Intervention
by admin
If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing
NAME: Phil Rice
ROLES: Sole creator – Director, Producer, Music Composer
PLATFORM: Grand Theft Auto IV
REASONS FOR USING THIS PLATFORM:
This film could have easily been made in any of the animation tools like Moviestorm or iClone, ultimately I settled on the Grand Theft Auto game not only because of its look and internal toolkit, but also because I thought it was an interesting opportunity to use a story to defy the expectations a viewer familiar with that game would probably bring to their viewing of it… i.e. a basically anti-violent story juxtaposed against the backdrop of an ultra-violent game world.
OTHER TOOLS: Cubase SX3, Sony Vegas Pro 8
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2009
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING MACHINIMA?
Eleven years or so (took a few years off in the middle)
HOW DID YOU GET INTO MOVIE MAKING?
I’ve been a creative writing buff since I was in high school, at which time I started experimenting around with amateur live action comedy using a camcorder. I came upon machinima in 1998, but didn’t really approach filmmaking as a disciplined craft until about 2006… via games at first, and eventually on to animation tools.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR FILM?
I’ve been very inspired by the anti-linear storytelling of movies like “Memento,” and thought it would be interesting to try to craft a story that would actually carry more dramatic impact when told in reverse chronological order vs. forward. And I’ve had a related desire with regard to music, to have a piece of music that works as well played backwards as it does forwards. This idea emerged as a way to try to satisfy both those urges simultaneously.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO ANYONE WHO IS CONSIDERING TRYING MACHINIMA?
There is zero shame in starting small. In fact, there is greater potential for shame in starting big: nobody feels good about a massive epic unfinished film. Start small, not because you think you are incapable of doing a huge production, but because it is a smart move: treat yourself to the satisfaction of a finished product, and your audience as well.