Crossing Screens: The Visual Language of Video Games and Film

Open Access
- Author:
- Weaverling, Marie
- Area of Honors:
- Film Production
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Thomas Martin Camden, III, Thesis Supervisor
Maura Shea, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- film
video games
visual language
cinematic intersectionality
cinema - Abstract:
- Film and video game’s relationship to one another as mediums can be described as a parasocial relationship between an admiring fan and a celebrity who is unaware/disconnected from the fan’s admiration. Video game cinematography is awarded and judged upon its’ replication of film cinematography. Meanwhile, a majority of the live-action, video game film adaptations do not faithfully recreate the cinematic and iconographic elements of the video game being adapted. However, with advancements in computer generated imagery, editing, and camera rigging, there has emerged a new layer or rather space for live-action filmmakers to consider: The space where the capabilities of what can be filmed are limitations of reality (gravity, location, etc.). There is now the artificial space where these limitations can be removed. Video games have a long history with cinematography within this artificial space since the fifth generation of video game consoles. This history resulted in video games developing a visual language specific to its medium, but now contemporary films are trying to replicate this visual language to an extent to achieve certain cinematic qualities. This essay will discuss how live- action films are drawing influence from video game’s visual language and the film industry’s desire for point-of view, fluidity, and scale.