Video Games and Storytelling

Daniel Floyd’s ten minute YouTube video, “Video Games and Storytelling,” is a video lecture you won’t soon forget. Reminiscent of “RSA Animate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us,” about Dan Pink’s book “Drive,” this video by Daniel Floyd is the most intense, “rapid-fire” visual presentation of related images I’ve seen in a video lecture to date. Several clever visual quips in here, but you certainly have to pay close attention! The content is outstanding also… as a digital storyteller and a storychaser, I’m quite interested in the confluence between storytelling and gaming.

Daniel has a total of eight “video lectures” about video games in his YouTube playlist, “Video games and…”Check them out!

Daniel’s official blogger profile page identifies him as an animator living in Athens, Georgia, but his only blog on Blogger hasn’t been updated since September 2010. If you know what he’s up to now and/or have a link to his current work, please share via a comment. Several of the video descriptions on Daniel’s YouTube channel indicate he’s moved to Escapist Magazine, so perhaps that’s the answer. If Daniel is on Twitter or maintaining another blog, however, I’d like to follow.

Storyboarding: Digital Storytelling

A storyboard for an 8-minute animated cartoon.
Image via Wikipedia

Developing your Digital Story

  • Pre-writing: brainstorming, collecting images, researching, outlining, and storyboarding
  • Drafting: creating a script and developing form
  • Revising: modifying images and organization
  • Editing: timing, images, and narration
  • Publishing: the final product

What is Storyboading?

Storyboards are visual representations that aid in the the creation process of digital storytelling. Storyboards layout images in sequential order to create the the flow of the production. They can also include technical aspects and explanations of design. Each project is unique and varies in its needs; specific requirements should be altered. The following is suggested content: a brief description, comments, audio, transition and an estimate of length.