Machinima: Synthetic Cinema

Machinima, borne out of games, has started a love affair with film. Although lacking the detail, dynamic range and sumptuousness of film stock, “machinimators” have made up for this with their flair for precision editing and cinematic composition, creating mood and suspense with big screen ambitions. In this session you’ll find a gamut of current film genres transported into the virtual world, from the romantic and mawkish through to the humourous and the horrific. However, these aren’t mere fan homages – these are engaging stories in their own right. As well as a screening of acclaimed films there will be a panel including Hugh Hancock, creator of one of the first Machinima feature films, and David Heinemann, associate film tutor of the BFI, discussing where cinematic Machinima is going and whether it will find acceptance in the wider film world – or even change it!