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What makes Lore such an indispensable part of video games, and all fictional work for
that matter? Lore can be explained as the history and setting of universes. It sets
the stage for the stories that follow. Above all, it gives us context. What would The Elder
Scrolls games be without Tamriel? What would the Fallout series be without post-apocalyptic
America? And what would The Lord of the Rings universe be without Middle Earth? The great
writers, game developers, and film makers of our time have captured our imaginations
with their rich worlds, and sci-fi/fantasy settings.
Why do you and I like to learn about fictional places? Simply put, it takes us on a journey to a place we've never been.
Follow me on this journey, as we go behind the scenes with the making of the Lore Series.
Many of you watching this video now have actually taken the time to watch many of our Lore Series
episodes, and have requested a behind scenes look at how we produce them. Well let me be
the first to say, thanks for giving a damn at all. It is important to let you know our
process so that maybe you can provide constructive criticism for us in the future, and help us
grow as a channel and community. After all, that's how any content creator strives to
get better. Not to mention, you might want to personally get involved with what we are
doing here by working alongside us, but more on that later.
As we move forward and expand the shows here on the channel, I do think it is important
to let you in on our creative process, as well as share with you our plans for the future.
Now sadly, the way our Lore episode are set up, I usually don't get to address our viewers
like this directly, so I'm very excited to do that with this video.
I guess the best way to start a behind the scenes look at the Lore Series would be to
describe to you its mission, and how it all got started. Many people don't know this,
but when the ShoddyCast began dipping its toes in lore, it was partly because I wanted
to win people over to the study of Lore in video games. My most favorite genre of gaming
has always been RPGs, and I think always will be. There is just something about them. Their
fleshed out worlds, large cast of characters; they seem to be the games that I can always
come back to again and again. Games like Fallout, Mass Effect, and the Elder Scrolls have let
me live a second life in a fictional universe, it's always been a sort of fantasy of mine;
and it's that fact alone that makes these gaming universes, some of the most exciting,
at least for me personally. Game developers like Bethesda Game Studios
work tirelessly so that we can have living, breathing worlds like those we see in games
like Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Meanwhile, when we're actually playing these games,
we talk to in-game characters only to skip over the dialogue; we collect in-game books
and never read them. I've been guilty of this. It has to be incredibly discouraging
as a game developer in today's market, to see a portion of the player-base simply shrug
off content that took years to produce. Writing lore for video games must be the most thankless
job that ever existed. It is with this in mind that the Lore Series
first mission is to spread the love of lore to the masses. Infect them with the lore virus,
if you will. This includes, first and foremost, those gamers who haven't actually taken
the time to really go out of their way and study Lore.
Through your feedback, we found the most popular way to present lore, without overwhelming
people with too much information, would be in 10-13 minute long videos that focus around
a central topic, or theme within the gaming universe. These videos are very accessible
and it makes it easy for lore fanatics to share their love from lore with their friends,
which as a content producer on YouTube, is exactly what you need to make a viable series-
you need a series that is easy to share. You see, anyone can watch a lore episode about
Elder Scrolls or Fallout, here on the channel, and even if they don't play those games,
they can still enjoy the content. So the process of actually creating a lore
episode is pretty simple. At least on paper. Step 1. We choose a topic and we make an outline,
we make sure that each topic flows into the other. This continuity gives the viewer a
sense that everything in the fictional universe is connected, just like in our own universe.
Also, it lets us use our trademark signoff. "If the super mutants do ever form another
army, they're likely to find the wasteland a little more of a challenge this time around.
Since their master fell, the world has become a more crowded place, and there are other
better equipped factions of humanity ready to challenge any newcomers for the spoils
of the old world.
