Different Approaches to Directing: Interactivity vs. Linear Narrative

The discussion began by highlighting the key differences between film directing and video game directing, where participants recognized interactivity as the most important factor. Hunski pointed out that video games are unique because the player takes on the role of the director, while the film director controls every aspect of the narrative. In games, especially those with open worlds, players choose their path, which often means that many may never see certain scenes or experience key moments that the team has designed.

Vuković emphasized that this is one of the great advantages of video games: “The player shapes their experience, pieces together parts of the story, and creates a picture that is unique to them. That’s the ‘wow’ that drives us forward – that interaction and the possibility for the player to discover the story in their own way.” However, the question arises – what if the player never reaches that key moment?

On the other hand, film is a medium that provides a linear narrative structure in which the director has complete control over what the audience sees and feels. Zadro explained that this aspect of film directing is often more challenging because you have to convey all the emotions, atmosphere, and message without interactivity: “Everything is on you. There is no interaction that creates the experience – you have to deliver exactly what you want the viewer to see and feel.”

Multiplayer Games vs. Single Player Narratives

Stepanić from BlackMill Games, which worked on the game Isonzo, spoke about the specific challenges of multiplayer games. While single player games allow control over the narrative, multiplayer games require a balance between historical authenticity and enjoyable gameplay: “We have to design the scenery, uniforms, and weapons in a historically accurate way, but at the same time ensure that players have fun.” In multiplayer games, there is no guaranteed narrative thread that the player must follow, so it is crucial for the game world to tell its story, regardless of where the player goes.

She also emphasized the importance of balance in games, especially in historical multiplayer titles: “We have 48 players in a game like Isonzo, and elevations and terrain play a key role in the balance between attackers and defenders. Everything must be well planned, even though historical conflicts were often extremely asymmetric in reality.”

The Creative Process and Challenges of Directing

One of the most important aspects, both in film and in video games, is team leadership and conveying a vision. Zadro spoke about the importance of teamwork, emphasizing that the director is not the only creator, but that the whole team contributes to the creative process: “Leading a team is just as important as managing a project – you need to know what you want, but you also have to give each team member the space to contribute their creativity.”

Budić, who is working on the game Bura, added that her approach to design was driven by the emotions she wanted to convey through the game. The story and level design were key elements in defining the feelings she wanted to evoke in players: “Similar to film, in games you have to carefully plan how each element, from the story to the visuals, contributes to the overall player experience.”

Connecting film techniques and games: Interactive films as the future?

One of the more interesting topics was interactive film and the merging of cinematic techniques with the interactivity of video games. Vuković recalled the experiment Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which attempted to combine interactivity with the film form. Although the project was interesting, it did not spark a wave of similar projects. Boris believed that the reason for this lies in the fact that such projects balance between game and film, but did not achieve top results in either area.

“As soon as you introduce interactivity, you enter the world of video games. Such projects can be interesting, but they need to have a deeper meaning to be successful. Simply adding interactivity does not necessarily mean a better experience,” Boris concluded.

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