Skin Deep: Storyboards
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Vignettes
Internally, we called our story-focused levels ‘vignettes’. These levels are focused on progressing Nina’s adventures and various woes, and the player cannot die or fail in a vignette level.
Skin Deep’s narrative director Laura Michet has written about the process we used. During this process, we translated Laura’s written script into a playable vignette level.
Process
Here’s a very general overview:
Do a call. This call included the level designer, narrative director Laura, and creative director me. We reviewed Laura’s written script, brought up potential implementation ideas, reviewed what things were important to include, and got on the same page.
Write a document. The level designer writes a text document that describes how the vignette will appear/work. This was done through Google Docs. This document was then reviewed and we’d do some rounds of feedback – partly on direction, and partly on technical implementation/feasibility.
Build the blockout. The level designer would then build a fully-scripted but undetailed blockout version of the vignette level. This is built intentionally rough because we want it to be malleable in order to quickly change, add, delete, iterate, and shape into a vignette that worked well and felt good.
Brushwork. Once the blockout was in a good place, the level designer then builds the final version of the vignette level.
A very large part of this process is communication. How do you clearly share your thoughts, how does everyone get aligned in the same direction, how do you minimize miscommunication. Something that helped us communicate is storyboards.
Storyboards
We used storyboards quite a bit in Skin Deep’s development and would like to share some of them with you here.
For context, we didn’t make a mega storyboard of every single sequence in the game. Basically, we didn’t need to – Laura’s written script sufficed, or the text document sufficed, or the level designer would have a great perspective on it and then execute it. We made storyboards when needed, as a tool to express specific ideas.
⚠️Note:
I’m going to talk about some story sequences. It includes some spoilers!
If you don’t want to be spoiled, read the rest of this post later.
I drew these storyboards, but all credit to Laura for writing the script and Suzanne and Tynan for constructing and breathing life into these sequences. To be clear, this was a very collaborative experience with a lot of back-and-forth discussion, iteration, and ideation – the vignettes wouldn’t exist without this development crew.
Asteroid-92
Lens crack 1
This was the storyboard for the “lens cracking” sequence in the Asteroid-92 vignette level. The split-screen effect didn’t make it into the game – it was an extremely long shot, as we didn’t have any tech for it!
Lens crack 2
This was a proposed idea where the cinematic camera movement would cause glass shrapnel from the telescope lens to bust out, with the gag being that the cinematic camera is treated like a physical object that shatters the telescope lens. It’s pretty funny but didn’t make the cut for various reasons.
Lens crack 3
This was a description for the lens crack camera movement.
Title drop
This was a storyboard for how the title drop would work. Credit where it’s due: this freeze-frame effect was borrowed from the end of the 2014 Wolfenstein trailer video. That tiny zoom-in when it does the freeze is great stuff.
Penthouse
Cat door 1
This was a storyboard describing the gag about Little Lion’s big golden doors.
Cat door 2
This describes the spotlight gag. Notice that at this point in development, the level art is much more finalized. Sometimes the opportunity for gags become more apparent once more final geometry is in the game.
Photos
This describes the presentation for the photos. All credit to Suzanne for afterward making the photos then turn into physics objects and clatter to the ground afterward – it’s such a killer gag.
Flashback exit
This describes how we transition out of the flashback sequence. Notice how some of the level is more finalized than others – this storyboard was made when the level final brushwork phase was in-progress.
Convention
Diorama setup
This describes the general diorama setup. As you can see, the blockout has white debug text that describes what is going to be there eventually.
Diorama 1
This was the first diorama. In this iteration, the “dead bodies” were ragdoll dummies that piled on top of each other. After receiving this storyboard, Suzanne prototyped this idea out, and we quickly found the ragdoll pile was going to be a technical issue boondoggle. So, we instead decided to replace the ragdolls with more wooden cutouts.
Diorama 2
This was the second diorama. The final art for this sequence went into the game pretty late, so for time/budget reasons, we just show Nina and Little Lion’s giant heads (instead of them holding rifles).
Diorama 3
This was the third diorama.
Diorama 4
This was the fourth diorama. Shadow play! It was a lot of fun to think of what kind of diorama would one of Zena’s goons make with a budget of $20.
Sandwiches
This version of the sandwich sequence had a “video game objective UI” gag. Partly as a joke, and partly to clarify what the player’s goal was here. Ultimately we ended up not needing it, as players were able to understand what was happening without it.
MIAO Corp
Cat reunion
This describes the moment when the cats come to Nina’s aid.
Mech hatch
This was a proposed idea where we do a scene transition right when the mech hatch slams shut. We eventually split the next scene into its own separate level, so this idea became moot.
Mech ramp
Not a storyboard, but I just think this concept art for Little Lion’s cat spaceship is funny.
Wonky space
Catfight
This describes the big space battle. “LL” refers to Little Lion. As you can see, this is very light on details – all credit to Suzanne for interpreting this rough storyboard and doing the hard work of constructing the sequence in the game, giving it soul, and making it come alive.
Cat platform
This is not a storyboard, but I just like this picture of Little Lion sitting on his mechanical platform. Look at those paws.
Match cut
This describes the match cut of the gantry / door.
Big fan
This describes the mech stopping the fan. As you can see, there’s some parts that are less certain or are vague. I think if you don’t have a good idea, to just be honest and up-front about that and allow room for someone else come up with their own solution.
Good Twin Castle
Zena arena
In this iteration, Nina and Zena hold hands and rotate, as if they’re skydiving.
Zena wrestle
This was a description of the wrestle sequence.
Zena sync
This was one of the proposals for how the Nina-Zena sync sequence. This didn’t get further than a storyboard, as it didn’t really work for various reasons.
The Beach
Beach camera
This describes the beach vignette’s opening camera movement.
Beach fireworks
This describes the ending fireworks sequence.
Et al
As you can see, storyboards were made in all phases of development – sometimes the level doesn’t exist yet, sometimes it’s a blockout, and sometimes the final art is in. Storyboards were helpful at every step, as visuals and diagrams are a really great way to communicate and get on the same page.
Years ago when I worked as a level designer at a big game studio, I built a habit of always bringing a notebook and pen whenever I needed to talk to an artist or programmer. All of our cubicles had a whiteboard installed in it, but there was always a high chance it would already be filled up. I always brought my own paper to write on, because it became apparent that a hazy 10-minute discussion that was all words usually became a crystal clear 3-minute discussion if you just drew a little sketch.
When in doubt, draw a picture!
To view all posts in this series, click here.