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The NYU Cinema Research Institute brings together innovators in film and media finance, production, marketing, and distribution to imagine and realize a new future for artist-entrepreneurs.
Filtering by Tag: Ryan Silbert
This video from UCLA and posted on Indiewire is a great discussion on the dialogue between film and video games. My feelings on the word "transmedia" will be discussed in future posts, but aside from that, Matthias Stork makes some very insightful points.
"All media work by remidating that is, translating, refashioning, and reforming other media"
- Lev Manovich
A great piece by Chris Suellentrop diving into the rise of the indie game developer at the Games Developers Conference:
“There’s always been cool, experimental stuff going on in the indie space, but it’s broadened its reach,” said Steve Gaynor, a co-founder of the Fullbright Company, a studio that consists of four people in a house in Portland, Ore. “It’s become a lot more viable, business-wise, to be an indie.” (The Fullbright Company’s forthcoming game Gone Homewas nominated for excellence in narrative at the independent awards.)
I didn't have a chance to check-out Gone Home, but I can say from speaking to a lot of developers there is a push toward a better understanding of narrative and emotional through-line in much of their work. Of particular interest to independent filmmakers are the financial models that game developers are using to create and distribute their work:
Because of digital distribution, game designers no longer need to have contracts with publishers — which might once have secured them vital shelf space at Walmart — to succeed financially, Mr. Gaynor said. Beyond money to pay for licensed music and some voice acting, Gone Home’s budget basically pays for food and rent and living expenses for four people. “Our burn rate is really low,” he said.
One of the hurdles with any filmmaker interested in exploring AAA game narrative is the timing of the release. Experiencing the unveiling of a game narrative in real-time as other players around the world are simultaneously revealing the story is one of the key factors in creating the 'nostalgia'-effect that comes along with discussing great gaming experiences.
Games, because of advancing technology tend to occupy a certain place in time and may in some cases, not be as playable years later.
That said, for anyone interested today might a perfect time to jump on the narrative AAA bandwagon with the release of Bioshock: Infinite hitting store shelves.
This is certainly one of the top games being discussed at GDC and the gaming world at large.
In future posts, I'll be providing a primer of games that filmmakers might want to check-out
Large Animal Games on Narrative & Statistics in ensemble games and storytelling GDC Companion Article on Narrative and Statistics
A look at the writing of character ensembles from NY-based Dan Nagler's Large Animal Games and what goes into the weapons selection system for Zelda above. No surprise here that basic understanding of archetypes, genre and structure applies to both games and linear film. The layer of statistics for table-top games and fighting games is a nice twist.
Noah Falstein just wrapped his discussion on Puzzle Dependency Systems at the GDC.
One of the key takeaways worth sharing is this adaptation of the Wizard of Oz's linear storytelling which breaks down the Wizard of Oz film as if it were being written as a game.
An interesting tool to consider for writers in both mediums.
For anyone in the SF area, I'll be representing the CRI at the inaugural Game Narrative Summit at the 25th Game Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco this week. Follow me on twitter for live updates where we will be discussing case studies on the narrative in AAA, indie, and interactive projects. Topics that I'm looking forward to delving into include:
Narrative in Games - Role, Forms, Problems, and Potential
The Future of Storytelling: How Medium Shapes Story
ZombiU : Creating an Undead Cult
Creating Immersive Narrative Games Without Big Budgets or Resources
I'll be reporting back on the discussions and findings this week on the blog. Direct message me if you want to meet up in the area.
My work at the Cinema Research Institute is focused on storytelling at the intersection of video games and film. Specifically my focus and deep interest is how each craft can inform the other as we enter a world where a tablet or phone has morphed into a mini-multiplex where you can swipe between your choice of entertainment multiple times a day. My work will focus on the practical elements of what designers, directors, programmers, and producers can learn from one another in an effort to create both new collaborative narratives and advance our understanding of how creators interested in working in both mediums can find a common language.
To kick things off, I wanted to start my blog posts here by sharing a quote from one of the pioneers of modern cinema, Stanley Kubrick whose prophetic visions of the future in Dr. Strangelove, Clockwork Orange and 2001 still resonate today.
"You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas."
Kubrick was not only a visionary storyteller, but it's astounding to see him as one of the first to identify the cross-collaboration possible between game design and film storytelling well before Pong was invented or players immersed themselves in the Mass Effect trilogy.
While it is widely documented that his nascent photographic eye was developed as a stills photographer for Look Magazine, less reported is that Kubrick was a an amateur chess player and hustled games in Washington Square Park. In fact, as this quote indicates, I would argue that his keen photographic training, paired with his careful understanding of the game of chess might be two of the key factors that would inform the creation of his filmography.
