<![CDATA[ilianFilm - Film Blog]]>

<![CDATA[ilianFilm - Film Blog]]>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:23:23 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[2024 Oscar Predictions - Follow up]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:34:27 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/2024-oscar-predictions-follow-up

In the aftermath of the 2024 Academy awards, we did not do as good as we hoped. We missed 7 categories. Those categories are:

Leading Actress,
Animated Feature,
Visual Effects,
Costume Design,
Animated Short,
Sound,
Makeup and Hairstyling.

This means that we have guessed 16 categories, which is 70%.

Let's see how we are going to do next year.

]]><![CDATA[2024 Oscar Predictions - 96th Academy Awards]]>Sun, 10 Mar 2024 03:09:48 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/2024-oscar-predictions-96th-academy-awards

Here are our predictions for the 2024 Academy Awards honoring films made in 2023.

We have included two sections - Winner and Should Win.

Let see how many of the 23 categories we are going to guess.

Best picture

"Oppenheimer" - WINNER
"Poor Things" - should Win

Best actor

Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer" - WINNER
Colman Domingo, "Rustin" - should Win

Best actress

Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon" - WINNER
Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall" - should Win

Best supporting actor

Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer" - WINNER
Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things" - should Win

Best supporting actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers" - WINNER

Best director

Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer" - WINNER
Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things" - should Win

International feature film

"The Zone of Interest" United Kingdom - WINNER
"Io Capitano" Italy - should Win

Animated feature film

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" - WINNER
"Nimona" - should Win

Adapted screenplay

"American Fiction" - WINNER

Original screenplay

"Anatomy of a Fall" - WINNER

Visual effects

"The Creator" - WINNER

Original score

"Oppenheimer" - WINNER
"Poor Things" - should Win

Original song

"What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie" - WINNER

Documentary feature film

"20 Days in Mariupol" - WINNER

Cinematography

"Oppenheimer" - WINNER
"Maestro" - should Win

Costume design

"Barbie" - WINNER

Animated short film

"Letter to a Pig" - WINNER
"Ninety-Five Senses" - should Win

Live action short film

"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" - WINNER
"Knight of Fortune" - should Win

Documentary short film

"The Last Repair Shop" - WINNER

Film editing

"Oppenheimer" - WINNER
"Poor Things" - should Win

Sound

"Oppenheimer" - WINNER
"Maestro" - should Win

Production design

"Poor Things" - WINNER

Makeup and hairstyling

"Maestro" - WINNER

]]><![CDATA[Zone of Interest - the garden and the weeds]]>Sat, 17 Feb 2024 15:39:36 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/february-17th-2024

Zone of Interest seems like a simple film on the outside. It is divided into three sections by full colored shots of Black, White, and Red (the Nazi flag colors). The first (black) shows the seemingly ordinary life of the SS officer and his family. Their aspirations, desires, weekends. The second section (white) takes us deeper and shows the evil side of the "normal" SS officer and his job duties, worries, and the true nature of evil.

The third section is the aftermath of the Nazi regime. The third section takes the form of a flash-forward. Offered the chance to go back to Auschwitz to continue his efficient program of killing Jews, commandant Hoss has a bodily reaction. His body attempts to vomit, but nothing comes out of it, just a dry spit. Does he have a conscience? Is his body trying to tell him that he is tired of the killings? Is he trapped in the system that has engulfed him without a chance to escape alive? Or maybe his body is giving up, but his mind continues the course of destruction and hatred.

The best I can describe is that the Banality of Evil meets the Inevitability of Life. Evil is committed casually daily, just behind the wall. You don't see it, but it permeates the air. You don't see it, but it is in your house. You don't see it, but you are part of it. And yet, you cannot stop life. Your life and its mundane daily tasks. Your children's life and their anxiety take the form of a wandering girl at night. Your garden's life. Oh, the garden. Why the garden? Because the garden in the film is a metaphor. The beautiful flowers are the Nazis, and the beautiful arrangement in the garden is reminiscent of their seemingly always impeccable uniforms. The weeds are the Jews. The weeds that the wife so adamantly removes. The garden is the focal point of the film as well. Why? Because Hoss, the SS commandant, is known for the introduction of pesticides in the gas chambers of Auschwitz.

