Today's digital media is defined by not only the latest, greatest technical innovations, but also, original story solutions that must adapt. No longer are the story/narrative solutions the exclusive responsibility of directors and writers, but increasingly falls on the shoulders of animators, VFX creators, and game/XR designers whose work is essential in making "the content" come to life.

This session provides the essential concepts of "story," without having to take a course in scriptwriting. It covers how conflict, plot, character, and setting interact, as well as the tradeoffs when emphasizing one more than another. Attendees will take away an understanding of the universal narrative structure (setup, inciting incident, rising action, crisis, climax, resolution, etc.). Understanding will include how stories are developed and AI’s impact. 

Attendees will gain the ability to evaluate levels of conflict (internal, external and environmental), turning points, cause & effect, archetype vs. stereotype, inciting incident, and how choice defines character. In all stories, there are narrative questions that must be answered: What is at stake (survival, safety, love, esteem...)? What motivates a main character to take action? Will that incident move them from their ordinary life (where they are comfortable) to a different world (where the action occurs)?