Storyline designer advanced tips
So you’ve put your prize-winning storyline together – but unfortunately, it has all the production valuesof a dead gerbil.That’s where the advanced options come into play – and here’s how to get the most out of them.
Editing
Each animation is split up into little chunks, allowing you to prune the scene as is necessary. Doing so can change the mood of the scene in quite subtle ways. Cut out an intro showing the wrestlers bumping into each other backstage, as an example, and suddenly it looks like they’ve been plotting away all along.
Camera
With only a limited number of animations available for selection, you’ll find yourself needing to reuse several of them on a regular basis. Doom and gloom, right? Wrong! Careful use of camera angles can disguise even the most repetitive of scenes. Vary the angles you shoot from to give your production a more professional look.
Text
Don’t overdo the text function – unless you’re really funny and clever, like us, chances are that the average Joe out there isn’t going to want to wade through reams of dialogue. Show, not tell, as much as possible, and use the commentary team to fill the gaps. If you want to stir things up, you can add a guest commentator. It’s the Great Khali for us.
Facial Expressions
Only a limited number of expressions to choose, but then again, WWE Superstars are either angry or in pain 95% of the time, so the choice isn’t as restrictive as it first seems. As with the other options, you can swap a wrestler’s facial expression several times during a scene, although to be completely honest, the defaults do the trick most of the time.
Crowd Noise
The crowd is an integral part of WWE programming and their contribution shouldn’t be overlooked.Pretty much every wrestler on the roster has their own chant which can be piped into the scenes at the right opportunity, and there are a large number of presets available if you’re playing as a user-created grappler. They’ll cheer for anybody!
And that’s a wrap
Don’t forget to tack the end of programming logo onto your final skit of the show. Now you’re finished, make sure you look over the day’s events to make sure they flow well. You might want to add in the correct Titantron videos if you’ve used them as in-ring animation. Or indeed, you might want to add in an incorrect one. Hey, we’re not judging – it’s your story.
Check back tomorrow for our feature showcasing our own storylines with a thematic twist.
Oct 26, 2009
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