The Blurry Line Between Video Games and Film

In 2006, my alma mater changed its name from USC School of Cinema-Television to USC School of Cinematic Arts. Why the change? School officials noted the emergence of video game and interactive media in the curriculum and felt the name change was best suited for the school's 21-st century image.

If you think about it, many amateurs already use video games to crossover in filmmaking. The so-called YouTube phenomenon known as machinima is similar to fan fiction in the early days of the world wide web. Unlike fan fiction, however, these video game fans usually make up their own characters and storylines, similar to an actual film production. The videos are staged, edited, and posted for other fans to enjoy.

Some games incorporate filmmaking into their gameplay, like the game I'm addicted to, The Sims 2. I already use The Sims to build families and set Sim A with Sim B so that Sim C can inherit Sim D's money when she croaks, so making a film with the game is not to large of a stretch. Check out the music video I made with just my game and that amateurish video editing system known as Windows Moviemaker.

Happy Filmmaking!