But that- is a story for another day... So step one, choose a topic and make sure
it all connects. Step two, research. Game franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout
they've been around since the days of DOS, and over that time they've had many writers
working hard to build their worlds. We're talking pages and pages of in-game books,
out-of-game books, and website articles. The research stage can be an overwhelming one,
and a scary one. This is the step where we decide what information is worth mentioning,
and what information can be set aside for a future episode. Either way, as you can imagine,
we're going to *** people off. That often happens when you're trying to condense information,
but I'll always stand by the belief that the Lore Series has always been about quality
over quantity, and I'd sooner produce a 12 minute video with a core message, than
a 30 minute video lacking focus. When I research I like to keep a notebook
at my desk where I can quickly jot down important, key information, or common themes about a
topic. For instance, The Elder Scrolls Lore Series recently discussed a very very important
figure in Lore, a man that goes by the name of Talos Stormcrown. Now, Talos is a very
interesting figure in fictional history, because like many other fictional characters he can
draw parallels to many real-world historical figures. I usually like to actively look for
these similarities in my writing, because it helps me understand the inspiration the
original writer drew upon when they dreamed up the fictional character. It's no secret
that all fictional history is in some way inspired by real world events. What are the
Nords if not the Vikings, and what is the Imperial City, if not Rome?
These real-world parallels usually provide me with a common theme that adds a little
extra something to each video. A sort of- social commentary. For example: Talos's
story was the journey of a man who served under a great King as a general, only to ascend
to the throne once his king met an untimely end. This story parallels King David of ancient
Israel. Both were destined to become great rulers of their kingdoms; both inherited their
thrones when their respected rulers at that time were killed; both had an affair with
a woman. Talos goes on to conquer many civilizations uniting them under a single banner, much like
the Romans conquered the Sicilians, Thracians, and many other peoples of the Mediterranean.
Hell, their armies even wore the same skirts. Step number three, writing. A worthy lore
script isn't something that we like to rush out in a single afternoon. Over the course
of many hours a script can be written and rewritten until it's ready for narration.
For me personally, the most important thing in my writing is to make sure the tone stays
true to the universe we are discussing. An Elder Scrolls script should read like an epic
rather than a purely informational work. A behind the scenes video should sound more
informational like I'm sounding right now. A Fallout script should endeavor to incorporate
some of Fallout's signature humor. This is the reason why we'll sometimes include
a little Vault-Tec presentation at the start of an episode. It's just a little something
that pays homage to that franchise. "Upon leaving the vault you may find your
neighbors on the surface have changed a lot while you were away. Little Sally Sue for
instance is gone, and in her place we see "Mr. Scary". Mr. Scary is not our friend.
Here at Vault-Tec your safety is our number one concern, so we're here to help any post-nuclear
nuisance... go away. Introducing the Mutant Blaster R88..."
I have to say, the biggest challenge about retelling stories that happened in fictional
worlds is the fact that video game Lore isn't exactly solid. By that I mean, we as gamers
and fans of fiction are constantly being bombarded by conflicting reports.
Game Development Studios will go through many writers over the years, and as a result, the
history of those universes will often lack continuity, leaving us as fans to pick up
the pieces so to speak. When you are trying to write a documentary-style video, with a
beginning, a middle, and an end; putting the puzzle together and making sure the pieces
actually fit can be a daunting task. Instead of including every possible canon story about
a topic, we will usually pick the most popular story, or the story most likely to be true.
We find that this makes a more entertaining, and more importantly, more focused video.
The last thing I want to do to the viewers is to drown them in a sea of rumors and conjecture.
Even if some of you guys like that sort of thing, it would be counterproductive to our
mission to make lore easily accessible for everyone.
Step four, narration. I'll be the first to say, I hate the sound of my own voice,
although I think everyone hates the sound of their own voice once it has been recorded.
Proper narration can be the deciding factor in whether people will want to watch a lore
episode, and it's especially important for people tuning in for the first time, because
it's usually the first thing they judge. It is like the old saying goes, "there's
no second chance at a first impression". It's actually pretty funny if you think
about it, you can have all the passion in the world, and bring that passion to your
writing and research, but if your narrator's voice is monotone, or if you bring too much
enthusiasm, you can scare people away. Now this truth is especially important for those
of you who maybe want to start your own YouTube channel one day. We spend almost as much time
here on this channel making sure that our script narration sounds good as we spend researching
a topic. I can't stress enough how important it is.
Step five, storyboarding. Once a script is completed and the narration for it is recorded
we're ready to concentrate on the visuals of the episode. Kyle and I work as a team
during the storyboarding process, so it's important to keep a good spirit of collaboration.
