Interesting dialogue- Farcry 3 many speeches and memorable phrases during the cutscenes. The Witcher 3 because of the varied choice of dialogue that is optional.
Farcry 3 is a great example of interesting dialogue, mainly because the dialogue makes the characters seem more human. At the start when Vaas has you captured rather than you trying to start a conflict, you are avoiding one by not speaking up. This is also reflected in the monologue when the protagonist kills someone and starts to panic because he didn't mean too. The main reason why FarCry 3 has such memorable dialogue is because if the famous line, "did I ever tell you the definition of insanity". This quote was repeated over and over for effect on the game. I will use this in my game because it allows people to relate to a certain quote and also give a trait to the character saying the quote. For example, Vaas was insane but don;t want to admit it, hence why he used Albert Einstein's version of insanity rather than the usual criminal insanity we are used too.
The Witcher 3 is a great choice when it comes to dialogue effective the narrative of the game. In that game every time you have a conversation with the main character, the outcome of that conversation impacts the end of the game and even that current moment. Poor choices in dialogue (but they might be the cool sounding ones) can lead to fights between characters, which leads to deaths. This not only affects the ending outcome but also effects anyone wanting to gather achievements from playing games. I will use this in my game because it will make the player's thin more carefully about their choices.
Narration can be a number of things. Usually, it is when someone who isn't a character in the game introduces the plot and comments on main events. A good example to use of this is at the start of each Borderlands game, you have the narrator introducing what the current squad want to do in the game and also reflect on the previous games as well. However, narration can be seen in TV shows like a house of cards and films like Ferris Bueler's Day Off where the character talks to the audience by breaking the fourth wall. usually commenting on events occurring.
Scripts are usually laid out in a simple but effective structure. The dialogue will go in the middle of the page, with any names highlighted in bold. Any screen actions are put into brackets, to avoid the speaker announcing them. Also at the start of each scene, you will name the transition, like fade in and then name the location. Such as INT (internal), chamber, 18:00. With a brief description of what is happening in the scene. As well as this the script is indented to help visually with reading the script, the actors are able to tell where their speech starts and ends. Also, actions are in brackets so that the actor doesn't read them out loud and recognises that they are supposed to act that along with their script. Finally, I learnt from this article http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/screenplaytv.pdf that agents can have their number on the front page via this quote "If you have an agent, the address and number can go here".
SCRIPT-
Fade In
INT- Time Unknown.
Inside an abandoned ship, talking to new people you have found. They appear hostile.
After Joe’s long and strenuous journey, he has boarded Titan. He meets new people, who appear to be hostile.
Joe:
“So, you have been watching me this entire time?”
(staring at Martha)
Martha:
“Yes, we have, we wanted to contact you but…we just couldn’t”
Joe:
“Why not?”
Mark:
“We were given orders to leave you, the only reason we let you on was because you found us,”
Joe:
“Okay, let me get this straight, you knew I was out there, alone, barely surviving. And you just let me float around aimlessly. You would have left me for dead?!”
(clenches fist)
Martha:
“Trust me we wanted too...”
Mark:
“Speak for yourself there.”
Martha:
“Be quite Mark, we both know very well, that he would do the same for us,”
Joe:
“Why would I?”
Leon:
“Well done, Martha, start telling him everything, he should be dead.”
Joe:
“How should I be dead?”
Leon:
“That’s for us to know, and for you to never find out.”
Joe:
“Tell me or I swear there will be hell to pay!”
Leon:
“Big talk for someone who has been travelling alone with no stable human contact for weeks.”
Joe:
“You don’t know what I have been through.”
Leon:
“Oh but we do, see Martha has said way too much now, so I’ll give you a brief summary of what is happening. First, we had seen the attack happen first hand, now that was some scary moments for us, we could have helped but Miss Innocent, also known as Martha, decided it was more efficient if we left you. One destroyed supply ship was enough, she didn’t want a battleship destroyed as well. So we left you, and we hit hyper speed and fled from the incident. Now, I’ll give it to ya, you got some balls managing to escape whatever was attacking you and even bigger balls surviving. So about a week ago, on our radar we spotted a small object approaching us, we had seen it was an escape pod. We contacted the UFOS and they alerted us that you were to be kept away from any human life. They told us that, you were the patient zero.”
(slouches back in chair)
Joe:
“Patient zero?”
Mark:
“You were the rat to the black death, the corrupted AI to the robots. See where I am going?”
Joe:
“Not exactly.”
Martha:
“You were the carrier of some sort of illness, disease, they told us you would be able to kill us within a day,”
Joe:
“But how am I infected, none of those things came near me?”