3.5 / 5
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Christian Friedel, Sandra Huller, Johann Kartha

]]><![CDATA[American Fiction - A gem of a screenplay]]>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 06:56:50 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/american-fiction-a-gem-of-a-screenplay

I have not felt that elated from a film in a long time. For the past ten or so years, only a few films have been able to impress me. The reader of this blog can quickly pinpoint the highlights of the film industry. However, American Fiction did not take my breath away like Birdman did, nor did it leave me in awe like Gravity.

American Fiction put a smile on my face like Good Will Hunting did. The absolute treasure of a screenplay, the film made me laugh several times. This laughter is something that I have yet to do on current Hollywood comedy blockbusters. The screenplay captured me from the first scene and did not let go until the end. Scene after scene, it was a pleasure to listen and watch. Jeffrey Wright's delivery of each line is impeccable. The direction of the actors is superb as well. The self-reflexivity at the end of the film did not contribute much to the film. Or so I thought until the last shot of the extra in the plantation clothes. Change is slowly coming, and we must endure the circumstances and keep pushing the boundaries because it is worth it. Because this is what we are supposed to do - expose the inequalities, expose the wrongs, expose ourselves.

4 / 5
Director: Cord Jefferson
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz

]]><![CDATA[Valorant’s Toxic Behavior Problem by Bryan Trieu]]>Fri, 02 Feb 2024 17:53:58 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/valorants-toxic-behavior-problem-by-bryan-trieu

During any competitive game, whether it is played online or in person; most players are bound to experience some level of toxicity which could lead to poor user experiences. Toxic behavior in games is when a player with a bad attitude is abusive in some way to the other players. For example, calling the other players names, using hate speech, or some sort of harassment. Although reporting players is a preventative option, this does not remove all toxicity from the game.

With the rise of video games and more specifically, first-person shooters (FPS), these challenges have recently gotten worse. From the second Riot Games announced the release of Valorant, it became one of the most sought-after games among the FPS community.

Valorant is a multiplayer first-person shooter game that involves two teams of five attacking one another to win. The game consists of thirteen rounds where one team plays the defensive side and the other plays the offensive side; after the thirteen rounds, they switch. Players on the offensive side have the objective to either take out all the opposing players or plant and defend the bomb for forty-five seconds before it explodes. Defensive players on the other hand do the opposite. Their objective is to either take out all the attackers, defuse the planted bomb, or defend long enough for the round to be over; the first team to win thirteen rounds wins.

Between the teams and the competitiveness of the game, many players can become very agitated, causing toxic behavior towards other players. Valorant’s broad demographic of gamers, coiled with the anonymity of players and competitive nature, causes the gaming platform to be a breeding ground for toxic behavior.

Demographics, Diversity and Skill Gap
It is not a mystery that most people who play video games tend to be on the younger side, and there is no difference with Valorant. In addition, to a large portion of their demographic being younger, they also have players from all over the world playing the game with different personalities and skill levels. With Valorants main demographic being younger players, there is a clear disparity in maturity levels between many of the players (Kowert, 2020). For example, some younger players may have limited social experience causing them to believe that making fun of others is normal behavior in games (Kowert, 2020). This could cause them to make blind decisions and impulsively act out in toxic behavior such as calling other players names or slurs.

Moreover, forty-five per cent of all gamers are women, hence adding to the diversity of those who play Valorant (Fillmowicz, 2023). However, with that large portion of the community being women, studies have shown that women are more likely to be targeted for toxic comments more often than men (Kuznekoff & Rose, 2013). There could be many reasons why this happens, possibly being that people approach conflict resolution differently. For example, men use more competitive and assertive resolutions, while women tend to use cooperative and accommodating approaches (Fillmowicz, 2023). Regardless of the reason behind the toxicity, these actions lead to women not using in-game voice chats as often, affecting the communication and performance of the team (Kowert, 2020).

