: Ensuring that the Family Health History feature is seamlessly integrated into the app’s existing interface without overwhelming users or compromising usability.
  2. Addressing Sensitivity: Designing the interface and user experience in a way that respects the sensitivity of health-related information, balancing transparency with privacy.
  3. User Education: Developing educational materials within the app to help users understand the importance of documenting and reviewing family health history, as well as guiding them on how to use this feature effectively.

Potential Challenges for Developers and Technical Teams:

  1. Data Security: Implementing robust encryption and access control measures to safeguard sensitive health information, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
  2. Database Management: Designing a scalable and efficient database structure to store and retrieve health-related data while maintaining performance and responsiveness.
  3. Integration with Existing Features: Ensuring seamless integration of the Family Health History feature with the app’s existing functionalities, such as user authentication and data synchronisation across devices.

Potential solutions to the mentioned problems:

  1. User-Friendly Interface: Conduct user testing and iterative design cycles to refine the interface, focusing on clarity, simplicity, and intuitive navigation. Provide tooltips, tutorials, or guided tours to help users understand and utilize the Family Health History feature.
  2. Sensitivity Considerations: Offer clear privacy settings and consent prompts, allowing users to control who can access their health information. Provide options for users to add notes or context to health entries, encouraging open communication within families.
  3. User Education: Develop informative guides or pop-up messages within the app to educate users about the importance of family health history and how it can benefit future generations. Incorporate interactive elements or quizzes to engage users and reinforce learning.
  4. Data Security: Implement robust encryption algorithms and secure storage protocols to protect health data both in transit and at rest. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks.
  5. Database Management: Design a flexible and scalable database schema capable of accommodating various types of health information while maintaining data integrity and relational structure. Implement efficient indexing and query optimization techniques to enhance performance.
  6. Integration with Existing Features: Collaborate closely with the development team to ensure seamless integration of the Family Health History feature with the app’s backend infrastructure and frontend user interface. Conduct thorough testing and debugging to identify and resolve any compatibility issues.