Leon:
“We don’t know, but we know that you need to leave.”
Joe:
“I am not travelling through space, to find the first signs of helpful life, to be told to go away. Help me!”
Martha:
“I suppose-“
Leon:
“We don’t suppose anything, he needs to go, now.”
Martha:
“He can be put into contamination, he won’t be able to harm us from there, and he won’t be left alone outside in the darkness.”
Mark:
“It’s a plausible, but what about command? What would they do to us?”
Joe:
“Why would UFOS do anything to you?”
Martha:
“Honestly, you don’t want to know,”
Joe:
“Honestly, I think I do, after all this I deserve to know,”
Leon:
“Just get him into contamination already, he is asking too many questions.”
(Leon and Mark approach Joe, restrain him unexpectedly)
Fade out.
Fade In.
INT- Contamination chamber, time unknown.
Joe wakes up in the chamber, not wearing his space resistant suit now. Martha is outside, looking in.
Joe:
“What are you doing?”
Martha:
“I don’t want you to be here, trust me I’d rather you be outside of this box, eating with us, but it has to be this way for everyone.”
Joe:
“Why does it? I’ve been through hell multiple times, I finally get cut some slack and this happens.”
Martha:
“If you are contaminated, then you could wipe us out. And even if you weren’t then I think Leon would want you dead anyways.”
Joe:
“I’m trying not to take it personally, but it’s hard not to. So, why would UFOS be onto you if they knew I was here?”
Martha:
“UFOS…now how di I put this? They had planned the attack, all of it. They planned all of it. You are the only planned Patient Zero. They didn’t want you here…because they knew once you reached us, that eventually you would do two things.”
Joe:
“Enlighten me, what are those two things?”
Martha:
“You would kill yourself, by feeling worthless because you are infected. Or you would kill us all.”
Joe:
“Why would I kill you?”
Martha:
“You aren’t getting out of this cage alive, you are infected, you had been injured during the attack, you had blacked out. I then injected you with blood from the aliens, infecting you. By our estimations, you have a few days to live.”
Joe:
“Why did you do it, what is the whole purpose of patient zero?”
Martha:
“To see if we would survive an attack, when they attacked you, they were in ships, in person they will attack you head on and infect you. Making you into one of them, but with your disorder, you wil be advanced. You will be unstoppable.”
Joe:
“So why didn’t they infect a normal person?”
Martha:
“So they can prepare for the worst. It’s the best way to prepare for war isn’t it? To fight the most powerful, then the rest seem easy to them.”
Joe:
“Well this isn’t as hard as I thought, so how are they to prepare if I’m trapped here?”
Martha:
“If I knew, I would answer, but I don’t know that.”
Joe:
“So what happens now?”
Martha:
“You wait.”
Joe:
“I will not wait, not for my death.”
Martha:
“It isn’t debatable.”
Fade out
Fade In
INT- cafeteria, time still unknown.
Leon, Martha and Mark are gathered in the cafeteria of titan, discussing Joe and why they should and shouldn’t keep him alive.
Leon:
“Why do we have to keep him here?”
Martha:
“They told us, whether you like it or not, we have to keep him here.”
Leon:
“His files suggest nothing more than the fact he is a freak and will cause trouble, do we really need that hassle?”
Martha:
“No we don’t need the hassle, but we get a pay rise and money is what we all need after this trip, I don’t know about you too but I have had enough space to last me a hundred life times.”
Leon and Mark:
“Agreed.”
Leon:
“Say if he breaks out, what’s the protocol then? Do we kill him or do we let him escape?”
Martha:
“We kill him, if he is patient zero then there is no need to take chances with him if he escapes”
Mark:
“Can I run tests on him, check if he shows any signs of an unknown infection?”
Martha:
“Do what you please, but take this with you, you will need it if he decides to turn.”
(hands knife over to him)
Fade out
Fade In
INT- contamination chamber, time unknown.
Joe is now aware that he must escape, whether he is patient zero or not, he can’t stay in Titan forever. He is still locked in the chamber, awaiting his inevitable chance of death or escape.
Joe:
“I need to find a way to get out of this place, these people are mental, I was never injured and never blacked out. I had to go along with her, she seemed nice so she could be easily manipulated away from the plan. Unfortunately, she seems to be the grand master behind all of us.”
Mark:
“What was that?”
Joe:
“What?”
Mark:
“You were saying something, what were you saying?”
Joe:
“Nothing of your interest.”
Mark:
“Well, I am here to help you, keep quiet.”
Joe:
“Why are you going to help me?”
