Helping story Writers

Greetings, My name is Mario Leone. I work on Story within the film industry. I am here to answer any story questions for anybody. Anyone who has a question in regards to your story I am here to help you. You could wait two hours of books or you can get an answer directly from me.

Before we get started I want to share a few links with people. Just to show you what I do.

One of my projects was a short film with Gian Luca Frattelini (Prince of Persia) 3-D, guardians of the galaxy.

The second link is my IMDb page.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6617489/

The third.
https://www.amazon.com/Inveigh-Wilma-Rivera/dp/B0868ZGDJG

The 4th Following feature ready to release 2020 October.

Why am I here? I’m here to help anyone that is having story trouble. Not to mention, I would like to specialize in story within the gaming realm because of my vast understanding and knowledge of technology. I started with games in 1978 on a commodore pet computer I wrote my first lines of code back then. Line 10 goto Line 20.

Today I’m a screenwriter and working Film as fight choreographer.

At the end of the day all I wanna do is help you. I would be happy to help you no matter what your skill level. Please do pardon me as I don’t know the forum etiquette this is actually my first introduction. I want to get my picture up as an avatar at some point. I would be happy to help you no matter what your skill level. Please do pardon me as I don’t know the forum etiquette this is actually my first introduction. I want to get my picture up as an avatar at some point.

If I am in the wrong place I do apologize please steer me to the right place so I could have the right group, and help the right person.

Thanks
Mario Leone

 

In what ways do you feel writing for films can inform writing for games?

 

To answer your question:
Games can be a very story rich, or lacking. Let’s not leave out mechanics, level design, and conflict, and even sound design. There are some games that can be highly addicting. Candy crush Is reasonable? Doesn’t need much of a story does it? There are games that can get people hooked like that and that’s a fair statement.

Let’s understand the other good audience, and how they desire story rich immersive multimedia! Even a good joke has three parts to it. That leads us to another idea of the depth of story. Characters, settings, sound design, level design, and the overall goal of the main character. The goal of the main character is crucial and connecting the story as it is the north star of your main character. It is the driving force. The goal of your main character is indeed your compass, and can have the spine within it that is story rich.

Now, to answer your question on story rich some people need it and some people don’t. Can there be successful games that are not story rich? Yes, absolutely. The interactive short stories are expanding in the marketplace if you take a look for example at Quibi? The motto is quick bites, big stories . People want shorter quicker stories. These shorter quicker stories are compiled up into several levels, and people may wanna know what happens at the end.

They want to be immersed within the character. Someone wants story some don’t care either way I’m here to help the ones who do need it.They want to be immersed within the character.

When we watch a film subconsciously we immerse ourselves in the position of the main character, and this same experience can occur during gameplay within an immersive story. Even on the films that a military consultant could be hired in order to help with the realism and militaristic concepts that go into a movie. Think of me as that person that can help in the area of story.

 

Hmm...let me try again.

What specific elements of film writing do you think can apply to writing story for games? I'm curious about specifics such as "cinematography," not open-ended statements like "immerse yourself in the character."

 

I understand your plight as a person, and how you could be concerned about how Film can be similar to video games in a general fashion. I’m going to answer to the best of my ability with these specific elements. These are specific elements to film. If you feel you have to research more, or you obviously can, yet i’m gonna do my best to answer them here. Sorry for the previous response not being elaborate enough because your original question wasn’t clear.

Scenes as it relates story chronology. The sequences across time. Scenes are an element of film.
Cinematic point of view and film angles. Dutch angles, extreme close ups, all film angles.
Fight choreography and Fight Sequences that would be inputted through a computer and a functional martial artist.
Dialogue is a film element. Learning to write it, and how it reveals nuggets of (Exposition) information, but not too much. Good dialogue doesn’t expose too much, and gives you a breadcrumb trail to follow.

• Chronology as it does not have to be in sequence. Telling a story using scenes that are out of sequence for example.
• Dialogue is an element. Working with voice over actors with accents etc.

• Cliff hanger elements just like Netflix each episode will end on a question in which you the audience wishes to answer.

• Narrative voice over. This allows you to be in the characters head. Story is being told from with inside his thoughts this one is my favorite.

