Coraline – Adapting the novella into a video game

Resource created by Michael Stephenson

Coraline game images from www.focusfeatures.com

Introduction

Coraline, written by Neil Gaiman, is a novella in which the genres of fantasy and horror intertwine. The novella’s dreamlike quality has led to comparisons to Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It tells the story of Coraline Jones, whose family move into an old English Baroque style flat. Left to amuse herself, Coraline discovers a mysterious doorway in the flat, and walks through to discover a fantastical and nightmarish Other world.

In 2009 Coraline was adapted into a video game published by D3. The game stays faithful to the plot of the novella.

Teachers’ Notes and Useful Links

This resource is suitable for use with pupils working within level 3. Depending on the quality and detail of pupils’ responses, it will also work at level 4. The resource is available in Word or PDF format. You are welcome to download and modify these lesson plans and teaching materials for your own use, but note that all original work remains the property of the creators, and you may not repackage these resources for commercial use in any shape or form.

LTS resource on games-based learning: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/usingglowandict/

The Adventure Author Project: http://judyrobertson.typepad.com/adventure_author/about-adventure-author.html

Gamasutra: http://www.gamasutra.com/

Literature Review in Games and Learning: A Futurelab report by John Kirriemuir and Angela McFarlane: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/kirriemuir-j-2004-r8.pdf

Video Games and The Future of Learning - a scholarly report produced by a team of academics in the United States (PDF): http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/videogamesfuturelearning.pdf

This academic article by an American researcher looks at Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction (online article).

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm

Coraline video game publisher’s site; http://www.d3publisher.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=73

Games-Based Learning runs an annual conference for educators: http://www.gamebasedlearning.org.uk/

eLearning’s list of games based resources including podcasts and papers: http://archive.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/Resources/games.htm

Contents

4 Activity 1 – Gaming Survey

5 Activity2 – Selecting A Scene

6 Some Elements of Video Games

7 Activity 3 – Items

8 Activity 4 – Identifying Video Game Elements

9 Activity5 – Creating a Flowchart

10 Activity 6 – Scripting Your Scene

11 Activity 7 – Designing the Game Environment

13 Activity 8 – Designing the Characters

Activity 1 – Gaming Survey (Reading>Enjoyment and Choice – Lit 3-11a)

Think about the following questions.

Write down the thoughts and ideas you have.

Be prepared to contribute to class discussion!

1. How experienced are you with video games? Mark on the scale.

Total Noob 1------2------3------4------5------6------7------8 Master Chief

2. What are your three favourite video games of all time?

3. Which elements do you think are most important in a video game? Number these choices from 1-6, with 1 being the most important:

storyline gameplay

graphics character

sound online capablility

4. What do you think is the biggest difference between video games and other texts such as novels or films?


Activity 2 – selecting a scene (Reading>Enjoyment and Choice – Lit 3-15a)

Here are some major plot events from Coraline. Choose one, and go back to the novel to read about it in more detail. Then write down some ideas about how the scene could work in an interactive game. Try to imagine what would be most FUN for the player, while still sticking to the essentials of the story…

- Coraline explores the new house (chapter 1)

- Meeting the neighbours (chapter 2)

- Discovering the other world (chapter 3)

- Coraline challenges the other mother (chapter 8)

- Search for the hidden souls (chapters 8-10)

- Facing the Other Mother (chapter 11)

- Coraline traps the hand! (chapter 13)

Some Elements of Video Games

Activity 3 – Items (Reading>Enjoyment and Choice – Lit 3-15a)

What items do you think might be important in the game? These could be items Coraline must collect, or important items that help Coraline complete challenges as the game goes on.

Try to base your ideas on the novel as much as possible!

Activity 4 – Identifying video game elements (Listening and Talking>Finding and Using Information – Lit 3-05a)

You are going to try scripting your own scene for a video game of Coraline - but first, let’s take a look at an example.

In this youtube video, you can watch gameplay footage of the video game’s final scenes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E_NREM9Wdk&feature=related

Which of the video game elements you’ve read about can you identify in this clip?

The first step in preparing the script for a scene like this is to use a flowchart to map out what a player must do and how the game’s narrative will develop. Here’s a simple example:

This type of gameplay is linear – the game proceeds in a straight line where one action leads to the next. There is only one correct path through the game.

Some games feature non-linear gameplay, in which the player has more choice and freedom to explore the game in a variety of ways. A flowchart for non-linear play might look more like this:

Activity 5 – creating a flowchart (Writing>Tools for Writing – Lit 3-24a. Writing>Organising and Using Information – Lit 3-25a, Lit 3-26a. Writing>Creating Texts - Lit 3-28a)

Go ahead and try mapping a flowchart for the scene you chose back in activity two. You can use a linear or non-linear style – whichever would suit your scene best!

Activity 6 – Scripting Your Scene! (Writing>Creating Texts – Eng 3-27a, Eng 3-31a)

The next stage is writing the full script – use the example below as a guide.

(This relates to the part of the game shown in the video clip above...)

***

CUTSCENE

INT: OTHER BOBINSKY’S APARTMENT, NIGHT

The other Mr B – dressed as circus ringmaster - stands at the opposite end of the room from Coraline (PC), in front of the Mouse Circus tent. On either side of the path leading to Mr B are 3 cannons. One of the cannons fires across the player’s path. Camera TILTS UP to show a re-loading device suspended above each cannon.

On-screen instruction: PLUG THE CANNONS

GAMEPLAY

1. If player attempts to reach Mr Bobinsky while the cannons are active, PC will be struck by cannon fire and knocked back to start position with loss of 10% health.

2. If player uses CATAPULT to shoot cannon, shot will bounce off harmlessly.

3. If player uses CATAPULT to shoot a reloading device, it will fall into the cannon’s barrel, plugging it. When all six have been plugged, player can move down the path to Mr B, at which point:

CUTSCENE

POV from behind other Mr B as he falls to the ground. He seems to be only an empty suit. Three rats run out from the suit.

CLOSE-UP on rat hiding.

MED-LONG SHOT of Coraline approaching the rat, which is silhouetted in foreground.

CORALINE

Hmmm…

LONG SHOT: The room stretches into the distance and the rat scuttles ahead.

On-screen instruction: CHASE THE RAT

GAMEPLAY

Player must follow the rat, avoiding obstacles such as the cannon (which are now rolling freely across the floor) and crates. Holes appear in the floor as the player runs…

Activity 7 - Designing the Game Environment (Writing>Creating Texts – Eng 3-31a)

Now that you’ve planned your scene, it’s time to design the visuals.

Think about the atmosphere you’d like to create for your game - Coraline could work as a tense, shadowy game just as easily as a bright and colourful one!

These images are by artists who worked on the Coraline movie, but they might help you explore how you would like your scene/level to look.

Remember, you may want to add on-screen indicators for health, maps, items found, etc...

You can see all these images, and links to many more by the same artists, at http://drawn.ca/2009/02/23/art-of-coraline

Activity 8 – Designing the Characters (Writing>Creating Texts – Eng 3-31a)

Try designing the character of Coraline as you imagine her. How would you like her to appear on the screen of your video game? A really good idea would be to annotate your drawing with notes and ideas you have.

Again, there are a few examples of other artists’ ideas here to get you started!

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