In addition to age differences and a diverse player base, the skill gap is a large contributor to toxic behavior (Kowert, 2020). Valorant has two main game modes, a casual game mode which is meant for casual players who want to relax and a competitive game mode which allows players who are serious about the game to play against other players with similar goals. In the competitive game mode, each player is assigned a rank that is based on their skill level, this ranges from the lowest, Iron to the highest which is Radiant. These ranks are used to allow players to be matched with other players who are at the same skill level as each other, allowing for fair gameplay. It is expected that as the players progress through the ranks, their communication and in-game decision-making will become better as the player builds on their skills.

However, even if the players do improve their abilities and strategies, the in-game scoreboard that tracks each player’s statistics (kills, assists, and deaths) ranks each player from highest kills to lowest. The scoreboard displays how each player is performing, which allows the lowest-performing player to be targeted for offensive comments. This further confirms that the skill gap contributes to toxic behavior (Kowert, 2020). Some terms toxic players will use consist of telling the player that they are “getting carried”, calling them “washed”, or other toxic ways to offend the individual about their skills. This issue carries on throughout each rank of Valorant and is due to the hierarchy made by the scoreboard.

Furthermore, if there is a player at the bottom of the scoreboard and their team is losing, the player’s teammates will likely be frustrated and take that frustration out on them with negative remarks. Even in lower ranks, players who perform at the bottom of the scoreboard can expect to be made a target and be put down by the other players and called names. With the young ages of players and the differences in demographics and skill levels, Valorant has become a place where toxic behavior is largely prevalent.

Anonymity of Players
Anonymity by playing online video games, fuels the possibility of toxic behavior (Kordyaka et al., 2020). Like all online multiplayer games, Valorant also hides the identities of their players. The gamer IDs are made up of a custom username and a tagline, for example, Riot#123. Unless the player chooses to use their real name as their username, they will remain anonymous. In most cases, unless the player gives another player their information, it would be almost impossible for others to deduce any information about them.

Similar to other games, Valorant gives its players a sense of anonymity because it is mainly played online and on a Personal Computer (PC) or laptop. A PC is a computer that is set up on a desk with a mouse and a keyboard and uses a high-definition monitor allowing for more immersive gameplay (Fillmowicz, 2023). Individuals playing games behind screens authorize the bad behavior or frustrated players to act out, fueling their toxic behavior toward other players. This is due to the reduced accountability from being anonymous (Kowert, 2020). The players who want to act out and make toxic comments can do so with little to no consequences in the real world.

Moreover, studies have shown that having one player act toxically, influences the other players to also act in toxic ways in future games due to them thinking it is a normal part of gaming, creating a butterfly effect (Shen et al., 2020). In addition to players having anonymity, the intense gameplay mixed with the anonymity provided by playing remotely allows players of Valorant to get frustrated more often and lash out, acting toxically towards their other teammates. This behavior is intensified when there is a toxic player on the team that is losing, giving more opportunities for players to get under the skin of their teammates.

The toxicity could be due to an array of reasons, from being so immersed in the gameplay to having clashing personalities between teammates leading to conflict between teammates. All the reasons are intensified by all the players being anonymous (Kowert, 2020). For example, when the toxic player is on the losing side and their team is collectively performing poorly, the player could simply leave the game, making it harder for their team to catch up, or calling their teammate different insults about their performance or other slurs that could inhibit the others from enjoying the game. While there are benefits to being anonymous online, it is one of the main sources of why toxicity is such a large issue in Valorant.

Competitive Nature
Most online multiplayer games have a sense of competitiveness that goes along with them and this is the case with Valorant. As previously stated, Valorant uses an extremely competitive ranking system for players to go against other players who are in the same skill level. They take a step further by giving players who are at the top of the ranking system a numbered rank, which leads to more intense gameplay. For instance, players who play in the rank, “Radiant,” get a numbered rank, such as Radiant #200 NA. This means that they would be in the top two hundred in North America. Having an elaborate ranking system is a good way to keep competitiveness high because it allows players who have already built up their skills and abilities to compete with each other. On the other hand, players in lower ranks work on their decision-making and skills together.

