The Pipeline Pinball Energy Thrill Ride Game

A Little Theatre in a Serious Game

By Lori Shyba

Script and Storyboards

    

 

Figure 1: The Lori character describing the game action, ÒTalking HeadÓ variation.
Figure 2: The Lori character describing the game action, ÒAlter EgoÓ variation.

Figures 3 and 4: Imagine a pinball game as big as a wall.

 

Script Excerpt #1

 

FADE IN:

EXT. MONTAGE OF STILL PHOTOS, PIPELINE WORKERS AND WELDERS

SuperImposed text

Sure. You can make THEATRE into a COMPUTER GAME

You just have to FIRE UP a PLAN.

For better or worse.

Here is my PLAN.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

INT. PROFILE CLOSE UP on Narrrator.

 

NARRATOR and SuperImposed text

The Pipeline Pinball Energy Thrill Ride Game

 

SuperImposed text

ALERT. This is a work in progress and not meant for general circulation.

 

INT. CLOSE UP on Lori alternating between colour Òtalking head shotÓ (TH) view and black and white Òalter ego shotÓ (AE) view. SFX throughout.

 

Lori

(TH)Imagine. A computer pinball game as huge as a wall. Bright shiny, bells and buzzers. Where you can score Alternative Fuel Points or Fossil Fuel Points. IÕm Lori Shyba and IÕm the designer of The Pipeline Pinball Energy Thrill Ride Game. (AE)ItÕs a little theatre in a game. (TH) Now IÕm not one to stuff messages down anyoneÕs throat, but maybe by playing this game weÕll find out (AE) If we can convince ourselves É (TH) as individuals and as a society É (AE) to keep alternative energy off of the back burner.  (TH) Lets see how it works.

 

 

Figure 5: The three open pipeline chutes.
Figure 6: The alternative energy targets; methane, hemp, and wind

 

Script Excerpt #2

 

INT and EXT. MONTAGE OF ÒMOCK-UPÓ ANIMATIONS REPRESENTING SIMULATED GAMEPLAY

 

NARRATOR and SuperImposed text

Generate Energy Diversity

 

LORI

The player first needs to plunge the energy ball through each of the three open pipeline chutes to activate them. Bumpers, representing hydrocarbon deposits and refineries, keep the ball in motion. Flippers, lined up along the borders, keep the energy ball in Canada.

 

NARRATOR and SuperImposed text

Shift Your Resources

 

LORI

Once the three pipeline chutes have been activated, the three alternative energy target holes light up. These represent bio-fuel hemp crops, wind generators, and geo-thermal gas hydrate methane reserves.

 


     

 

Figure 7: Planning the opening of the MacKenzie Valley Pipeline
Figure 8: The Pipeline Target Holes

Figure 9: The Global Clients |  Figure 10: The nuclear target hole

 

 

Script Excerpt #3

 

INT and EXT. CONTINUTING MONTAGE OF ÒMOCK-UPÓ ANIMATIONS REPRESENTING SIMULATED GAMEPLAY

 

NARRATOR and SuperImposed text

The Alberta Oilsands

 

LORI (VO)

Once the balls are locked, this opens up the MacKenzie Valley Pipeline and the Oil Sands. The player needs to plunge the energy ball down through the pipeline and then back up through the loop and into the oil sands target hole. Once the energy ball travels through the loop, the global energy markets open and five clients appear as popup targets.

 

NARRATOR and SuperImposed text

Build it and They Will Come

 

LORI (VO)

The player needs to activate each global market by knocking down each of the five clients. Knocking down the clients lights up the nuclear target hole. The player needs to lock the energy ball into the nuclear hole.

 

Out take: (This next section was edited out from the final cut of the video because of time and pacing constraints.)

If these balls are not played skillfully and end up in the gutter too soon due to bad flipper action, or if the game is tilted, a nuclear meltdown occurs and the whole game interface explodes. However, if the balls are played skillfully, the game goes into black-light radioactive mode.

 

 

 

 

Figure 11: The spies in the oilpatch  |  Figure 12: Dancing caribou

 

 

Script Excerpt #4

 

LORI (VO)

Now, three pop-up enemy spies show up in place of the global energy clients.

 

NARRATOR and SuperImposed text

Spies in the Oilpatch

 

Once the spies are knocked down, the animals light up. Conformity or diversity point gain.

When the animals light up, the whole game is ablaze with bells and flashing lights signaling the climax of the game. The player needs to activate the birds and the caribou and at the end the birds flap and sing and the caribou spin and dance. Diversity point jackpot gain.

The final reward is that if folssil fuel points are greater, the Voiceover says ÒYou are still enforcing hydrocarbon conformity, try again.Ó The map dissolves and fades away to black.
However, if alternative points are greater, the Voiceover says, ÒYou have succeeded in energizing the world in ways you cannot imagine. You are a national treasure.Ó

 

 

Figure 13: ÒLetÕs Go Alberta!  |  Figure 14: The Spies say, ÒWhat does she know?Ó

 

Script Excerpt #5

 

INT. CLOSEUP OF LORI.

 

LORI

(Ironically) LetÕs go Alberta. LetÕs exploit our existing hydrocarbon resources, the Alberta Oil Sands for example, but letÕs make sure weÕve got some kind of energy fuel to peddle when itÕs all gone.

 

SFX and cut to:

 

SPIES ANIMATIONS and SuperImposed text

What does she know about all the bitumen sittinÕ on the planet?

 

SFX and cut to:

 

LORI

There are spies in the oilpatch and whose side are you on?

 

CREDITS, SUPERIMPOSED TEXT

 

Game Voiceover Dude: Collin Ward MacDonald

Game Drawings: Rich Theroux, Jon Griffiths, Russell Everett

Photography: Paul W. Andrews, Jamie Zebedee

Music ÒLosing HoustonÓ All India Radio

Theatre into Game Boosters: J.R. Parker, Kathleen Foreman,
Clem Martini, Paul A. Lawnikanis

Special Thanks to: The Petroleum History Society, The University of Calgary, EMMEDIA Production Society

 

Lori Shyba, 2005