Digital Storytelling: A creator's guide to interactive entertainment - Softcover

Miller, Carolyn Handler

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0240809599 ISBN 13: 9780240809595

Publisher: Focal Press, 2008

Synopsis

Equally useful for seasoned professionals and those new to the field, Carolyn Handler Miller covers effective techniques for creating compelling narratives for a wide variety of digital media. Written in a clear, non-technical style, it offers insights into the process of content creation by someone with long experience in the field.

Whether you're a writer, producer, director, project manager, or designer, 'Digital Storytelling' gives you all you need to develop a successful interactive project.

*Learn about the ground-breaking work being done in new forms of narrative like Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), webisodes, user-generated content, mobile entertainment and transmedia storytelling

*Gain insights from case studies of cutting-edge projects from a variety of different media, including the Internet, video games, interactive television, virtual reality and interactive cinema

*Discover new uses of digital storytelling for both entertainment and entertainment blends -- projects that teach, inform, and promote

*See how to combine the best of both worlds - classic and twenty-first century storytelling techniques

About this title

About the Author

Carolyn Handler Miller is one of the pioneering writers in the field of non-linear entertainment, and as an award-winning Hollywood screenwriter, brings a unique perspective to the craft of digital storytelling. She has worked as a writer or writer-content designer on over forty new media projects, including the landmark Carmen Sandiego series and the interactive version of the Pixar-Disney film, Toy Story, one of the most popular CD-ROMs ever released. Her work as a digital storyteller includes entertainment, educational, informational and training projects made for video games, the Web, interactive TV, smart toys, and transmedia projects. She is also an international speaker and teacher on the subject of digital storytelling, having given workshops and talks in Johannesburg, Rome and Paris, as well as teaching interactive narrative and video game development for the University of New Mexico.

Review

'This is truly pioneering work, capturing the birth of an art form, or rather the birth of an interconnected series of art forms that seem to have infinite potential. The traditional forms of narrative are treated with their due respect but the ground rules for a whole new world of entertainment, education, and self-expression are laid out here with clarity and insight. This heavily revised and up-to-date edition is a lifesaver for those us who have to cross the gulf between linear and non-linear, passive and interactive, approaches to entertainment, and a useful handbook for those who have already made the jump and want to use these wonderful tools more effectively.'
- Christopher Vogler, Screenwriter and Author of The Writers Journey

'Carolyn Millers Digital Storytelling 2nd Edition is an excellent survey of the field, covering the varied and diverse techniques, delivery platforms, and historical roots of a wide range of software titles. Not content with merely mentioning a few recent American games, Miller touches on important milestones from the past and key titles from around the world. While particularly impressive in its breadth and scope, the book also focuses in on specifics by featuring many interesting interviews and quotes from some of the leaders in the digital storytelling, as well as pioneers of emerging fields like Alternate Reality Games and Serious Games. Students, developers, and aficionados of interactive stories will all find something interesting here.'
- Noah Falstein, President of The Inspiracy

'Digital Storytelling makes the reader aware of the breadth and potential of this emerging field. Whether you are a student, a researcher, an artist, a technologist, or just a curious reader, Carolyn Handler Miller's book will give you a tremendous insight into this fascinating and important area.'
- Ed Angel, Director, Art, Research, Technology and Science Laboratory (ARTS Lab), University of New Mexico

'A thorough and highly readable discussion of the wonderful diversity of digital storytelling. Carolyn Handler Miller explores not only the familiar territory of video games and virtual reality, but also the emerging new fields of transmedia entertainment, serious games, smart toys, interactive cinema, and many more. Recommended.'
- Ernest Adams, game design consultant and author of Fundamentals of Game Design

'Covering a massive area of media and topics, this is a fascinating read. It's more of a history than a how-to (though it contains elements of the latter) and anyone interested in the world of interactive entertainment is sure to be inspired by it.' - Digital Creative Arts

'Interactivity has opened up a new world of storytelling. The territory is promising - and dangerous. We've just started to explore and this book is one of the first good roadmaps.'-
- Hal Barwood, Game Designer

'Carolyn Miller has built a much-needed bridge from traditional media to digital interactive media. She traces the roots of interactive storytelling in ancient tradition then draws on the parallels to new media allowing the reader to comfortably migrate from one to the other without being overwhelmed. She then walks you through how production is done in this new world. A must read for traditional producers of television and film.'
- Brian Seth Hurst, CEO, The Opportunity Management Company; Chairman, Board of Governors, Producers Guild of America, New Media Council

'An impressive job of assembling a body of knowledge in a new and fast-evolving field. There is plenty here to profit anyone who wants to earn a living in storytelling in the future. The author's wide experience in many media is focused on practical advice and analysis that illuminate the exciting potential of these new ways of spinninig stories. And I'm glad to see some of the old tricks still work!'
- Christopher Vogler, Screenwriter and Author of 'The Writer's Journey'

Edition details

• Publisher: Focal Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0240809599
• ISBN 13: 9780240809595
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 496