Machinima: Screen Stories: Narrative in Games and Film reviews
Review by on 26 Sep 2008
Technology writer Bill Thompson hosted panel members Matt Kelland, Toby Moores, and Jason Wilson. To launch this discussion about audience’s emotional reaction to films versus video games, Thompson screened a clip of Steve McQueen’s car chase in BULLET, compared to a section of game-play from Grand Theft Auto. They had me at this stage: it was an attention grabber. Back-to-back, the two clips were like chalk and cheese.
Unfortunately, they lost me when Wilson delivered a lengthy presentation pitting his game loving side against his film going in an effort to discover what each medium has to offer. The points raised were the typical oppositional arguments about not quite believable ‘human’ characters – the uncanny valley – in games and lack of interactivity in films. Sadly Wilson misrepresented how long it took for narrative film to be born (actually very early: 1896-97) and did not include overlapping notions of ‘the audience’ engaging interactively (interpretation) with any art form presented to them.
The panel generally agreed that film and games play two very different roles in our lives and that both are equally worthwhile. Unfortunately, as a result, no lively debate or investigation ensued. Thompson attempted to stir things up by screening a game fight sequence and challenging the panel to claim they didn’t ‘feel the love’ in response to an earlier intriguing assertion by Wilson that, despite the interactive nature of games, they do not provoke the emotion.
So, where is the love?
In the cinema it seems… or, at least it is for now.
Jennifer Oey, Festival Daily
Technology writer Bill Thompson hosted panel members Matt Kelland, Toby Moores, and Jason Wilson. To launch this discussion about audience’s emotional reaction to films versus video games, Thompson screened a clip of Steve McQueen’s car chase in BULLET, compared to a section of game-play from Grand Theft Auto. They had me at this stage: it was an attention grabber. Back-to-back, the two clips were like chalk and cheese.Unfortunately, they lost me when Wilson delivered a lengthy presentation pitting his game loving side against his film going in an effort to discover what each medium has to offer. The points raised were the typical oppositional arguments about not quite believable ‘human’ characters – the uncanny valley – in games and lack of interactivity in films. Sadly Wilson misrepresented how long it took for narrative film to be born (actually very early: 1896-97) and did not include overlapping notions of ‘the audience’ engaging interactively (interpretation) with any art form presented to them.
The panel generally agreed that film and games play two very different roles in our lives and that both are equally worthwhile. Unfortunately, as a result, no lively debate or investigation ensued. Thompson attempted to stir things up by screening a game fight sequence and challenging the panel to claim they didn’t ‘feel the love’ in response to an earlier intriguing assertion by Wilson that, despite the interactive nature of games, they do not provoke the emotion.
So, where is the love?
In the cinema it seems… or, at least it is for now.
Jennifer Oey, Festival Daily
Film details
Machinima: Screen Stories: Narrative in Games and Film
GAME, SET AND MACHINIMA
UK, 2008.
90 mins. English.
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