Consequently, a game that relies heavily on decision-making, skill, and map awareness creates a difficult game to climb in the ranks while creating a competitive environment. Therefore, the ranking system solves this issue where a competitive environment is constructed through alike players who are heavily immersed in the gameplay. However, while having a lot of players fully immersed in a competitive multiplayer game is not negative, applying a competitive ranking system to it designs an environment for players to become frustrated or angry due to performance issues of teammates or themselves (Nwanta, 2023). For example, if there is a player not playing well, the toxic player can call them several insults like “you’re trash,” and “you’re so bad”.

Another issue with having a ranked system is that sometimes players are not accurately placed in a rank due to “being carried,” which creates skill disparities between players. “Being carried,” is a term used for a player that plays with a friend or multiple friends who are lengths ahead in skill to easily climb the ranks of a game. This, coupled with the competitive nature of Valorant, creates an environment where “carried” players have targets on their backs, due to the high stakes and pressure made by the ranking system (Nwanta, 2023). This can increase the number of toxic comments to come their way.

Due to the extremely competitive nature of Valorant, having a ranking system makes players playing the first-person shooter value their abilities and time spent climbing up in the ranks. Players spend hours on end practising and familiarising themselves with Valorant to gain a slight edge over other players. This creates an environment where the competitiveness of the game can frustrate players causing them to direct toxic behaviour towards poor-performing teammates or teammates who are not playing at a correct rank.

Conclusion
While Valorant's player base gets bigger, the toxic behavior among players will continue to grow. As a large portion of Valorant’s population and player base have a younger demographic, it is not a surprise that there is a disparity in maturity levels. In addition to this, the game is available all over the world, resulting in the clash of personal differences due to the high diversity of players. Furthermore, this opens up the possibility of larger skill gaps between players.

The skill gap between players leads to toxic behaviour because it causes the better-performing players to behave toxically toward teammates who are not performing well. Additionally, the anonymity of playing online video games like Valorant creates an environment that fuels frustrated players who can easily lash out at their teammates with toxic behaviour. This is due to the lack of accountability from being hidden and anonymous from the other gamers. The competitive nature of Valorant is also an aspect of the game that additionally causes normal players to experience the toxicity of others. With the heavy emphasis on Valorants ranked game mode, many players immerse themselves in the gameplay and give a lot of meaning to their ranks.

In turn, this opens up the opportunity for frustrations over the inexperience of teammates, regardless of who is winning the game. With Valorant’s diverse demographic, anonymity, and competitive nature of players, it becomes a place where toxic behaviour becomes a normal part of the game. Valorant is a game that is enjoyed by many gamers all over the world. However, the players who believe that toxic behaviour is a normal part of playing games will forever leave a negative mark on Valorant.

References

‘VALORANT Rank Distribution (September 2023) — TRN Checkpoint’. Accessed 2 December 2023. https://tracker.gg/checkpoint/articles/valorant-rank-distribution.

‘Hate Is No Game: Harassment and Positive Social Experiences in Online Games 2021 | ADL’. Accessed 2 December 2023. https://www.adl.org/resources/report/hate-no-game-harassment-and-positive-social-experiences-online-games-2021.

https://www.wired.com/story/toxicity-in-gaming-is-dangerous-heres-how-to-stand-up-to-it/

Fu, D. (n.d.). A Look at Gaming Culture and Gaming Related Problems: From a Gamer’s Perspective.

Kowert, R. (2020). Dark Participation in Games. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 598947. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598947

Kuznekoff, J. H., & Rose, L. M. (2013). Communication in multiplayer gaming: Examining player responses to gender cues. New Media & Society, 15(4), 541–556. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444812458271

Nwanta, O. (2023). The Impact of Toxic Behaviour on First-Person Shooter Players.

