Lecture 8/02/13

Rob Yescombe - Games Director

Rob Yescombe has been working as a leading creative in videogames for the past seven years. Beginning his career at renowned games developer Free Radical Design, Rob rose to become the studio's Head Writer and Head of PR, during which time his role diversified into covering screen and audio direction; key design concepts; casting; motion capture direction - including the first ever Jedi hand-to-hand fight for 'STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT III'. Rob later became game developer Crytek’s Creative Director of the UK studio, where he worked on CRYSIS 2 and the upcoming TIMESPLITTERS reboot. Rob now works as a Freelance Writer and Creative Director for Sony, Activision, Sega, Virtuos and EA. He is also a judge in the Story and Character category for BAFTA. He is currently developing his first feature film TEN TORS.

The Lecture was really really good! He talked about his role and what he does and did almost a mini workshop with us in creating ideas/stories and a good structure of designing them. It was a lecture you had to be there for and understand, but i made some notes which will help serve as a reminder for myself and any one else who was at the lecture.


After an introduction to himself, he then chose 3 people to come down and tell a very brief short story. He then asked everyone else to choose a favorite story. He said that we cant choose which story is better and what is a valuable and what isnt a valuable idea as we all are looking at it from different subjective views.

He goes on to talk about moral and the the procedure of coming up with ideas. When writers and producers are coming up with ideas and writing out the story, all the other artists have to sit about and wait and do nothing; they are being payed to do nothing. This is expensive and lowers moral so you cant mess about when writing a story.  You should also be able to explain the story to someone quickly, simply and easily; should be concise and stream line = word of mouth is VERY important!

As part of his job, he does 'story bootcamp' = tries to get what you want to express and breathe life into the story.

He got a volunteer to come up and act as a scribe.  Started off by (with the help of everyone saying ideas) made a list onto a white board about issues of the world. We then chose one to run with for the story. Then what would have to be done to counter act that problem, and then create our characters.

Overpopulation (+100 years) > Mass Killings (virus) > Samuel L. Jackson (main character)

For all the characters and their development, we need to ask them the Moral question here, "how far would you go?" and created a scale from extreme "i would do anything" to anti "all life is precious". - within people, character is derived from the moral questions.

For the main character, in the order in which it was written.

Self revelation

to become a nurse?

"the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few"

"-but not at the extent of the needs of freewill"

The haunting

child dies - over population reasons - vaccine??

results in a rough divorce - wife blames him for child's death

Internal flaw

(momentarily got some one to become the character)

self hatred

suicidal

lack of purpose 

External flaw

drunk at funeral for dead daughter

volunteers for experiment? 

Desire

to solve his own murder

Need

feel self worth and love for others

Root the desire, its the focus of the goal! If there is no desire then there is no focus to the story. Desire's stay the same but the reasons can sometimes shift.

we like/dislike/learn about the character (internal flaw) by what they do/act/react (external flaw)

-Ally > joins the main character on their journey > questions the main character

- False Ally > mystery > can also be villain 

- Villain > against the main character 

^ to decide these characters do the same with the main character, look at the moral questions and choose their standing.