Creatives Spotlight

Some examples of influences and inspirations for my Final Major Project can be seen below. Their contributions in storytelling (in all forms) helped me to understand how good stories are written, as well as how themes and emotions can be portrayed successfully in many creative mediums.



Joseph Staten

Joseph Staten is an American writer who was the main writer at Bungie Studios for the Halo video game series, and was the cinematic director, script and dialogue writer, and franchise developer until 2011. Staten now acts as a senior creative director at Microsoft Studios.

One example of his work is Halo: Combat Evolved - the first game in the Halo series (released in 2001). The narrative of the game follows the Hero's Journey Monomyth that I have mentioned before to be a classical aspect of character development in stories, as well as being a unique interpretation of military life in the year 2552. As the beginning of a series that would grow over the next 15 years and span countless games/comics/shows, it is telling that the writing of Halo CE unlocked the potential to explore and develop a new and exciting science-fiction universe.

Halo: Combat Evolved - Bungie Studios

The work of Joseph Staten has influenced my Final Major Project, in that I am inspired to explore my own version of a sci-fi narrative set in the year 2320, with many designs and ideas from Halo feeding into the visual style for my project. Added to this, Staten's writing has helped me to inform my own writing when constructing the main threads of my narrative. This is why these influences add to the structure of my FMP.



Matthew Stover

Matthew Stover is an American fantasy/sci-fi novelist, who has written several novels in both genres - to much critical acclaim. Stover may be best known for the four official novels he wrote in the Star Wars universe.

An example of his work is the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith novelisation (released in 2005). This book was based on the story and screenplay of the movie in the Star Wars franchise of the same name. Because of the nature of this storytelling medium, and the talent of the writer, the novelisation evokes more emotion and thought in the reader than the movie ever could. While fans of the franchise are split when it comes to Revenge of the Sith, both sides come together to highlight this novel as one of the shining examples of a Star Wars narrative done right.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith novelisation - Del Rey

The work of Matthew Stover has influenced my Final Major Project, in that it fueled my passion for meaningful and emotive storytelling. Many of the passages of the novelisation are beautiful and raw, and I hope to reflect that beauty when writing my own narrative. Stover's novelisation also inspired me to always take a deeper look into the aspects of a story, including the feelings of the characters and the descriptions of the locations (world building). This is why these influences add to the structure of my FMP.



George Lucas

George Lucas is an American filmmaker, entrepeneur, and creator of both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. He also founded well-known studios Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic. Lucas led Star Wars media and the Lucasfilm name until he sold it to Disney in 2012. He now works on experimental movie projects and ideas on his own.

One example of his work is Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV), which was first released in 1977 and remains one of the most influential movies of all time. This movie is a sci-fi/fantasy adventure that hosts a clearer case of the Hero's Journey in the development of Luke Skywalker. A New Hope (and Star Wars in general) has become a cultural phenomenon lasting 40 years - a testament to the initial spark of creativity and imagination provided by George Lucas, as well as how strongly these stories resonate with fans across the world.

Star Wars: A New Hope poster - LucasFilm Limited

The work of George Lucas has influenced my Final Major Project, in that Star Wars shaped my childhood and gave me a setting where I could use my imagination to create limitless stories. The unique vehicles and planets in the series inspired elements of my ship and world designs, and the Hero's Journey parallel is something I intend to utilise for the protagonist of my story. This is why these influences add to the structure of my FMP.