Story, Characters & Worlds - A Compact Masterclass
summary
Argues that stories must be planned as assets: start with a clear premise/theme, write a grand backstory/origin and a timeline, then make a map and let time shape the world so levels and micro-stories emerge; use a narrated five‑act outline even for open worlds and lock key bottlenecks. Practical tools: grand tragedy, a rough world map, a timeline, micro‑story snippets, an IP bible, and a branching tree spreadsheet for choice. Recommends hiring a story editor; cites Hitman rights as >65% of company value.
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chapters (26)
- 0:00Start
- 0:57Christian Fonsbeck
- 6:00The Hitman Franchise
- 14:30Subnautica
- 15:42Start with the Themes and the Backstory
- 16:27Steps To Write Bloodborne
- 18:54The Premise
- 20:48Build a Story
- 22:58Ken Levine
- 25:36Tone
- 26:58Mythos
- 27:29Origin Story
- 28:00Bone
- 28:53The Origin Story
- 30:05Geography
- 30:24Factions and Societies
- 30:41Horizon Zero Dawn
- 32:56Authenticity
- 35:09Characters
- 37:29Physiology
- 38:24The Story Structure
- 41:03Big Picture
- 42:38How Are Nfts Factoring into Ip Ownership
- 49:49How Do You Define or Find a Universal Theme
- 55:37Five Act Model
- 56:21Final Thoughts
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