Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
Computer Science and Mathematics
Learning Methods
Lecture
Workshop
Module Offerings
6108COMP-JAN-CTY
Aims
To describe the principles of the game production cycle and explain the issues relating to game production and approaches to managing game project.
To explain the principles and techniques of level design and provide opportunities for students to design and produce game environments with game-spaces.
To provide the underpinning knowledge, concepts and techniques of digital storytelling and cinematography for production of machinima and in-game cinematics.
To develop the required skills in using appropriate approaches and technologies in producing machinima and in-game cinematics.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Evaluate game production cycles, the team structure and approaches to managing a game project.
2.
Critically analyse concepts and techniques for designing game-spaces, storytelling and cinematography.
3.
Design and critically evaluate the playability, usability and theme of a game level.
4.
Apply appropriate storytelling principles and cinematography techniques for digital game production.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:Game Production: Game Production Cycle (Pre-production, Production, Testing, Post-production), Roles in game production (Production roles, Art roles, Engineering roles, Design Roles, Audio Roles, Quality Assurance Roles, Team Organisation, Corporate), Project Management Methods, Managing Talents, Issues and Challenges.
Level Design: Elements of Level Design, Game-spaces, Architectural Spatial Arrangements, Historic Game-space Structures (Labyrinth, Maze and Rhizome), Size of Spatial Space, Sandbox Game-spaces, Visual communications in Level Design, Purpose-driven level design techniques (Events-draw-in spaces, Memorable spaces, Survival spaces, Opportunity spaces, Reward spaces and systems, Game spaces in storytelling), Pacing events and rewards, Experiential Choices, Social Interactions, Immersion and engagement in level design, Goals and Challenges.
Digital Storytelling: Principles of Storytelling (Model for Entertainment, Flow of Story, Structures for Story Delivery), Storytelling Frameworks (The Hero’s Journey, The Heroine’s Journey, Pixar Pitch, Characters and Archetypes) and Techniques for manipulating emotions for entertainment experiences, Methods for documenting story.
Cinematography: Types of Shots, Visual Language, Lens Language, Visual Storytelling, Cinematic Continuity, Lighting, Colour and Camera Movement.
Machinima and In-game cinematics: Machinima, Techniques for Machinimas (AI, Puppeteering, Recamming and Scripting), Application of Machinima techniques for in-game cinematics, Game Technologies enabling Machinima, Visual Effects for Games (Particle Systems, Organics and Foliage, Decals).
Module Overview:
To describe the principles of the game production cycle and explain the issues relating to game production and approaches to managing game project.
To describe the principles of the game production cycle and explain the issues relating to game production and approaches to managing game project.
Additional Information:This module will cover aspects of game production with a strong focus on production of game level using a game engine. It will also cover aspects of level design from an architectural perspective and the application of storytelling, cinematography and machinima to improve play experience of the game level. In the coursework, students will be working in a team to produce game levels with real-time cinematic and applying the techniques and principles learnt while managing the complexity of the game production process. In the coursework, students will be working in a team taking roles within the game design and production department to produce game levels with real-time cinematic and applying the techniques and principles learnt while managing the complexity of the game production process.