Thus arrives my final day at the Austin Film Festival. My school work-load limited my ability to schedule multiple panels today. But, the one panel I attended was so fantastic that it ended my festival experience with a bang!
Creating Your Own Video Game
This panel starred the writers for the new interactive game Dispatch. Panelists went in depth on the narrative approach for this style of games. Ashley Jeffalone stressed how she prioritizes character driven stories in interactive mediums. What the player does will drive the character. It’s the writer’s job to immerse their audience in the emotions of these characters.
When it came to writing Dispatch, the writers made an effort to work with expectations and subversions by taking advantage of the tropes players associate with the cast. Understanding the reception people have towards these archetypes can help writers with making creative turns.
As writer Pierre Shorette said, “We’re all experts at consuming media.” So, the strength in how you break or support these archetypes can really push your story.
A question that came up during the panel was whether or not a story would be good for a video game or a different medium.
The panelists noted that anything could work for a game when considering what kind of mechanics can work with your narrative. You can always add agency to your characters that players can embody. And if you are unsure your story is fit for a game, reach out to designers and find a way to work your narrative into one!
The final and perhaps most important note from this festival was having a tight group of people to work on your writing with. The panelists noted how important it is to surround yourself with people who make you want to improve but also give you real feedback. Not just a “that’s nice” but genuine reactions and criticism that help you level up your capabilities.
All and all, the Austin Film Festival was a fantastic experience for me! It was my first chance to network with so many people, which is why I made individualized cards for everyone on the panels I planned to attend. You can see some of the cards in many of my selfies that I include in my coverage of those panel.
The fact is, I was nervous. There were many occasions where I wish I had said something different to the writers/filmmakers. I also worried that I didn’t make as strong as an impression as I hoped. Nevertheless, I learned that I need to overcome my shyness in order to be more engaging with those that I had the privilege to meet. I plan to work on this skills for future events.
I hope you liked my coverage of the Austin Film Festival- I am so glad that my first time in the field was at such a great event!
By, Mina, Assistant Editor, Filmmaker Mixer Podcast (published by Filmmaker Mixer)