Proposal

How important is show don’t tell in and storytelling?

I am proposing to create a documentary on the importance of design in story telling

focusing on The last Of Us game.

I will do this starting with an introduction to the characters and environment talking about
the information that is conveyed through their design with ‘show not tell’.
The design covers their appearances, including non-verbal communication between the
characters (focusing on Joel and Ellie), their interactions with the environment and how
those choices tell a story or provide information to the audience.

History – how games have improved from where they began, what the first games with
human characters looked like and how the first games started out.

Technology – graphics ps5 (improvement from the first TLOU game on ps3 2013 to it being
remade for ps5)

Key people – naughty dog company, concept artists and designers who worked on making
the characters. Where the company started out – their first game. Company development.

Techniques – What software did the designers use, what software did they build the world
in? Software, world design, world engine, characters.
the stages of concept art/designing back and forth with ideas (could talk about clickers)

For my own attempt I want to design a new character and side story that is set in the same
world as The Last of Us. For this idea I have come up with creating a teenage girl who travels
around uninhabited areas in search of the abandoned and lost pets. She has a safe house
out in the countryside with a barn and bunker to house the animals in safely.
For the concept I’ve thought of drawing her crouched in an abandoned room offering a tin
of cat food to an emaciated dog. The cat food representing the lack of resources she has and
small details within the piece that shows a story of what may of happened to the dog.
For example, a newspaper on the floor that is titled zombie outbreak and possessions left
with the room in a mess that gives the impression of whoever once lived there left in a
hurry, leaving their dog behind.
There can be dog bowls and maybe an empty dog food bag left out, scratches on the door
and chew marks on the bed/table/sofa legs, indicating how hungry the dog is.
The dog being emaciated will show how hungry it is and the length of time it’s been left
alone for.
The girl could also be holding a slip lead to show she’s prepared to catch the dog.

Questions
How important would you say environment is in telling the story?
How important would you say the character design is in storytelling?
Is there a game that you particularly enjoyed playing with environment and character
design?
For the interview I am planning on interviewing Paul and Rob (who haven’t played the
game) showing them pictures of the concept art and character design, asking them for their
interpretations on what they think the characters personalities/backstories are like, their
relationship with one another and what they think their story is like together.
I will also be showing them photos of the world/environment and asking them to interpret
what they think the world is like and what could have possibly happened for it to get to that
state. I would also like to ask them what their opinions are of the concept art I create and
what they think the story behind it could be.

Conclusion – why design is important and why concepts are just as important in telling the
story as the dialogued story. (How they relate and have to fit together otherwise the story
does not work)