2nd Edition
Story Structure and Development A Guide for Animators, VFX Artists, Game Designers, and XR Creators
Professor Craig Caldwell’s Story Structure and Development: A Guide for Animators, VFX Artists, Game Designers, and XR Creators offers a clear approach to the essentials of story. It lays out the fundamental elements, principles, and structure for animators, designers, and artists so they can incorporate these concepts in their work. As a practical guide it includes extensive insights and advice from industry professionals. Readers will learn the universal patterns of story and narrative used in today’s movies, animation, games, and VR.
Thoroughly revised and updated, the Second Edition features new film and animation examples. With over 200 colorful images, this book has been designed for visual learners, and is organized to provide access to story concepts for the screen media professional and student. Readers will discover the story fundamentals referred to by every director and producer when they say, "It’s all about story".
Key Features:
- Consolidates into one text universal story structure used across the digital media industry Includes enormous visuals that illustrate and reinforce concepts for visual learners
- Organizes content for faculty to use sections in a non-linear manner
- Includes chapter objectives, review questions, and key terms to guide the reader
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
Biography
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.
