Following the 2004 Review of the Faculty of Information Technology this unit forms part of the Multimedia Games Development major established within the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems degree.

This unit has been updated as part of a 2009 review and comparison of data with current Handbook, Syllabus + and Callista data.

07/12/2017 - Unit disestablished at FEC 5/17 Item 7.3.

The unit aims to develop the students' knowledge of the concept of narrative structure, and its importance in the development of their understanding of how to create, and implement contextually appropriate narrative forms for multimedia products and systems. Topics will include: linear, visual and non-linear narrative, historical perspectives on the evolution of the narrative forms, and concepts such as representation, characterisation, point of view, genre, closure, the role of the user, interactivity, immersion and engagement.

This unit teaches students the importance of narrative structure to the successful development of a multimedia system, and introduce them to the techniques of narrative construction which are used to achieve particular narrative effects. Whilst a substantial body of knowledge supports the theory and practice of the development of narrative structures in traditional media such as television, film, literature, music etc, such information is less well established in the case of multimedia. This unit will not simply focus on the adaptation of traditional narrative construction techniques but rather will explore and encourage innovative developments specifically for application in multimedia environments.

Students will learn the varied forms of narrative structure and the main techniques of narrative construction which are used in different media. Students will also learn to create user-centred interactive narratives for use in the business, entertainment, education and social environments. This unit provides the prerequisite knowledge and skills which the student can apply within their game development projects in the third year studio project/s (FIT3039/3040) and across all subsequent units. One of the significant aspects in game production is the creation of appropriate and engaging game narratives which allow players to be completely drawn into the game. This unit will equip students wishing to pursue a career in the game development industry with the knowledge and skills to engage in this narrative creation process.

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the concept of narrative structure and a range of techniques employed in the construction of traditional media;
• appreciate the main forms of narrative construction which might be usefully employed in a multimedia environment;
• understand the key areas of research and development in the creation of narrative structures in multimedia environments;
• appreciate the importance of narrative structure to the users experience of multimedia environments;
• appreciate ways in which narrative forms might be adapted to the contextual diversity of different media;
• appreciate narrative techniques appropriate to the multimedia environment;
• appreciate the goals of multimedia production in relation to the input of narrative structure;
• integrate and further develop skills acquired in previous studies to create multimedia for business, entertainment, education and social environments;
• analyse and identify the key elements in the narrative structure of a variety of media and technologies;
• create narrative structures appropriate to both context and user;
• evaluate the ways in which narrative structure contribute to the user experience of the multimedia product or system;
• learn from, adapt and transform narrative models from other disciplines to multimedia environments where appropriate;
• understand that they produce meaning through a language (visual, audio, written etc) and that this language manifests in multimedia representations in order to exchange meaning and to communicate;
• understand the nature of the developing trends in narrative structure within the context of an historical perspective.

029999

This unit aims to develop the student's knowledge of the concept of narrative structure, and its importance in the development of their understanding of how to create, and implement contextually appropriate narrative forms for multimedia products and systems, with a special emphasis on the game environment.

Topics will include: linear, visual and non-linear narrative, historical perspectives on the evolution of the narrative forms, and concepts such as representation, characterisation, point of view, genre, closure, the role of the user, interactivity, immersion and engagement.

On-campus

Assignments: 100%

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

FIT

FIT2012