Learn the fundamentals of writing cinematics, cutscenes, and in-game dialogue. Increasingly, game designers are realizing that cutscenes, cinematics and character interactions through dialogue are not just breaks from gameplay, or ways of providing exposition. They are integral to the player’s experience of a game. Talking is action. Dialogue is gameplay.
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In this course we will explore how to create compelling, vital scenes, and how to use dialogue to support gameplay, deepen character, and advance the game’s story.
Early career game writers will often get their first experience writing dialogue for NPCs, especially the infamous barks and taunts. We’ll show you how to make this dialogue work, when it should sing and when it should be invisible.
Verified learners will access additional game industry interviews, assignments and discussion topics, connecting with a community of other writers and game enthusiasts.
This course is part of the Writing for Video Games Professional Certificate
What you'll learn
- The importance of voice and how to find and develop it
- How scenes work, and how to build and deepen them
- How to write unskippable dialogue
- The fundamental building blocks of cinematic storytelling
- How to excel at writing ambient conversations, barks and taunts.
Syllabus
Module 1: Voicex
Finding voice
Developing voice
Supporting gameplay
Module 2: Scenes
Scene structure
Building scenes
Deepening scenes
Module 3: Cinematics and Cutscenes
Cutscenes
Cinematic storytelling
Formatting
Module 4: In-Game Dialogue
Supporting level design
Triggers
Module 5: Ambient Conversations, Barks and Taunts
Ambient conversations
Barks and taunts