Mark:
“For more money, the UFOS actually want to keep you alive, Martha doesn’t want that. She wants you dead.”
Joe:
“So a human life is just worth pounds to you?”
Mark:
“Very much so.”
Joe:
“Come in then, let me ask you something first actually.”
Mark:
“The patient zero is lies, I found that out when you came in.”
Joe:
“How?”
Mark:
“Because she said it travelled via the air, if it was transmitted through the air, then she wouldn’t inject it into you. I’m a doctor, trust me.”
Joe:
“Okay, come on then.”
(Mark opens the cell door, wields the knife from behind him and goes to stab Joe. Joe manages to dodge it, and they fight. In the end Joe manages to stab Mark and escape. Following dialogue is right at the end of the scene)
Joe:
“Has it all been a lie then?”
Mark:
“No, Martha was lying, you are in the clear.”
Joe:
“Well then, time to give them a piece of my mind then.”
Mark:
“Just go, leave them, they have families, you can escape if you go now.”
Joe:
“I don’t go out without a fight”
Fade out
Fade In
After the events on the Titan, Joe has managed to escape, leaving behind 3 dead people on his journey to freedom. Joe knows he needs to contact UFOS before his luck and time runs out.
INT- escape pod, time unknown.
Joe:
“UFOS, are you receiving me?”
UFOS:
“Indeed we are, how are things going up there?”
Joe:
“You know, the usual, a team gone insane made a story up of lies saying I was patient zero and then tried to kill me.”
UFOS:
“Space just isn’t for some people.”
Joe:
“I gathered that and it isn’t for me, so before I turn out like one of them, can we get a move on with trying to get me out of here and back home.”
UFOS:
“Exactly what we are going to discuss. Grab a notepad, pen and all the attention span you have left because we are going to explain how to set you free.”
Joe:
“Grabbed all of it, now tell me.”
UFOS:
“Nearby there is a black hole scheduled to open in around an hour, the time is 18:00, so we are sending a digital clock over to you. Anyway, when this black hole opens it will suck things in at the speed of light. Then it will close. It’s a once in a lifetime phenomena.”
Joe:
“How will that help me?”
UFOS:
“You will travel so fast that you will essentially travel across space. It should open back up at the location of your ship, from there we will refuel and restock. Then we will make our way back home.”
Joe:
“Smart but you say ‘we’ as if you are with me, you are over an intercom.”
UFOS:
“It’s morale support, be a shame if you were to get used too it.”
Joe:
“Ha funny, what’s the danger?”
UFOS:
“You could become spagetiffied in the process and die a slow and painful death.”
Joe:
“Wonderful, I can’t wait for that.”
UFOS:
“But you will be the first person in space travel to successfully do it.”
Joe:
“You say that as if it helps. (looks at the camera speaking to the audience) it does but that is besides the point.”
UFOS:
“It should help, the chance of dying is high either way. So you die trying to live or you die trying to die.”
Joe:
“So I am expected to do it?”
UFOS:
“No but you will forever be a disappointment if you don’t.”
Joe:
“I am no disappointment.”
UFOS:
“Then you better get to it.”
Fade out
Fade In
Joe has now completed the journey through the black hole, he arrives back where he started but outside of the ship. It is now in perfect condition, as if it has never been touched.
INT- escape pod, time 19:00.
Joe:
“UFOS are you receiving me?... UFOS? They aren’t receiving me. If that travel has left me without connection to them I am going to die.”
(looks out of pod window and sees the ship in perfect condition)
Joe:
“Wait, what is going on? Wait..are those the meteorites?”
(Joe sees the meteors, and looks in shock while banging on the window.”
“No! No! No! Don’t do it, no!”
(Joe sees himself in the observation deck, looking back at each other)
Joe:
“Ironic, it turns out I have been waiting for my death all along.”
(the pod then disappears)
UFOS:
“Joe? Can you hear me? Joe? Come in, we miscalculated the black hole? Joe?!”
FADE OUT.
Monologue- When a single character is talking to no one else.
How I could improve my script?
First of all, I think I could extend the speaking lines, to avoid such a robotic sounding dialogue. As well as this, i think a range of emotions should be present for the same reason. I could also describe the scenes further, this would be so the actors can become more involved in the scene and feel what the character feels. Rather than just reading words off a page. A variation in the script, like taking it outside would be good because the environment can affect speech such as shivers or stutters.
As well as this I have done some positive things as well, I have managed to transition scenes smoothly and let them flow. I also managed to show emotion within the characters and represent human speech by showing people interuppting each other in arguments. I also managed to refer the strat of the script ot the end, shwoing signficance within the speech by the character.
