Machinima אומנות יצירת סרטים במשחקי וידאו היא האוריינות החדשה
This moving anti-bulling machinima clip using Sims 3 game engine to tell a short story (in Heb) is an excellent example which support my argument I've made publicly few years ago during my lecture "Cultural implications of Machinima: A New Narrative Medium for the Y-[tube] Generation" at the First Israeli Popular Culture Conference: Rules of Disorder Shifting Boundaries, Emerging Realities and New Identities. I argue that:
Machinima is a new narrative medium in which players develop a new kind of literacy. – Dr.G
Below you will find my lecture abstract. Enjoy!
Cultural implications of Machinima: A New Narrative Medium for the Y-[tube] Generation | Dr. G
Video games have become one of the main building blocks of our children's world (Gazit, in Press). Ellis (1983) argues that children usually play in groups, and when they don't, they share their experiences socially. Playing video games should be examined in social and cultural spheres that might be more important than the game itself.
This presentation focuses on game-based movie-making of the Y-[tube] generation (children 13-17 years of age and adults 18-28 years of age). Machinima is movie-making by using virtual worlds and videogames engines, which has gained popularity among players (Cefrey, 2008).
The Machinima makers demonstrate a higher level of active participation than most of Bonk's (2008) YouTube survey participants, preferring passive observation rather than creating their own YouTube videos.
Developments in 3D real-time game engines, Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) platforms, high-band communications, and the emergence of game-based movie-makers communities have paved the way to the extensive application of the Machinima medium. Lowood (2008) suggests that players are learning to use game-based movie-making to express ideas and opinions important in their lives, ranging from politics and real-life conflicts to those of virtual worlds and game communities. Creating Machinima movies requires, apart from film making skills, to convey new meaning by collaborating with other actors on the scene, similar to regular movie-making (Hancock & Inqram, 2007).
Moreover, hacking the game engine to create a "game mood," a new game space and objects, requires programming skills. I argue that the new Machinima medium affords a new kind of literacy, a combination of cognitive, communication, artistic and visual skills. Moreover, commercial implications are as the MTV's virtual world's music video competition shows (Sherman, 2007).
Bardzell et al. (2006) classified Machinima into four types according to the platforms used: Pure Machinima platforms, Hybrid Games, Pure Games, and Modded Games. Some of the cultural themes reflected in the Machinima created inside massively multiplayer on-line games (MMOGs), such as World of World Craft, RuneScape, Habbo Hotel, and virtual worlds as Second Life, will be presented.
Self-expression: From MTV's music mockups video clips to authentic virtual movies with avatars
Machinima is used as a form of self-expression, from MTV's music virtual video clips mockups to authentic virtual movies with avatars.
For example, the Machinima "make love not war" on Blizzard's World of Warcraft represents funnily and creatively the cultural gap between the children's world and the adult's world. The ability to use one's imagination and see and experience from many different vantage points in MMORPGs provides a new set of tools for imaginative and innovative thinking, according to Thomas & Brown (2007).
The Israeli Machinima "Status Quo" made by Nir Matarasso and Gur Bentwich on the Unreal engine is an example of the creative expression of their political views, highlighting the absurdity of the Israeli-Palestine Conflict.
To conclude, I argue that the Machinima is a new narrative medium in which players develop a new kind of literacy. This new medium deserves systematic examination for assessing its full cultural and cognitive implications.
Cite:
Gazit, E. (2008). Cultural implications of Machinima: A new narrative medium for the Y-[tube] Generation. Paper presented at The 1st Israeli Popular Culture Conference: Rules of Disorder Shifting Boundaries, Emerging Realities and New Identities, Cinematic Tel-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, May 15, 2008.
ד"ר אלחנן גזית מרצה, יועץ וחוקר גיימינג, מטאוורס וחדשנות דיגיטלית. מומחה להתנהגות משתמשים ולמידה בסביבות מציאות מדומה ומשחקים. יוצר ומגיש את הפודקאסט 'גיימינג בראש' ומנהל קהילה בינלאומית MetaYeda.
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