Shen, C., Sun, Q., Kim, T., Wolff, G., Ratan, R., & Williams, D. (2020). Viral vitriol: Predictors and contagion of online toxicity in World of Tanks. Computers in Human Behavior, 108, 106343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106343

Vuong `, D. `. (n.d.). “It’s just a game”: Toxic Triggers in the Competitive FPS Valorant. https://languagedlife.humspace.ucla.edu/sociolinguistics/its-just-a-game-toxic-triggers-in-the-competitive-fps-valorant/

Nwanta, Osita. ‘The Impact of Toxic Behaviour on First-Person Shooter Players’, n.d. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/796622/Nwanta_Osita.pdf.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y#:~:text=Such%20behaviour%20can%20lead%20to,players%20and%20other%20negative%20consequences.

Shen, Cuihua, Qiusi Sun, Taeyoung Kim, Grace Wolff, Rabindra Ratan, and Dmitri Williams. ‘Viral Vitriol: Predictors and Contagion of Online Toxicity in World of Tanks’. Computers in Human Behavior 108 (1 July 2020): 106343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106343.

Türkay, Selen, Jessica Formosa, Sonam Adinolf, Robert Cuthbert, and Roger Altizer. ‘See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil: How Collegiate Players Define, Experience and Cope with Toxicity’. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–13. CHI ’20. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376191.

Kordyaka, Bastian, Katharina Jahn, and Bjoern Niehaves. ‘Towards a Unified Theory of Toxic Behavior in Video Games’. Internet Research 30, no. 4 (1 January 2020): 1081–1102. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-08-2019-0343.

]]><![CDATA["Maestro" - a trip to the glory of Classic Hollywood cinema]]>Tue, 30 Jan 2024 03:12:06 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/maestro-a-trip-to-the-glory-of-classic-hollywood-cinema

I have to admit - I was skeptical about Bradley Cooper's capabilities as a director. I liked "A Star Is Born," but I was unsure if it was a fluke. The reason is that Cooper acted in movies that could have been better in many ways. Yes, they were popular, but they had artistic shortcomings. "Maestro," took me back. And I'm not talking historically to a period that is long forgotten. It took me back to an era of classic Hollywood cinema that was poignant and yet artistic.

The film's black-and-white sequences are exquisitely beautiful and reminiscent of the classics. My only question is why they were cut short. Why did we see any color footage outside of the framing device? I didn't see the reason embedded in the story. Cooper did not connect the framing device to it either. My only guess would be that the studio was afraid that black-and-white films would not generate more popcorn sales. If so, I'm genuinely sorry that profits only guide contemporary cinema. Don't misunderstand me - I'm not against sales. What I'm saying is that I do not condone the mercantile mentality if it is the only guidelight that drives production. I understand that films are expensive and need to make money, so production companies do not file Chapter 11. However, I oppose the idea that artistic choices should be slaves to banking. I'm digressing.
Back to the film - it took my breath away. I had the feeling of seeing the musical version of Citizen Kane. I know this is a high bar, but I can't help but feel what I feel. It is not that "Maestro" was so groundbreaking that it changed the faces of cinema as we know it (something that Citizen Kane did). It's not the black-and-white footage, either. It was the smile on my face when I watched something beautiful, and my heart pulsated with admiration for the beauty that hit it. I last felt that when I saw Cuaron's or Inaritu's films. "Maestro's" artistic vision of portraying events, combined with flawless acting and directing, renders it one of the few great films of 2023.

4 / 5
Director: Bradley Cooper
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan

]]><![CDATA["Poor Things" or what would happen if Frankenstein had a daughter]]>Sat, 27 Jan 2024 17:13:19 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/poor-things-or-what-would-happen-if-frankenstein-had-a-daughter

Yorgos Lanthimos always surprises me with his creative mind and strange narratives. I have been a reluctant fan of his since I saw "Dogtooth." "Poor Things" is bizarre and promiscuous at first glance. However, the story is much deeper than it appears. "Poor things" is the reverse story of Frankenstein or maybe a continuation. A continuation possible if Frankenstein lives.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a collection of different humans, an innocent beast that everyone is afraid of. He kills because he is frightened and doesn't know how to react. He kills because he doesn't understand the social norms of a complicated and discriminatory society that rejects him because of the way he looks. He kills because he is innocent. "Poor Things" is the story of Frankenstein's child. I can not imagine any other actor taking the chances of a weird character like Willem Dafoe does. His character physically looks like a summary of different parts. Dafoe's character, Dr. Baxter, is a living experiment. As he points out in a few scenes, his father used him as an object to conduct his experiments. As such, Dr. Baxter is a Frankenstein. Frankenstein that has decided to raise a child in a grownup body.

