By Darrell J. Banks All Rights Reserved Copyright 2004
Frustrated need a break from the 120 page grind of the feature film. Don't worry if you took my advice and started that Superman Script for the hell of it but decided it wasn't worth the time there are alternative venues. The leaders in this game are really players. The majors consisting of Microsoft's X-Box and Sonys' Playstation 2 have created a road wider then Santa Monica Blvd. In their world you as the screenwriter can both explore the world of science fiction and create a super hero to rival the X-Men.
Last month I briefly mentioned the personal computer games " Freedom Force and City of Heroes." These games evolved new super heroes. That hero is also found in the science fiction worlds "Halo 2, Half Life and True Crime," console games that immerse the game player within a world symbiotic of the feature film. The protagonist in these games is well known to those who open their wallets to spend a fifty-dollar bill for a few hours of fun, immersion and cinematic thrills. While not as well known as Batman they fill the gap between Duck boy and the epic heroes of DC and Marvel.
As a screenwriter you can utilize your skills to write for the gamer's market that includes the Vin Diesel franchise of Robert Riddick. The premise and the tools remain the same, yes, you can use Movie Magic to write these scripts. You can also write dialog for characters that even "Hell Boy" may use his bass voice to enthrall gamers. The technique is similar to the feature film yet slightly different.
The character is introduced to the audience but has limitations. You have fifteen seconds to a minute or more to introduce the main character. Like in a feature film the protagonist is introduced, and then the fun begins. Game designers are like producers. You have level design. A level is the games backdrop consisting of a realistic environment of sky, ground and backdrop. Then you have character animation, the meat and potatoes of gaming. Voices such as Christopher Walken emerge in "True Crimes." Then the words those classic one liners by minor characters and gaming teammates help move the story and challenge the player to move forward through the gaming universe the writer creates. Like animation films games' use story boards. There is a close collaboration between the animator and screen writer.
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