For those who aren'tfamiliar with storyboarding, this is the step where we make sure the script
matches the visuals that will be filmed for the episode. Kyle and I will read aloud each
paragraph of the script together and come up with ideas for how each scene in the video
should play out. For example, in the Talos scene talking about war and death, what better
location to film than a battlefield littered with the bodies of the fallen soldiers that
served under this general; with a thoughtful Talos standing among them in a kind of quiet
contemplation. "Does the end always justify the means?
Does the death of thousands somehow mean less in the hopes of achieving a lasting peace?
Lasting peace is a noble goal, but when does the blood price become too much to bare? Surely
a man able to carry such a burden has become more than human. He has transcended morality,
and into gohood, at least- in his own mind and the minds of his men..."
Step six, filming. Up until recently all our visuals were done in-house by Kyle, but in
an effort to improve and evolve we've since scoured YouTube for people who have had past
experience giving games a cinematic feel. We searched high and low for gamers who would
bring our storyboards to life using their own artistic eye. Filming in-game footage
takes an incredibly looong time and is most certainly the step in our process that requires
the most amount of patience. Each scene Kyle and I dream up has to be recreated using only
the in-game engine. With the help of console commands and player modding, the machinima
artist must painstakingly set up each character at the location of our choosing.
In this example we asked that a scene for the Fallout Lore Series be set at a gas station
in pre-war America. For those who aren't familiar with the Fallout universe this is
a pretty tall order, considering the Fallout games take place in a post-nuclear America.
This single scene could have taken up to a half an hour to set up, but it will only appear
in the episode for a few short seconds. Step seven, effects and the magic touch. When
you watch a lore video on the ShoddyCast you'll notice that we like to spruce things up with
our own effects. The Elder Scrolls Lore Series for instance looks like something out of a
painting, and the Fallout Lore Series has its own flavor with grimy looking projector
slides. Kyle and my friend Ricky are always looking for ways to add that magic touch.
We think that this goes a long way in giving each series its own signature style.
And finally we arrive at step number 8. Editing. My personal favorite. If anyone out there
is curious about the video editor we use for our videos, it's a wonderful program called
Camtasia. Camtasia is an excellent editor and the only video editing software we've
ever used on the channel because it works like a video editor should. So, if you're
looking for a video editor that won't take days to learn I highly recommend it.
Editing is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, and my favorite part about editing
for the ShoddyCast is making each video feel epic, and by that I mean adding lots and lots
of good background music. Music has a way of "setting the mood" for a scene, and
in all honesty it kind of injects a kind of "artificial emotion" for each and every
scene you play music in. So every chance I get I like to complement an epic moment with
an equally epic score. Above all, when I'm editing, I don't mind
taking my time with it, and if I screw up by cutting audio wrong, the whole video is
blown. Video editing is a massive time sync, but the end result can be incredibly rewarding.
Over 40 hours later our episode is ready for publishing. Each video is uploaded the night
before it's supposed to go live to ensure that it hits YouTube no later than the scheduled
show date. The moment a lore episode is published, Kyle and I take the time to read viewer comments
as they appear. The very day a lore episode is published on the channel we start working
on the next one. And the process starts all over again...
As of this moment the ShoddyCast has made over 5 hours of lore content; but I firmly
believe this is only the beginning. My dream is to one day produce a lore series for every
gaming franchise which prizes itself on its lore. RPGs with rich universes that need their
stories told in a concise and elegant manner so that everyone can share in the love of
lore. Lore brings context, and the extra value context brings to our gaming experience is
indispensable. I whole heartily believe that. Now, I'm going to speak plainly with you,
because if you're still watching this video chances are you're a person that actually
possesses a pretty healthy attention span. Now that you've taken a look behind the
scenes it is not a secret that our videos here on YouTube usually don't get the views
to merit the amount of work we put into them. Other channels post Lets Plays here on YouTube
that get double the views we do, and we'd probably be better off posting videos that
didn't require so much work and time. Now, the ShoddyCast could just as easily make lore
videos here on the channel that are unscripted and less organized, and we would probably
get those videos out the door much faster, but I think you guys don't want that from
us. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think by holding this channel to a different standard,
we're setting ourselves up for a more passionate and more mature viewer base. We've already
begun to see this in our channel statistics page where the average age of our viewers
is 29. Now I'm not saying that if you're watching this and you're 12 you're not
mature, but it just goes to show you that the content on this channel is geared toward
a more mature audience. An audience that actually appreciates the extra time and effort we dedicate
to our videos. Now I think we all have the opportunity to
make this channel something really special. A place where people who love lore can come
to learn more about it and hold intelligent discussions with people of a like mind, who
share that similar interest. I mean, we have a History Channel, why not a Lore Channel?
