Interactive Narratives

Code:

MM0068

Acronym:

NI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Visual Arts
OFICIAL	Communication Sciences

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Informatics Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Multimedia

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MM	19	Syllabus	1	-	6	45	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Comprehend the importance of stories in the human condition;
• Identify the main elements of interactive narratives and their practices;
• Comprehend and apply the interactive narratives terminology;
• Pitch an interactive narrative project;
• Develop an interactive narrative;
• Analyze narratives in different platforms;
• Identify the main user needs.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Create a linear narrative;
• Pitch;
• Create an interactive narrative. 

Working method

Presencial

Program

1 - Why do we tell stories?

2 - Story elements

3 - Story structure

4 - Interactivity

5 - Interactive storytelling

6 - Platforms

7 - Users

Mandatory literature

Miller Carolyn Handler; Digital storytelling. ISBN: 978-0-203-42592-3
Bryan Alexander; New Digital Storytelling: Creating Narratives with New Media , Praeger, 2017. ISBN: 1440849609
Pierre Lacombe, Gabriel Feraud, Clement Riviere; Writing an Interactive Story, CRC Press, 2019. ISBN: 0367410303
Vogler Christopher 1949-; The writer.s journey. ISBN: 978-1-932907-36-0
McKee Robert; Story. ISBN: 978-0-413-71560-9

Complementary Bibliography

Skolnick Evan; Video game storytelling. ISBN: 978-0-3853-4582-8
Jeff VanderMeer & Jeremy Zerfoss ; Wonderbook: An Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, Abrams Image, 2013. ISBN: 1419704427
Josiah Lebowitz, Chris Klug; Interactive storytelling for video games: A player-centered approach to creating memorable characters and stories, Focal Press, 2011. ISBN: 0240817176
Marie-Laure Ryan; Narrative as virtual reality. Immersion and Interactivity in Literature., The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003. ISBN: 0801877539
Chris Crawford; Chris Crawford on interactive storytelling, New Riders, 2012. ISBN: 0321864972
Kelly McErlean ; Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling, Routledge, 2018. ISBN: 978-1138638822

Teaching methods and learning activities

These lectures and practical classes provide the essential tools for the building of an interactive narrative. The classes include exposition, screenings and discussion on the syllabus contents.

 

At the end of the course the student would have applied the concepts learned in an interactive narrative.

 

The teaching methodology comprehends a combination of:

1. Theory exposition;
2. Application of the concepts learned in class.

 

During the semester, the students will develop a linear narrative as an individual project and an interactive narrative as a group work.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	50,00
Trabalho de campo	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de projeto	52,00
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	20,00
Estudo autónomo	45,00
Frequência das aulas	45,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Do not exceed the maximum number of absences and participate actively in the development of the proposed assignments.

Students with worker statute or equivalent are exempted from classes but must present the progress of their work, and should make their presentation together with ordinary students.

In each evaluation topic, the student should obtain a grade equal or higher than 10.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade is calculated by the following formula:

Final grade: individual work (30%) + pitch (10%) + group work (50%) + participation in class (10%).

Classification improvement

The final grade can only be improved in a new edition of the course.