Welcome to the Scriptwriting for Games and Online Video Course at NZ Writers' College.
Want to write scripts for the fastest growing writing industry in the world?
The gaming and interactive media industries generate more than $15 billion per annum in the US alone. A key reason why people buy a game or use interactive media is the quality of the script. What makes for a blockbuster game or makes a webisode go viral is the compelling storyline, and writing these is a highly sought-after skill.
This 10-module online course will teach you how to write scripts for webisodes, mobisodes, video, computer and social networking games.
Learn how to plot, structure a script, write authentic dialogue and develop characters, among other skills. Tutor Edwin McRae - previously a writer for the Shortland Street series - will provide support and expert feedback on your writing in 20 writing assignments. The aim is to produce at least one full spec script by the end of the course.
Course Details:
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Cost: $995.00 GST inclusive
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Modules: 10 Modules
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Duration: Course can be completed at own pace: between six and twelve months
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Start date: At any time; applications all year round via our website
Student must complete:
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Complete 20 writing exercises for assessment and feedback and produce one full spec script.
Admission Requirements:
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Basic writing skills are essential
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Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
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No previous tertiary qualification required
Course Curriculum
Module 1 - Short is the New Epic
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An overview of the media platforms now available for short form storytelling.
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Webisodes and Mobisodes
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Online Interactive Videos
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Video Games
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Projects that cross the boundaries – online/offline/interactive
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Module 2 - Boiling it down
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Looking at the limitations and considerations of short form and small screen storytelling, and suggesting how Big Ideas can be reduced down to effective and ‘doable’ digital media stories. |
Module 3 - Gone in 60 Seconds
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You’ve only got your audience’s attention for one minute. How do you make those 60 seconds really count?
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Clear turning points
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Transforming exposition into ammunition
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Hooks and cliff-hangers
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Emotion roller coaster
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Module 4 - Nefarious Plottings 1
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Learning how to structure and plot a six episode series for the web and mobile phones, accounting for the special requirements of short form, small screen storytelling.
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Limited characters
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Manageable concepts
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Building to a climax
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Considerations of voice and sound
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Module 5 - Nefarious Plottings 2
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How to turn an overall treatment into an episode-by-episode breakdown for a x6 one-minute web/mobile series, focusing on…
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Positively and negatively charges scenes
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Turning points
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Cliff-hangers and hooks
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Image density (the more complicated the visual style, the muddier it looks on a small screen)
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Module 6- Audience Participation
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Adding simple interactive elements to a story - essentially turning stories into pick-a-path games.
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Constructing a story tree for an interactive story
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Adding viewer ‘choices’ as cliff hangers
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Planning ‘Win’ continuations of the story and ‘Lose’ endings
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Module 7- Sliding Doors
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Games are full of possibilities for the player, different pathways they can take. And every one of those pathways needs dialogue. Using examples from Path of Exile, the module will explore how to cover the different options a player may take within a game.
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Exposition into ammunition revisited
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Accounting for player choice
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Writing scenes for multiple parallel realities
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Module 8 - A Puzzling Reward
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How a basic adventure game chapter is constructed, and how to plan out a short puzzle based story in diagram form. |
Module 9 - Little Red Hen: The Survival Horror Game
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Using children's book Skeleton Eater as the main example (among others), you'll look at how a favourite children’s story can be converted into an adventure game.
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Finding the core goal of the story
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Digging out the challenges and rewards
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Extending the boundaries of the story world
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Module 10 - A Spectacle of Speculation
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Finally it’s time to put something together that could be used out there in the real world of digital media writing… the spec script.
Find out about the importance of the spec script in proving one’s worth as a writer to would-be employers, or potential backers, and the basic things that producers are looking for.
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How does the course work?
Students will receive ten modules with writing assignments at the end of each module.
At the end of each module, students will be required to complete one or two writing exercises. In total, the course includes twenty assignments of varying length and complexity, all of which count towards the final result of the student.
Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete.
Students can also participate in ongoing online discussions by posting comments about the materials covered in the course, as well as give feedback to students who have posted their pieces in the Discussion Forum.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers' College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
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Students must have completed all 20 assignments
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The course must have been completed within twelve months of registration.
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Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
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Reading time: 20 hours
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Writing time: 30 - 40 hours
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Research time: 5 - 10 hours
Tutor for this course : 