Emma Stone is one of the finest young actresses in Hollywood. Every time I see her, I remember the marijuana smoking scene with Michael Keaton in "Birdman" and her heartbroken expression after she says, "No, you don't [matter]." Her performance here is equally praiseworthy. As Frankenstein's daughter, she begins as a child trapped in a grownup body. Throughout the narrative, she learns the societal norms and the absurdity of the civilized world. Her physical appearance changes (body posture, walking, and speech) as she gradually "fits" into the world. However, her innocence is disarming and breaks men's hearts. And since men are the ones who rule society, her innocence threatens the social order. Like father, like daughter.

Only two exits out of this situation would please the ruling class. Either Bella, as Frankenstein's daughter, needs to meet her father's fate. Meaning she needs to be devoured by the civilized and unforgiving society. Or, Bella needs to be assimilated into it. Even though Bella succumbs to the pressure of conformity, she doesn't do it obediently. She commits two acts that make her a living martyr. Bella castrates the macho-infested mentality of male chauvinistic contemporaries. And she, openly advocating her past whoring, makes Max (the man that loves her) accept her for the woman she is - brilliant, intelligent, and way ahead of her time.

Bella's love interests bring us to Mark Ruffalo and Duncan Wedderburn, the other male characters enamored with Bella. Grounded in reality and representing normality, Duncan desperately tries to escape it. His sexual hunger and prowess are a symbol of his rebellion against the norms. But even that male rebellion has its limits. When Bella becomes fragrantly promiscuous and uncontrollably mutinous in her innocent acceptance of sexual normalcy, Duncan is beaten at his own game. Not knowing how to control her, Duncan resorts to the age-old chains of marriage. Not understanding that innocence is gullibly predatory and, as such, superior, Duncan crashes in a most mundane way. However, the decent is enhanced by Ruffalo's brilliant performance. Entertaining and funny, Mark Ruffalo portrays the childish patriarchy of his character, Duncan, with gusto.

This whole package of director and performers wraps up "Poor Things" as one of the most provocative films I have seen and one of the year's best films.

4 / 5
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Defoe

]]><![CDATA[Baldur's Gate 3: Morality Through Gaming by Marianna Mekhail]]>Sun, 21 Jan 2024 19:56:28 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/baldurs-gate-3-morality-through-gaming-by-marianna-mekhail

Exploring morality through gaming is a way to connect the digital world to the physical to create compelling stories that exist outside of the moral vacuum of digital media. In a world of games with violence simply for the sake of winning, players are exposed to a separate reality devoid of moral obligations.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023) discourages moral disengagement by giving non-playable characters their own agency and values, connecting the player to their stories and personalities. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing game set in the universe of Dungeons and Dragons that allows the player to explore the open world with requitable companions and make game-altering decisions affecting non-playable characters (NPC’s) relationships and the future of the fictional world.

Several different game modes allow the player to cater the difficulty to their liking, and vast character customization options of different backgrounds and fictional races. In this open-world fantasy, players are exposed to themes present in our reality such as dictatorships, cycles of abuse and the cost of freedom. Baldur’s Gate 3 bridges the disconnect between the virtual and physical worlds by engaging the player’s humanity and empathy through positive reinforcement, having the virtual world be connected to our reality and challenging the player with temptation; allowing for the concept of morality to be explored in the virtual form.

Positive Reinforcement

In Baldur's Gate 3, there are multiple paths the players can choose to take and people they can choose to support or oppose. One of the first moral decisions a player can make is to support a group of refugees from their attackers or to help the attackers destroy the refugees; the easier path being helping the attackers. Although the evil path is easier, the opening weekend statistics show that almost 70 percent of players chose to save the refugees. Players are not only rewarded for helping those in need with money and armour, but they are also given the satisfaction of being able to see these characters progress through the story therefore giving the player a sense of accomplishment in doing the right thing.

