Games and movies have traditionally been treated as independent, increasingly the two worlds are being combined in both creative and technical manners. The digital age has rendered the differences between these two industries less distinct, ideas from one are borrowed by the other. Gone are the times when games just involved rich narrative cinematic content, and films took on an interactive storyline like those found in gaming. Today we will discuss how gaming and filmmaking enhance each other to engage with users.
The Rise of Storytelling in Gaming
Storytelling in the gaming world is increasing very smoothly which is crazy. From an intense scene to a comedy skit. Old video games were developed focusing on gameplay mechanics like shooting, jumping or maybe solving puzzles. There were zero to few storylines. But then as technology advanced, more complexity was able to be put into both worlds and characters. You can see modern-day games like The Last of Us 2 or Cyberpunk 2077 to understand how storytelling has evolved in gaming.
Techniques Borrowed from Filmmaking
Modern games have become increasingly cinematic in an effort to make themselves more engrossing. These include:
1. Cinematic Cutscenes
Cutscenes are basically short films built into many games. They all produce dramatic lighting effects that are more stunning than those found in movie theatres.
2. Motion Capture
Just as Avatar and Lord of the Rings use motion capture to turn their actors into digital puppets. However, videogames learned long ago how good it is for bringing human expressions and body movement out onto non-organic creatures.
The performances of actors drive the narratives in games such as Uncharted and Death Stranding, marrying film performance with gaming experience.
3. Sound Design and Score
Music and sound effects are critical in establishing the mood of a game as well as increasing its narrative element.
Games like The Witcher 3 have established scores that can help drive home the emotional connections to gameplay, similar in nature to how music underscores drama through films. So, by these techniques games nowadays offer some fabulous experiences that attract both gamers and movie fans.
Films Borrowing from Games: Interactivity and Visual Style
Even though there has been an influx of cinematic influences in games, the reverse is also true with films taking just as much from gaming. One need look no further than the popular surge of interactive movies and game-like visual aesthetics.
Interactive Films and Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Formats
With interactive films, the line between games and movies only gets blurrier. Similar to how gamers interact with a game world, Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch had viewers make decisions that influenced the story. The hybrid nature of these storytelling approaches has pushed film costuming designers to consider non-traditional linear narratives. These things question how costume and traditional narrative can meet branching story potential in the medium.
Game-Inspired Visual Aesthetics in Films
Video games have more impact on films than just the way they tell a story. There are some exceptional online games like online money-making games that are picked by filmmakers to create movies like Ocean’s Eleven, 21, etc.
Crossover Success: From Game to Film
A number of movie adaptations have already been made from video game franchises, Big screen versions were based on Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, etc. Many of these adaptations seek to capture the world or spirit of a game whilst also bringing something new for those watching in order to appeal more. So, that’s all we have for you about how gaming and filmmaking enhance each other.