Sketching and Storyboarding

1. Sketching and Storyboarding Unit 3: Game and Prototype Production

2. Sketching

3. Sketching • Sketching is a very important skill for the game designer. • Sketches help relay your ideas and concepts to others involved with the design and development process.

4. Basic Steps to Sketching • Block the basic shapes with pencil and paper. • Large sweeping movements, foundation for sketch. • Refine your strokes and add some detail to basic sketch. • Add background and more detail. • Add light and dark values if necessary.

5. Sketching for 3D Modeling • Being able to sketch out a 3D character from different angles will help during polygonal modeling in a 3D software package like 3D studio Max. • Start with sketches from several different viewpoints, such as top, side and front. • Drawings should be same scale.

6. Character Sketching • All personnel on the team should understand how the main character, as well as other characters look. • Character illustrations need to be very detailed.

7. Character Sketches provide the team with….. • Information and inspiration for the character. • Snapshot of personality of the character. • Plan to rig and animate the character. • Sketch to show a review committee for funding.

8. Good Character Illustrations • Capture the look and personality of the character.

9. Good Character Illustrations • Need to be good enough to help 3D modelers and texture artists.

10. Good Character Illustrations • Have correct anatomy and proportions.

11. Storyboarding

12. Storyboard • Series of connected pictures, with or without words that tells a continuous story about the flow of events and levels of your proposed game.

13. Storyboard • Sketch out the basics of each frame of your storyboard. • Purpose of the storyboard is to relay your ideas and plans to colleagues. They do NOT have to be linear.

14. NON-Linear Storyboard for interactive online game.

15. Can also resemble a flowchart where arrows show all the possibilities that a player can encounter.

16. Methods for Storyboard Presentation • Use photo storyboard where you paste pictures onto paper to represent the levels of your game. • Use photos of costumes and characters to help develop your ideas about modeling. • Try using corkboard or bulletin board for large, complex games. • Use staples or pins to arrange your ideas and plans. • Use stars on parts that have been completed to help you see what has to be done.

17. Steps to create a storyboard • Pencil and paper. Get ideas down. • Start with characters. Include detailed drawings. • Sketch simple action sequences that represent major plots to the game. Include full plot in simple form. • Include camera angles, special sounds and other non-verbal clues needed for the game. • Include basic computer drawings of the characters and storyboard.

18. Assignment: Phase 2 • Use the sketching software or your own sketch using pencil and paper to capture your main character and all the details of that character. • Sketch any special tools/or accessories that may be used by your character as well. • Use PowerPoint slides or a storyboard template from your teacher or one that you create yourself, to draft your storyboard for your game/story.