During today’s class, we will start with your beginning of class writing assignment, discuss the reading, and then turn our attention to your scripts and storyboards for Project 2. With the remaining class time, you can plan the execution of your video (filming, editing, etc.) and record it in a brief memo.
To begin, spend the first ten minutes of class writing a summary memo of your reading from Chapter 6, “Characters, Dialogue, and Emotion.” This chapter is packed with information, which we will review together momentarily. For now, memorialize what you took away from the chapter as being important or useful information. Did you think of examples from your own experience that connect to the different topics in the chapter? Make a note of these in your summary and tell us about them during discussion and lecture.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Mariah Rajah
Re: Miller’s Chapter 6 Summary
Date: February, 29th, 2016
As I dig deeper into Miller’s Digital Storytelling A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment, I am taken back by how much digital storytelling incorporated traditional storytelling but in a way in which it becomes a heightened experience. Chapter 6, “Characters, Dialogue, and Emotions” goes into a lengthy discussion about the various ways digital storytelling has changed the perception of characters and the way in which players and users interact with them. A key take away from this chapter I believe would be Miller’s mention of user’s point of view, the differences in the way a user sees or interacts with the character they are portraying to be can impact the behavior and emotions of the user. First-person point of view allows the user to act as though he or she is the one actually carrying out the actions whereas third-person allows the user to witness the game as though he or she is merely controlling him or herself. Point of view interprets how we see ourselves in the game and the level that we immerse ourselves within it as well. With the capabilities of VR technology point of view in digital storytelling takes on an entirely new interpretation which allows for us to speculate what impacts this could have on point of view. With putting more emphasis on character and character development Miller introduces us to a concept of Character arc which focuses on a protagonist and not the antagonist. Character arc is the process during the course of the story in which the protagonist grows and changes. In digital storytelling, protagonists are important not only to the story but also to the user’s development. That interaction that creates various battles allows the user to grow and adapt to the changing nature of the game in which they created.
TO: Professor Ellis
FROM: Samantha
DATE: 2/29
SUBJECT: CH6
Chapter 6 focuses on the development of characters and how we interact with them as well as how they interact with us. As per the start of the chapter characters are an essential part of digital story telling as well as historical narratives. Some of the important roles characters provide are; user entry into an unfamiliar or intimidating world or landscape, offer assistance and add excitement. The book provides the example of Lara Croft who’s widely known for tomb raider but I also think of Master Chief from the HALO series as doing the same thing. Both characters provide interactivity, guidance when the user may be lost and their monologues provide excitement to the game. Miller compares these games and characters to classic or linear games with no characters at all. Games like snake and tetris which had levels but no real story line. These games were just as popular for a slew of reasons but they mainly focused on the user not the story. Overall digital story telling is most unique and notable for their point of view and how the user understands and moves about the game.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Pamela Drake
Subject: Digital Storytelling
Summary of Chapter 6 – Characters, Dialogue, and Emotions
Date: February 28, 2016
In chapter 6 in Digital Storytelling, Miller states that digital media has added a new aspect to storytelling which has allowed the user to have a much more engagement and a greater experience. It has made storytellin responsive by providing instant feedback. In contrast to traditional characters, characters in digital media offer more interaction. Users can make the story more personal by sharing in its creation yet still maintaining the element of surprise and excitement.Miller also states that using dialog in digital media, although limited, is also interactive and can allow the user to have choices in what happens to the character or how the character responds. An example mentioned in the chatterbot which is a program that attempts to simulate the conversation or “chatter” of a human being. Miller mentions Eliza, well-known early attempts at creating programs that could at least temporarily fool a real human being into thinking they were talking to another person. A chatterbot can be thought of as the spokesperson for an artificial intelligence. Another one that that come to mind is Artificial Linguistic Computer Entity otherwise known as Alice. ALICE is programmed with AIML (Artificial Intelligence Markup Language). This technology is frequently used in games and have become common standard.
Another representation mentioned by Miller is the use of avatars. As a representation of the user or player, avatars can be predetermined or customized. Miller states the there are a variety of forms of digital storytelling ranging from those with characters that appear on the screen, to those with no characters. This Miller relates to the user’s point of view. It allows the us to see the action as if we are right there. In contrast, the second point of view, Miller states, allows us to not only feel as if we are right there but also see parts of the avatar. The main takeaway is that the user has choices in deciding the outcome of the interaction. The user is just as important to the experience as the character and although this form of storytelling is challenging, it provides far more emotional experiences than traditional storytelling.
To: Professor Ellis
From: Jodieann Stephenson
Re: Miller’s Chapter 6 Summary
Date: February, 29th, 2016
In Chapter 6 of Miller’s book, she explores characters, dialogue and emotions. Specifically, she dives into the characters and character development in digital storytelling and the changing ways of characters from traditional linear ways of storytelling to a more interactive approach to digital storytelling. Then she takes a leap to the characters, users, as protagonist. This goes in line with what she mentioned from the previous chapter of the writers journey. But I think the most important part of the chapter was the discussion of the point of view (POV). I never took into consideration the different views that character has and all the nuances that have been set in place for each story and its development. It is almost lucid, in a strange way. It is also important to keep in mind how the destiny has pretty much been determined but there is a sweet knowing that the player has a “chance” to change the already predetermined destiny.
In a separate conversation, this chapter made me wonder if this “life,” which we have coined, if it also has a POV and if so maybe this is a game?