I found this movie by Twitter and I think it’s pretty impressive and disturbing for me. Is it the future? It could be… Play would be everywhere and dreams of some could come true: we would have just a big environment, world in which we can play many different games. Game nested inside a game nested inside a game… But then a player could just trapped himself just like with journeys in time. At some point a player could not know what he really is! But then… It’s not a game anymore, because a player isn’t in a safe environment, “magic circle”. For him it’s dangerous place, sometimes more like a nightmare… It’s like a work to reach the end… Well, I hope so that future of play will look more brightly… As I think now, I wouldn’t want to be in that game that takes place in the film. Not without the escape option.

Now I have to get and read Zimmerman’s “Rules of play”!

Popularity: 60% [?]

English · games connected · inspiring · videos

I just came across some videos, where Ira Glass, a man with 30 years of experience as a radio-presenter, talks about making good compelling stories. If you’re interested in making stories stop and watch it here!

OK. He is a radio presenter, but don’t you think that stories are everywhere? Whenever you talk about something to your friend you’re sharing a story with him! So let’s learn from all of the people who tell a lot stories and their stories has to be good, has to glue you to the medium, in this case to a radio.

For me the most important of what he says is:

1) Good stories share one important concept. They’re made of the same things:

1. Sequence of events which he calls the anectode. I think, for him it’s the purest form of a story – just bare bones, no flesh: one event leads to another event which leads to another event, etc. And everything has to be connected together somehow.

2. This anectode should make your viewer to ask a questions that will be, at one moment, answered in the story. These moments of answers he calls the moments of reflection. So it should go like this: One event leads to another event which leads to another… and during watching these events your viewer must have some questions that you’re going to answer as surprise in Moment of reflection. You just want to show your viewer why his watching all of the events, reward him. And the story will continue to unfold with more events and more questions and more moments of reflection.

3. When you invent these events you’re going to have questions, too. Ira Glass says that you have to answer them! It’s very important and well, I think it’s very reasonable to do this. Because I think that every story unfold itself that way or another. You just have to find these ways and asking questions every time you come up with a new event is a good idea.

2) And then in second video he makes a very important point. When you’re starting to write stories, and I’m still starting…, you think that inventing new stories is pretty easy. For sure you don’t think that just on planning one story you’re going to need a week or so. And in reality inventing stories is hard and it takes a lot of time. If in one week you will come up with a good story, you’re good or as says Ira Glass: you’re just lucky. What’s more, you have to invite many stories, so you have some to choose from. I think, that’s why good brainstorming techniques are priceless. Just watch this video, because he says many interesting, concrete things from his working field

3) You’re going to kill many of your stories. That point is also true about game concepts and every idea you will ever have. You have to choose the best and kill those that makes problem, that don’t feel great anymore. He says that they record many interviews, shows and then when they feel it’s not as good as it should be, they kill the story and then they make a new story, better one. One thing I like the most about what he says is:

It’s time to enjoy the killing, because by killing you will make something else, even better, live.

4) And again. Something really nice to know and it’s not only about making stories. It’s about creating things you love, like designing games. You started making this, because you really like what you do and you love this medium: games, books, movies… And you must have a good taste – you know what you love and probably every time you makes something your taste tells you: it could be better! I make games and try hard to make games that I would like to play and that I’m proud of. But in reality every my game that you can play now isn’t as good as I wanted it to be. And Ira Glass tells something important that this gap between making something that your taste will love it and the thing that could be better is always there. Every guy has to face it and has it. Ira Glass after 8 years of work wasn’t making good stuff – he says it openly and play us his old radio program. The only thing to cross this gap is to do a lot of work guys! And after some years, if you’re tough enough, you will make things that you will love! So don’t worry now and get to work!

Inspiring stuff, right?

Popularity: 58% [?]

English · inspiring · makingstories · videos