Building Storyworlds: New Media Producing

BUILDING
STORYWORLDS
New Media Producing
Building Storyworlds: the art, craft & biz of storytelling in 21c
Class 3 9.26.12

Columbia University - Fall 2012
Taught by Lance Weiler
Visit www.buildingstoryworlds.com
Released under a Non-Commercial ShareAlike Creative Commons License

lance@lanceweiler.com
@lanceweiler

ASK YOURSELF
1. What is the story about?
2. What does the story mean to you?
3. Why does the story need to be told?
4. Where is the story best told?

@lanceweiler www.lanceweiler.com

Chart by Robert Pratten @lanceweiler www.lanceweiler.com

Like a bullet hole in glass start with your core idea and let
it ripple out. Leave room for the audience to test & break it.


Consider who you’re hoping to reach. Attempt to step into their shoes.

5 WHYS
Why should I pay attention?

Why should I care?

Why should I share?

Why should I take the time?

Why should I return?


Establish design filters that you return to throughout the
development, production and distribution process.

What gives your storyworld

VALUE


How can the stories you tell be more than entertainment? Can they help
people discover things, learn, or connect with others? Value is what brings
people back and fuels the spreadibility .

STORY
AS UTILITY

What is it that makes someone

CARE


What gets someone

EMOTIONALLY
INVESTED


Don’t forget to make it

FUN


At the core it should be

SOCIAL &
PARTICIPATORY


An idea
evolves &
gains power
with openness.


A storyworld
evolves &
spreads when
people feel
connected.

Leave room in your
design for

Participation &
Experimentation


Emergent
Narrative &
Collaboration
can be messy.

Collaborative Layers
Much of the design makes use of collaborative layering. It helps provide guidance, improves
qualityof creative submissions and gives participants a sense of accomplishment.

CORE

FILTERED

SHARED

OPEN


The
STORY
LAYER
It is now possible to lay a story overtop of the real world.
http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2012/01/listen-as-your-story-talks-to-the-internet/


The Story Layer enables stories to become

Social
Connected
Personalized
Pervasive

Want to build immersive storytelling experiences?

Start by considering behavior.


How do animals
search for food?


How do
humans search
for information?


Information foraging theory
is based on the analogy of an animal
deciding what to eat, where it can be
found, the best way to obtain it and how
much “energy” the meal will provide.


Applying Foraging Theory to
how human’s search improves
discovery and the usability of
various user interfaces.
“Information Theory” by Peter Pirolli & Stuart Card 1999


People following a path are constantly
asking themselves 2 questions.

1. What can I expect to gain following
this path?

2. What is the likely cost to reach my
destination?


Chart by XCKD

Storyworlds can have linear and horizontal timelines.


Storyworlds have character and user journeys.


Don't hold tight to your characters.
When constructing a storyworld
the themes that drive the story
are often stronger. #sw21c
From “Building Storyworlds the art, craft & biz of storytelling in 21c”
http://buildingstoryworlds.com/book


Example of a series bible for Battlestar Galactica by Ronald D. Moore
http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Battlestar_Galactica/Battlestar_Galactica_Series_Bible.pdf

WHAT’S IN A
STORYWORLD BIBLE
CHARACTER GAME
-Motivations -Game Types RPG, Social
-Arcs Games, Puzzle based, ARG,
-Backstory Narrative based
-Relationships -Collaborative / Competive
-Notes -Reward / Conflicts
-Dialogue -Win / Loose Conditions
-Experiences -Continuous Play?
-Live or Scripted Characters
CHARTING -What will players do?
-Script Annotation -Why is that fun?
-Flow Docs -Replayability
-Mindmaps
-Points of Entry

Materials from the storyworld of Hope is Missing (HiM)


DIALOGUE SETTING

PROPS EVENTS

THEMES MOTIF

CHARACTERS LOCATIONS

STORY
Elements of a storyworld use common building blocks

PROPS

THEMES

MOTIF

SETTING

The following example from Hope is Missing builds from these core elements.


During a closed beta we tested elements of the Hope is Missing (HiM) storyworld.


Participants step into the shoes of the protagonist by using a special mobile app.

Find other survivors, scavenge for supplies and find shelter before night fall.


Entry gameplay by dropping into an infected area.


Participants create their own spaces and shelters using the camera on their mobile device
Shoot in a 360 and we stitched it together on the backend to form a panoramic image.


Players navigate by moving the phone or swiping with a finger. Augmented elements lead
to key story assets such as video, audio, text and a red “X” lead to another user created space.


Snap shot of the usage of the app over a limited period of time.
Each marker represents a new user crated space


Over 50,000 downloads
CONTEXTUAL
STORYTELLING 2000+ spaces created

Data collected
MEDIA SOCIAL GRAPH
- GPS data
STORYWORLD GATEWAY
- Make and model of handset
STORY DETECTION
- OS of the handset
MOBILE APPS
- Email address
BROWSER PLUGINS
- Phone number

- Amount of usage


Chart by Mike Dicks @ BleedinEdge @lanceweiler www.lanceweiler.com

MEDIA DIET
Wired Magazine

Consider consumption
habits and entry points.


6 TIPS FOR BUILDING A
STORYWORLD
1. Take time to evaluate the story you want to tell.

2. Ask yourself the hard questions – why will anyone care? Is this
the best way to tell the story?

3. Let go of a single POV.

4. Consider how you can show not tell.

5. Make it easy for your audience to become collaborators.

6. Don’t let the world get in the way of the stor.y

THANK YOU
Contact:
@lanceweiler
www.lanceweiler.com
SUGGESTED READING:

Treating Story as Software
http://www.slideshare.net/lanceweiler/storyas-software-weiler
The Art of Immersion
http://www.slideshare.net/lanceweiler/buo
“Learn Do Share” – storytelling, collaboration and social innovation in 21c
http://learndoshare.net
Building Storyworlds: the art, craft & biz of storytelling in 21c
http://buildingstoryworlds.com/book

Building Storyworlds: New Media Producing

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