Moving forward, I want to make sure that each Lore Series does have the right team behind
it, a talented team that is actually passionate about gaming. Kyle and I have had a blast
producing the Elder Scrolls Lore Series, and that's because him and I actually have a
genuine passion for The Elder Scrolls, and it translates to you guys, the viewers.
The Fallout Lore Series is this channel's newest addition, and I don't know if you
know this, but we brought in new talent to work alongside us, to make sure we're making
the absolute best lore series possible. These people are really passionate about the Wasteland
and they're doing everything in their power to make sure we produce videos that can actually
do the Fallout franchise justice. These dudes are super cool, and every opportunity I get
I try to compensate them for their hard work. These people love games and everyone who enjoys
that series should help us in thanking them for sharing their love of lore with us.
If you'd like to know more about the people working hard to bring this channel to new
heights, check out the video description down below for their names. We've also added
an 'About Us' section to the ShoddyCast website where you can read about each one
of them, and check out their other work. There you can also learn more about Kyle and myself,
and how we started the ShoddyCast and all the challenges we faced. As the demand for
our content on the channel grows, so will our team, so we just wanted to make sure you
guys can still keep track of us. Now if you're a content producer yourself
I'd like to extend a little invitation to you. We're always looking for good talent
to fill our ranks and make our series better, so if you're watching this video and have
past experience writing scripts, filming cinematic game footage, or other useful talent that
you think would benefit the series, feel free to get in touch with us with samples of your
work. We're looking for people to fill all THESE positions, and more. We prefer people
with experience actually producing content online, REAL PROVEN NERDS. So if you have
any samples to show us we'd love to see them. If you're interested in becoming a
part of what we do, send a detailed email to noreply@shoddycast.com describing your
talents and displaying your work. I can't guarantee everyone who emails us will get
the chance to collaborate with us, but I can promise that when a job arises we'll gladly
send an email out to everyone who is qualified and has submitted an email to us.
If you're looking for other ways to get involved with the channel here simply tuning
into our videos every week is the single greatest way you can keep us alive. I'm asked a lot
why each and every lore episode asks people to 'Like' and 'Share', and to understand
that you have to understand how YouTube actually works. When you take 1 second out of your
day to 'Like' a video, you are helping that video in the biggest possible way. You're
making sure more people see it. Obliviously the same goes for sharing. You guys and girls
here on the channel are really good about 'Liking' our videos here on the channel,
and I thank each and every one of you who do that.
If you'd like to improve the quality of our shows directly, you can certainly do that
through donations. Now, I know not everyone is in the financial position to do this, so
if all you do is watch our shows here on YouTube, don't even sweat it, you're already doing
plenty to help our channel grow and sustain itself. But we have had requests from fans
who would like to know how to donate to our series and help it improve directly. In response
to this we recently introduced a new donation page where you get to play favorites and donate
whatever amount to the series of your choosing. I want to go ahead and personally thank anyone
who has ever donated to our channel anytime in the past or future. Without donations these
lore episodes could not exist, it's as simple as that. Any improvement we've ever made
to our shows has been the direct result of donations. New software for better effects.
New equipment for better sound and recording. New voice actors, writers, film makers, and
artists. It is through your support that we are able to do what we do, and for that everyone
who enjoys the content here on this channel owes you their gratitude.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me on this tour behind the scenes.
If you made it this far... God help you. If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions
for future content- don't hesitate to leave a comment down below. I promise you, Kyle
and I will be reading each and every one of them.
I've been Josh. We'll catch you later...