1. Assignment brief
Qualification
Level 3 90 Credit Diploma in Creative Media Production – GAMES DESIGN Y1
Unit number and title
UNIT 74: COMPUTER GAME STORY DEVELOPMENT
Start date 23rd
February 2015
Deadline 22nd
May 2015
Assessor name Jordan Eastwood
Assignment title
COMIC/GRAPHIC NOVEL
The purpose of this assignment is to:
Understand the elements of storytelling for games
Be able to create story for a game following industry practice
Be able to create game dialogue following industry practice.
Scenario
Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel writer and illustrator. She has created very successful graphic novels about growing up as
a young woman in the fraught political climate of Iran in the 1970s. They are beautifully illustrated, full of strong cultural
references, emotion and humour.
Along with other artists, Satrapi has launched a national competition for students aged between 15-19 to create their own
comic strip/graphic novel based on their own lives set in the past, present or future. All entries must be illustrated on an
A2 storyboard.
Building upon some of your studies completed and skills developed in the last 2 assignments, you will write and illustrate a
short comic or graphic novel extract. This will feature you as the main character and/or narrator. The story will focus on
specific events in your life that have already happened or are yet to happen. So the story can be based in reality or in
fantasy.
You will produce a collection of environment, object and character drawings through first hand observational studies and
photographs. You will gain an understanding of story writing strategies such as narration, monologue, dialogue, learning
how to create dramatic tension and build more intricate storylines. You will apply your own observations of human
attitudes and emotions to the development of convincing characters for your story concept.
All work will be carefully evaluated as you work through the creative process, then uploaded onto your blog and discussed
in the form of a group critique.
Work to be submitted
Research into diverse cultural, historical & contemporary comics, graphic novels and illustrations.
Initial drafts & final written story.
Collection of drawings/photographs of objects, character and environment.
Storyboarding ideas.
Outcome- A2 size fully illustrated storyboard.
Evaluations & group presentation.
Tasks Grading Criteria Mapping
2. Task 1: Research into story writing techniques &
historical/contemporary comics, graphic novels & illustrations.
You will gain an understanding of story writing strategies such as narration, monologue & dialogue.
You will learn about the importance of dramatic tension and how to develop more intricate
storylines.
You will gather research of diverse cultural historical & contemporary comics, graphic novels and
illustrations.
You will collect secondary source images to build a mood board. This mood board will begin to
inform your ideas for your own story, characters, environments and objects.
Remember: You are trying to comprehensively explain the elements of storytelling for games with
elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly.
P1, M1, D1
Task 2: Writing your story
You will produce a series of drafts for a story which will span 24 hours in the life of you. This can
be a you in the past, present or future. You will apply your own observations of human attitudes
and emotions to the development of convincing characters for your story concept. You will
carefully consider the environment for your characters and the objects in that particular
environment and those used by the characters.
Remember: You are trying to comprehensively explain the elements of storytelling for games with
elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly. You are also attempting
to create story for a game following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working
independently to professional expectations.
P1, M1, D1, P2, M2, D2
Task 3: Generating visual ideas & artwork for your story
You will generate ideas for your story, through first hand observational studies and photographs.
Remember: You are attempting to create story for a game following industry practice, showing
creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. You are also trying to
create game dialogue following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working
independently to professional expectations.
P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3
Task 4: Development of a storyboard
Using a storyboard template, you will begin to experiment with the sequence of events in your
story and attempt to include dialogue, monologue and dramatic tension through layout, focus and
detail.
Remember: You are attempting to create story for a game following industry practice, showing
creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. You are also trying to
create game dialogue following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working
independently to professional expectations.
P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3
Task 5: Further Development of storyboard
Once you have drafted up your illustrated story, you will refine areas and develop alternative and
appropriate ideas for a colour palette. Using coloured pens or paint, you will add colour to your
illustrations.
Remember: You are attempting to create story for a game following industry practice, showing
creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. You are also trying to
create game dialogue following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working
independently to professional expectations.
P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3
Task 6: Outcome
Produce a full colour A2 illustrated storyboard for your comic/graphic novel.
You will also include a synopsis of your comic/graphic novel. All of this work will be scanned in
P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3
3. and uploaded onto your blog.
Remember: You are attempting to create story for a game following
industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working independently to professional
expectations. You are also trying to create game dialogue following industry practice, showing
creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations.
Task 7: Present & Evaluate
You will introduce your comic and graphic novel extract to the rest of the group in a group
critique, showing all of your earlier development work and inspirations.
The rest of the group will ask you specific questions, all of this will be videoed and uploaded onto
your blog along with the rest of your work.
Remember: You are attempting to create story for a game following industry practice, showing
creativity and flair and working independently to professional expectations. You are also trying to
create game dialogue following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working
independently to professional expectations.
P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3
This brief has been verified as being fit for purpose
Assessor
Signature Date
Internal verifier
Signature Date
Unit 74: Computer Game Story Development
P1 summarise accurately the
elements of storytelling for
games using some subject
terminology appropriately
M1 explain the elements of
storytelling for games
with reference to detailed
illustrative examples and
with generally correct use of
subject terminology
D1 comprehensively explain
the elements of storytelling
for games with elucidated
examples and consistently
using subject terminology
correctly
P2 create story for a game
following industry practice,
working within appropriate
conventions and with some
assistance
M2 create story for a game
following industry practice,
showing some imagination
and with only occasional
assistance
D2 create story for a game
following industry practice,
showing creativity and flair
and working independently
to professional expectations
P3 create game dialogue
following industry practice,
working within appropriate
conventions and with some
assistance.
M3 create game dialogue
following industry practice,
showing some imagination
and with only occasional
assistance.
D3 create game dialogue
following industry practice,
showing creativity and flair
and working independently
to professional expectations.