• Cinematography is definitely applying to GameTrailers, and different angles of the cinematic sequences in-between levels or for a particular level. Dutch angle as mentioned earlier.

• Three act or even four act structure can lend itself towards video games as an element.
• Characters and Arcs can lend themselves to Video games.

• Expositions is a term your most commonly hear. To put it simply nuggets of information that the audience needs to appreciate the story
  
  
• Cross Genre building for example “Horror and Science fiction.”
  
  
• Settings of film is an element for example snow scenes or bad weather and having that interactive with game mechanic.
  
  
• Themes, the stated main idea of a story.

The biggest one: external conflict and internal conflict and how they actually interact. To understand that you have to have a basic understanding of human psychology. At least a small amount.

Conflict has been in Film since the beginning of Hollywood, and it does indeed apply; because having an external goal for the character to reach but then has an internal conflict with it. So the audience gets to share that experience.

My favorite story element climax.... One large Plot point that was totally unforeseen that shifts your main character into all hell breaks loose.

The plot alone is the sequence of all the events within the story. So, when I referred to sequence in the beginning They don’t have to go in order they don’t have to be conventional. For example you could have a character with memory loss and they may flashback to another time in another place that provides their character with clues.they don’t have to go in order they don’t have to be conventional. Sometimes I’ll get a large roll of butcher paper and roll it across the table because it’s gonna be very long and wide timeline.

Resolution: The main character could actually resolve an issue and then a new problem present itself. This is an element from film. Usually, the ending is the complete resolution, and these are particularly film elements in regards to screenplay writing.

 

Thanks for the response.

 

You’re welcome.

 

What kind of stories should games be trying to tell?

Put another way: What, in your opinion, are some of the most effective ways to tell stories in games?

 

Fantastic question. The game doesn’t have to have a story just for the important aspect. The audience usually puts themselves in the shoes of the character, and you can tell any story you want but sometimes you can actually combine different genres and different cultural aspects into the game. To answer you, a story that sucks the user in...
A game that builds an attachment with the user.

Adaptations are also effective for example a game based on a movie.
Hybrid genres in example:Horror/Science fiction.
You can think of a goal or start with a goal?
Is it character driven? In order to design your game you first must design your story and then you could layer your sound design and mechanics right on top.

So how do we do that? If it is character driven what do we do?

Who is the character?
Who is the antagonistic force?
What is the goal?

That will lead you to this...

A young man and woman from different social classes fall in love, must out with her abusive fiancé, and find a way to survive a board and ill-fated voyage at sea.Are young man and woman from different social classes fall in love, must out with her abusive fiancé, and find a way to survive a board and he’ll faded voyage at sea. There are three primary questions.

• Who is the characters? Couple.
• Who is the antagonistic force? The fiancé
• What is the goal? To survive the ill-fated voyage.

Types of story you can tell in video games. Cut scenes...
The player sits back and watches the story unfold as the character goes through levels. There may be cinematics in between.

Dialogue as common as well because you have to communicate the players and get to your objective to get to the next level or advancement.

Environmental storytelling is where you have to play an investigative roll and unravel the story for yourself rather than knowing the story ahead of time.

You can tell pretty much any story you want no game should be put in a box or confined right away. You shouldn’t confined to my ideas either. Just know that there’s lots of flexibility and you just have to start with a goal. Is it character or a puzzle? The difference between half life and candy crush. Start with a primary concept either a user or a character.

• High concept ideas is having a premise that is original and unique.
• Mass appeal is another way create a story.
• It should be very specific, and have potential.
• A great way to play with your creativity of story is ask yourself the question of “What if“
• Example: What if your character had a doppelgänger from another dimension who is trying to kill him?
• Keep asking what if as much as you can you’ll get to some awesome ideas.

There are essentially two types of stories for all video games. This will help you out
1. Pre-known story The audience and buyer of the game knows the story ahead of time and must be figured out through clues or interactions.
2. Unknown story where they have to unravel things themselves. This is fabulous because you let the player determine how deep they want to go into it. That means were stuck in the world and have to unravel things and play detective.


These two answer your question in the best way. A Preknown story or unraveling.
If you have an idea in mind feel free to message me directly and we can spitball ideas.