Game session on film?

[Runesong42]

A couple of random ideas:

There's another thread out there about the possibility of EnWorld Radio or Mortality Radio making a comeback... why not have live games broadcast over the airwaves/net... or even have it streaming video and have dnloadable stuff like character sheets of the players etc?

Or...

Take something like Knights of the Dinner Table and go cartoon/live action with it... for example, tell half the story in "comic" mode and half in "gamer" mode. Flip back and forth at your leisure. Hilarity would surely ensue.

- Dru

 

[dave_o]

I think this is a rad idea -- one of my many hobbies is film editing, so I might slap something together from one of my sessions. But it would likely be just one static camera shot (unless I had several running, then I could edit together and use separate audio, but I digress) since I DM.

HOWEVER. Having played in game shops a few times, and a few times being there when a game isn't going on, I know that some groups just dissolve into trite repetitive humor (Monty Python quotes, ad nauseum) that makes me want to jump on their table and strangle the life out of them. Sure, have your fun, but oh my god one can only hear the same line so many times.

So, I think the best sort of group for this endeavor would be one with roleplayers who do voices, postures, that sort of thing, so it'd be interesting to watch. I'll give it a shot when I start up my OA game in San Diego.

Anyone wanna be a movie star? Click the link in my sig.

 

[yennico]

I remember a thread about videotaping gaming sessions here a while ago. Many posters do not want to be filmed.

 

[sad_genius]

Has nobody here seen www.rpgmp3.com?

Not the best roleplaying in the worldever, but it has spirit and whole lot of charm when you get into it....

 

[fredramsey]

As long as you could edit out our blood sacrifices and ritual cannibalism, sure.

 

[Henry]

I believe that ANYONE's regular game session, filmed, would be some of the most boring stuff imaginable.

Why? Because one of our players loves audio-taping our sessions, and transcribing them later for his personal logs. It's his hobby, more power to him, but I've listened to it, and it was boring to me, and I WAS IN IT! The only way it would be interesting is if you were playing to your taped audience, and then it wouldn't be a normal session.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I agree with Henry. I played in a Piratecat one shot at an EN World game day. It was a great time, but I think it would be a very painful thing to sit and watch. He is a fantastic GM, but I'm sure part of the reason his story hour reads so well is great editing and the fact that you get information not necessarily given the players at the time of the session to make better reading.

If you were able to edit out the die rolls, mechanics discussions and long pauses, reshoot when people speak over one another and add scenes giving some of the missing back story it might be tolerable.

 

[Ashy]

I've started digitally recording my sessions (mainly to help my failing memory and make writing my SH easier) but I'm not sure if it would be exciting to watch. However, we might be onto a new "Reality TV" show here - I mean, those others are boring as all get out too!

If anyone is interested, I can toss up a link to bits of our latest session...

 

[Henry]

As a frame of reference, take The Gamers (a very, very funny short film to me), and REMOVE all of the scenes with the actors in costume, leaving just the table stuff, and think about it.

 

[Rel]

I've started digitally recording my sessions (mainly to help my failing memory and make writing my SH easier) but I'm not sure if it would be exciting to watch. However, we might be onto a new "Reality TV" show here - I mean, those others are boring as all get out too!

If anyone is interested, I can toss up a link to bits of our latest session...

I'd be very interested to see this. I'll take the link please.

I understand and acknowledge that a lot of any game session could be rather boring to watch rather than participate in. But I'm not really talking about doing it for entertainment so much as educational purposes. Imagine if by watching a couple of hours of somebody else's session you could observe some tips on how they handle Initiative or keep control over how long each player takes to execute their turn in combat. It might change the way you game.

The pinnacle of this would be to have a GM give an on camera explanation of the adventure he was designing. He would explain how and why he was adding each element of the scenario. Then, with the benefit of this insider knowledge, you could see how it all played out. Which parts worked great and which didn't. Particularly if you coupled this with some player commentary afterwards on what they liked and what they didn't, I think it could be very helpful, especially to newbie GM's. Hell, even include a copy of the adventure in the package too.

I realize that this is a bit of a pipe dream for the moment but I still think it would be neat.