I've been playing games since I was a kid and I struggled for many years with people who thought online games were silly and action games made you violent. I considered this a chance to show a few insight into what gaming can really involve - passion, friendship and experiences you cannot get in the real world. ~ Ben Dressler
Let us admit it, the gamer way of life is something that not many people fully understand. /AFK The Movie looks at the life of a video gamer told to let go of the only thing he's ever loved: World of Warcraft.
To the people who do not play video games, that's referred to as quitting. For hard-core gamers and MMORPG players around the world, that is known as "Euthanasia."
The film examines what life is like moving away from the keyboard, to stop the sole thing you adore doing, simply because you realize that it controls all that you do. But, what's the thin line between loving video games and being obsessed with them? Does it make a difference and should we actually care?
The topic of /AFK The Movie covers World of Warcraft and also online gaming. But you don't have to know the difference between Horde and Alliance for you to connect with the film. We are all hooked on something, whether it's cell phones, internet sites, video games, or chocolate (or a dangerous combination of all 4). Step "away from your cell phone" for a day and see how you act in response. Is a mobile phone that much different than a video game? Exactly why is one an addiction and the other one is just a habit?
I spoke with Ben Dressler, the filmmaker who made /Afk come to life.
What was the task like making the movie, and from his own point of view, what message was it trying to communicate to gamers and people telling so-called "addicts" they have to stop:
JHS: What inspired you to make the script? Did you feel as if you wanted to write something which can speak "for all WOW players?"
Two things. First of all, the feeling that no person had ever accomplished this before. I think it's really uncommon that you have a concept that's kinda different and not really available. When I first saw Memento I was just so amazed that after many years of filmmaking, a person could still come up with something so imaginative. And even though we're not the first one to combine real live action and video game video clips, I don't know of any motion picture who achieved it to the level that we did.
Second, I wanted to make a stand for video gaming. I have been playing games since I was a kid and I struggled for a long time with individuals who considered online games were silly and action games made you chaotic. I regarded this an opportunity to present a few insight into what gaming really can be about - passion, companionship and experiences you can't get in real life.
JHS: In your own opinion, why do individuals feel the need to put down the "gamer" way of life?
I actually believe that they just don't know much better. The lead character in /afk says at one point: "It's not just me sitting in front of a coloured window." But that's precisely what individuals see whenever they see someone "game." They don't see what you think, feel or even experience as you play. I've had a lot of people that watched me play WoW and believed it was really uninteresting. However when I allow them to play for an hour or more, they would buy the game themselves. Thankfully, people who have gaming experience will grow into significant positions like in journalism or politics. So eventually that tendency to look down on gamers will diminish from society, I'm pretty positive on that.
JHS: You mentioned you basically had no funds because you couldn't gain off the film, What kind of constraints did that put on you as a moviemaker?
Since I knew there wouldn't be a budget from the start, I could concentrate on producing a script that would work with few characters as well as locations. We had five days of shooting for a twenty-five minute motion picture with a very small crew. And since I did not like to rush the actors very much, there was short amount of time left for the camera and lighting team. We also could not afford to buy lots of props so we needed to work with what we got in our homes. The bedroom of the main character is basically made of geek things from 10 people combined.
It basically came down to making lots of favors and utilizing to the best what was already there. I do think if you decide to work with that restriction, it'll easily bring about new, creative ways of telling your own story. Though I recently read that German filmmakers in particular get into Hollywood mainly because they can make cheap movies that appear to be like expensive movies. Well, that's flattering, isn't it?
JHS: What would you say to men and women who deal with people telling them to "give up video games."
It's really not easy to provide a general answer to that one mainly because it depends on the circumstances. Generally I would recommend to try and make those people know very well what gaming means to you. Find out why they think games are brainless and show that you understand them also and take their concerns sincerely. Don't just plunge to retaliation mode. When I was in college, I used to speak with my mom and dad about the games I was looking forward to play and what I found interesting about them. In most cases I could make them relate to that in some way.
JHS: Based on the lack of success of some major movies, it appears very difficult to take the concept of a video game and turn it into a film - with only a few movies making an effort to "get into" the daily life of BEING a gamer. What was your experience in this regard?
I believe there are two kinds of game movies... Adaptations and Sci-Fi movies. Adaptations tend to be awful OR just solid action movies with the game's name in the title... And so yeah, there is little films about real gamers - to be honest I can't name a single one. And I'm quite in wonder about that!
But it's difficult, and I do think that the individuals who make it have to know video games as thoroughly as movies....My point is that to really learn from Video Games as a medium, filmmakers have to understand how a game tells its story, what can be translated and what can not.
JHS: What does WOW provide that no other game on the face of the earth offers?
In all honesty - there are a number of video games on earth I haven't played yet! However, I believe that WoW did and does an incredible job at making hardcore gaming available to all kinds of individuals. In EverQuest days, MMORPGs were such an exclusive genre that even most gamers did not know or like. Nowadays you are going to raid with individuals who wouldn't even consider themselves a genuine gamer. And yeah, maybe that is a piece of pioneer work that no other game can do ever again.
About the Author:
If you're searching for a different video game show that brings Holywood and video game industry together, then The Jace Hall Show is the right one for you. It features movies like World of Warcraft movie and even the discussion of World of Warcraft fans.
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