The Concept
I was given the task of writing several routes for the game and then pitching them to the team. During my showcase people laughed and voiced support; however, none of my suggestions were taken. And that's okay. We chose from other peoples routes that would fit together and the game was better for it.
The Script
The story lead assigned me five scenes with a general outline for each. Over the course of several weeks each script went through varying amounts of revisions based on feedback and other scripts changing. In fact, we started to change certain scenes to make the story more streamlined and less interconnected so we didn't have to write so many possible variations to a scene.
We made cuts because we lost a week of filming for GDC. So, creating a production cycle with room for errors or breaks is something I made sure to make note of for the future.
We made more cuts because we were not going to get an actor we thought we were going to have. So, making sure that we have the talent for the role is important, as well as knowing if there can be a replacement for that role.
We made even more cuts because of time constraints. A near inevitability with the scope of the original project, but we were able to make something great nonetheless.
We made even more cuts because of time constraints. A near inevitability with the scope of the original project, but we were able to make something great nonetheless.
The Filming
Filming was a lot of fun. Being able to see what I had written unfold in front of my eyes was a phenomenal experience. Especially since we hadn't decided actors until after we had written out the scripts, so I got to play a character I wrote for.
Acting alongside the people I had gotten to know over the course of the project was great; it eased any mistakes people made and created an overall lighthearted atmosphere. It opened my eyes to the importance of either finding people who work well together, or building a relationship before acting together in order to make the process smoother.
FUSE
The day of Fuse I MC'd one of the showings for Out of Service. I reprised my role of officer Thomson and gave the crowd instructions on how to play, alongside entertaining them while they made their choice on what to do next. Whether it's performing behind a camera, or in front of a live audience, I love being able to make people laugh.