MM 270
Writing for Multimedia

Crew Project: Interactive or Narrative Script and Performance (35 points)

Develop an interactive or narrative script that will be performed for the class and videotaped. Each student must create and write their own script or script section if they are part of a crew that's in the class (at least written 4 pages for each class team member). The performance may be done with the crew of your choice and not necessarily other students in the class.

Crew

You can team with people in the classroom to combine your projects. A maximum of 4 students from the class can be on one team.

Interactive Script

The script for an interactive DVD or Flash animation (for entertainment or education), a video game, a radio narration, or a Web site. Interactive examples include:

• Mystery story where a detective accuses others of a crime and then gets a different ending based on clues discovered..
• Training video with multiple story angles of one specific topic.
• Video game where a player character interacts with non-player characters and gets different responses.
• Web site content, including site map and outline.

Narrative Script

Narrative scripts should be of the type we discussed in class previously. If you choose to do a presentation of a script you already wrote in class, you should plan to video tape and produce it on a DVD. It can be very low budget and/or experimental.

Grade

Your grade is primarily based on creating an interactive script that includes

1. An introduction describing the nature of your project and who your intended audience might be. (2 points)
2. Creative and engaging dialogue, or educational or informational narration. (3 points)
3. Roles for at least three people (other than you) who will interact with one another and/or with their environment. (6 points)
4. Three or more believable possible choices or three or more believable alternative interactions. (3 points)
5. Blocking, direction, and performance to be videotaped (or recorded if it's a radio script) in front of the live classroom audience, or pre-recorded on DVD, or designed for dynamic Web delivery. (5 points)
6. Timing between 8 and 15 minutes total for all aspects of the script. It should not be over 15 minutes. (5 points)

Note: the script can be read and not memorized if need be. It should, however, be practiced and read with reasonable conviction.

In addition, you should include

Live Classroom Presentation:

1. A shotlist or a storyboard if it's intended for video (4 points for video designed scripts) or use sound effects and/or music if it's for radio or narration (4 points for radio designed scripts) or site map, flow charts, and mock up of how the Web pages might look, and sample images used (4 points for Web designs).
2. A brief, written summary of who was on your team and why you chose that subject matter. (2 points)
3. The written interactive script following appropriate script writing conventions and techniques. (5 points)

DVD Presentation:

1. A shotlist or a storyboard if it's intended for video (3 points for video scripts) or use sound effects and/or music if it's for radio or narration (3 points for radio scripts).
2. A brief, written summary of who was on your team, what your team member's roles were, and why you chose that subject matter. (2 points)
3. The written interactive script following appropriate script writing conventions and techniques. (5 points)
4. A copy of the DVD for the instructor. (1 point)

Dynamic Web Site Presentation:

1. An outline of the content. (2 points)
2. A site map and flow chart of how the pages of the site will be used. (1 point)
3. A mock up of the home page of the site -- this can be hand-drawn and scanned. (1 point)
4. A brief, written summary of who was on your team, what your team member's roles were, and why you chose that subject matter. (2 points)
5. The written interactive script following appropriate script writing conventions and techniques. The script for this option should include the content on the Web pages, and how you as the narrator will present these pages when you walk the class through the Web site if this is not already provided as part of the content. (5 points)

You should send the instructor an email message with the completed, written interactive script and written summary and other related components described above attached in Word document or other appropriate format. Your email message should include a subject like:
MM 270 Crew Project Your Name(s)