Learn how to build your career as a video game writer from one of the writers on the new AAA-game studio game THAT'S NO MOON!

PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help you navigate the video game industry!

***Flexible Learning: if you cannot attend any of the sessions live don't worry - you will be sent the links to the recordings of each session within 48 hours of the live session and you will have direct access to Andrew on email to ask him any questions so you can keep up at your own pace and schedule.***

Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details

Video games are the largest category in the entertainment industry with revenues that far exceed those of both the film and music industries. This year, the gaming industry is expected to generate more than $170 billion in global revenues, five times greater than global movie box office revenues. But did you know, just like Film and TV, video games have writers? And those writers aren’t just the designers themselves. Video game writing requires the same world-building and narrative skill sets that screenwriting requires…with a few additional twists. However, what are the tools you need to successfully build a career writing video games and how do you get your foot in the door to get started?

In this exclusive and comprehensive Stage 32 4-part class, you will learn how to write for video games, the difference between writing for games vs. Film/TV, navigating the video game industry, and most importantly, how to get your foot in the door to start your career in this lucrative and exciting field. As a writer, it’s crucial for you to have your hands in as many creative mediums as you can, ensuring that you’re always working, getting paid, and keeping your creative muscles honed.

Teaching you everything you need to know about the craft and business of writing for video games is Andrew Henderson, a working Video Game writer who is one of the writers on the new AAA-game studio game THAT'S NO MOON. Andrew also works as a writer and producer for film and television. He has sold film and TV projects to various companies, including Runaway Planet Content, Go Media, Paradox Productions, Cinelou Productions, Bee Holder Productions, Storyboard Entertainment, and Rebellion Studios, among others. His 2014 Sci-Fi/Thriller film, FLASHES, featuring Tom Sizemore and Christopher Judge, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Over 4 interactive sessions, Andrew will take you behind the scenes of the video game industry and will guide you through the process of figuring out whether or not video game writing is for you, finding a way into the complex industry, and once in, what you can expect once you’re actually writing on a game, and how to write actual games. 

PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help you on your video game writing journey! Downloads include:

• CALL OF DUTY Script
• Video Game Character Bio 
• Video Game Cut-Scene
• Video Game Systemic Dialogue

You will walk away from this information-packed course with the knowledge you need to pursue work as a writer in gaming, and how to succeed at it once you land a job.

Praise For Andrew:

"Andrew is a great teacher with so much to offer his students!" - Amber L.

"Learned a ton from Andrew and from his experiences. I highly recommend learning what he's got to share!"  - Rishi L.

"Andrew sheds light on a very elusive industry and gives you tangible advice you can use to build your career in the video game world." - Nick M.

SESSION 1: How to Break Into The Video Game Industry

• My Story
• How I got into writing
• What I’ve worked on/done
• How I broke into the Video Game Industry
• Ins and Outs of the Video Game Industry:
• What a AAA gaming company is
• What a “shipped game” means
• Who are the major players in the industry?
  • Difference between console games and mobile games
• What kind of contract/deal you should expect
• How long it takes to make a video game
• Why who you work with/for matters in the long run
• Studio hierarchy
• Writers Rooms
• Breaking into the Video Game World:
• How you break in
• The catch-22 of having to have written on a shipped game and how to get around it
• Ideal samples for getting your foot in the door
• Who to try and connect with
• How to connect
• Knowing your genre/space
• Stepping stones to the industry
• How to know if Video Game writing is for you
• Q&A with Andrew

Assignment: Choose three game studios you want to apply to and select your best writing sample for each one, and explain why.

SESSION 2: Working for a Video Game Studio

• Day to Day Life at a Game Studio
• Studio Hierarchy
• Daily tasks/expectations
• Who you’ll work with
• Writing Tasks
• Cut-scenes
• Systemic Dialogue
• Vertical Slice
• Gameplay
• IGCs
• Treatment
• Character Bios
• Q&A with Andrew

Assignment: Write a character bio for any game character of your choice, and write a one page world breakdown of a game of your choice.

SESSION 3: How To Write Video Games

• Writing for Video Games:
  • The difference between Film/TV vs. Video Games
  • Player Agency
  • Choice based writing
  • World-building
  • Writing for Video Games vs. Mobile Games
  • Cost Considerations
  • Studio Shoots/Mocap
  • World-Building
  • Character Development
  • NPCs
  • Villains
  • Heroes
  • Plot Structure
• Q&A with Andrew

Assignment: Write a sample 3-5 page video game script from any game of your choice.

SESSION 4: Different Types of Games / Mobile vs. Video / Future of the Industry

• The World of Games
• Different genres of games
• Different gameplay scenarios
• First Person Shooter
• Single Player vs. Multi-Player
• Open World/Open Sandbox
• VR/AR
• Interactive Games
• Metaverse
• The Future of the Industry
• AI
• Steam
• Streaming
• Open-Sourced Coding
• Contracting Studios
• New Horizons
• Final Thoughts
• Q&A with Andrew

Assignment: Take a sample of yours, in any medium or genre, and pitch it as a video game, including an overview of the world, characters, and a short script of your adaptation.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• This class is designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced writers interested in writing video games.
• By the end of this class, you will have the knowledge and tools you need to navigate and succeed in the video game industry as a writer.
• You will be held accountable to take the lessons from each week and move your work forward.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to get their foot in the videogame industry.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to understand the business of videogames.

Producers who want to better understand the craft and career of videogame writers.

Actors who want to take control of their careers by learning the fundamentals of writing for videogames.

Praise For Andrew:

"Andrew is a great teacher with so much to offer his students!" - Amber L.

"Learned a ton from Andrew and from his experiences. I highly recommend learning what he's got to share!"  - Rishi L.

"Andrew sheds light on a very elusive industry and gives you tangible advice you can use to build your career in the video game world." - Nick M.