Play's the Thing: Machinima in the Gameworld

Games are now mainstream and the games industry outstrips film and TV in terms of size; more people play World of Warcraft on any given day than see a new blockbuster film on its first weekend, and recently Grand Theft Auto 4 was reportedly the highest grossing media product of all time. Machinima has its roots in the twilight worlds of “modding” and tinkering with games engines. Here we explore the weird world of homages, satires and wry social commentary made by hijacking games characters and environments. See familiar characters from Halo, Sims, Half-Life, Grand Theft Auto and even Hillary Clinton(!) migrate to the big screen to entertain you, crossing from high-octane game into drama, comedy, or even soap opera genres. A leading Games expert will be on hand to explain to the uninitiated just exactly how and why it’s done.