One thing amateur game creators and particularly 3D animators have in common is a long and languid video intro to their world often with nothing more than just the grand vistas they've created as it almost endlessly scrolls by. Ugh! One thing if you've paid any attention to big-time game creation lately, stuff like that has gone by the wayside for a more 'cinematic' look and feel. That's because more and more the gaming industry is turning towards Hollywood and cinematic style to do justice to the game worlds they've created. Where all that button pushing, blasting and cutting down hordes of enemies starts is with your script.

Now, before you read any further if you haven't read the earlier posts on basic scriptwriting stop now and read them first! Otherwise you'll not understand many of the scriptwriting terms and you won't get the value of writing a videogame script with a cinematic flair. Most likely you'll end up wasting your time writing some half-assed crap that won't get past an indie game producer's receptionist's 'circular file'. So don't be hardheaded and go read about the '3 Jars'!

If you're already up to speed, then here we go....

First off, be prepared to do some hardcore writing! Videogames particularly the heavy storyline ones must have considerable amounts of overview, character descriptions, back story, sub-quests and a detailed 'Decision Flowchart' mapping out what direction the player will take at certain points in the game.

Just like with Cinematic Scripts, a Videogame script starts off by you making an 'Executive Overview' which is just a fancy way of saying a 'Treatment' which is how we'll refer to it. With a movie Script, the Treatment is a separate writing that you use to either gain interest in a script to be written and as your basis for writing your script. For a videogame, the Treatment is litterally your 'Selling Point' for your script when trying to get your game produced. If game producers hate your treatment their not going to want to make it into a game.

Also different from a movie treatment, for a V-game instead of a 3-5 page treatment the minimum starts at 10 pages or more. But just like a movie treatment, you want to create high-impact and interest in as short a package as possible! Remember, game producers have many other potential scripts in hand and just like movie producers, they aren't going to spend all day reading your 'effin' novel! You'll have to grab them with your story quickly and hold them until the end in order to get their eyes to the next part of your script. You'll do that by writing a solid premise and treatment. Don't forget that it must have a definite beginning, middle and end!

Just when you thought you were ready to start writing your script a loud angry buzzer went off beside you to say 'WRONG!' Next up is a complete History/Background of the World you've created. Unless it has a bearing on the story, refrain from unnecessary details as they will bog down your history. Again, you'll have to write the History in the same visual style as your Treatment as it will need to be just as interesting and engaging as your Treatment was. And remember you're writing not a history of your characters, but of the world itself!

Next, you'll need complete Character Descriptions/Biographies of all your Main and Supporting Characters. Why? Because everything in your world must be created and though they may not have a direct impact on the game, there will need to be a reason as to why they are there. Your Main Characters will have the most details according to how they look, act and even move. Do your best to ground those details in with the character's Back Story. The Back Story is the 'who,how and why' your characters are. These will be 'mini-stories' in themselves. Keep these things short! No more than a page for your main characters and a paragraph for incidental characters. If the game producers want more info, they'll ask for it. Never forget that you're trying to keep their interest despite the amount of material you're submitting!

So these are some major 'Lifts' and you'll need time to digest and 'produce' material. In the next discussion we'll see more elements of what will be included in your completed V-Game Script. Prepare yourself!