Another example of positive reinforcement in Baldurs Gate 3 is found at the very end of the game. Upon completion, the future of the companions and world is determined by the player, which leads to multiple possible endings for each companion and for the player themself. It is only through giving up the possibilities of great power the player can allow for the freedom and autonomy of all of the companions and the city of Baldur’s Gate. The satisfaction the player receives upon making selfless decisions and refusing to allow the desire for power to overtake them is critical in encouraging good action. The player is then rewarded not with just more content, but a satisfying ending to their story. Therefore even delayed rewards are crucial to positive reinforcement, Wang (2012) stated that reward mechanisms in video games can enhance feelings of fun long before rewards are actually given—that is, rewards can create a sense of anticipation among players who know what is specifically required to earn them. The simple knowledge of there being special endings for different outcomes allows the player to look forward to the future satisfaction of finishing the game, especially when playing for the best outcome.

Humanity Transcending Reality

Good actions are for the most part the more difficult path in Baldur’s Gate 3, but through having the player connect with the characters and learning their stories it becomes morally difficult to ignore their humanity. Hartmann (2017) stated that if players see something social instead of pixels … they should also tend to see them as agents worthy of proper moral treatment. Through speaking with the refugee community we learn of the NPC’s hopes and dreams and unique personalities allowing us to feel empathy towards them. Well-written characters allow the player to feel connected with the virtual and compel empathy towards them. Another way in which the game forces you to acknowledge the characters as beings deserving of the same respect a human would is their agency. Companion characters do not just simply help fight battles mindlessly, but have their own moral codes and will use their freedom to leave you game if the player does something they disagree with.

This connection with morality is an important factor in the construction of new games especially since Formosa et al. (2016)stated that in the past, videogames have been considered “amoral spaces,” the actions taken in them requiring little to no reflection. The complexity of characters and giving them human qualities despite being pixels allows for philosophy and moral code to be very prevalent throughout gameplay.

Another way in which the player connects with the world of Baldur’s Gate 3 is the vast options for character customization. Consalvo (2016) stated that players construct themselves as individuals with a particular moral code or ethos. That “self” is still a character to some extent, but it’s a character that is intimately tied to how players rationalize or make sense of the decisions they make in daily life. Therefore games allowing for full character customization foster immersion of the player’s morality into the virtual world.

Challenging Morality

Baldur’s Gate 3 for the most part encourages good actions through exclusive loot, storylines and companions, but it also creates scenarios to tempt the player and test their morals. One such controversial decision is ignoring the agency of a companion to obtain an otherwise impossible-to-acquire potion which would permanently help the player. Obtaining this potion does not have any major consequences nor does the companion leave the player for the rest of the game, despite this it is an unpopular decision amongst players, due to the player's wish to respect the companion's agency over power.

Throughout the game we are exposed to this character’s backstory which supports their reason for not wanting to be controlled or used, this immersion into the character's backstory is an important factor as to why a seemingly beneficial decision becomes easy to reject. It has been argued by Belman & Flanagan (2010) that empathy-centered design can improve the affective experience and emotional response of the player concerning the virtual game character. Due to the fact that the characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 are layered and evoke empathy within us the more difficult decisions become more enjoyable due to empathy keeping with immersion.

Conclude

To conclude, Baldur’s Gate 3 creates a compelling environment for exploring and testing the player's morality. The game bridges the gap between the physical and virtual worlds through unique narrative choices and character design. Discouraging moral disengagement by connecting players with the values and agency of NPC’s Baldur’s Gate 3 establishes a moral framework beyond the one-dimensional violence-driven narratives found in many other games. The game’s capacity to create a virtual world intertwined with humanity contributes to the exploration of morality throughout the game. Players are able to connect with this virtual world by intertwining their own morality through their choices in the game. This exploration of morality is further explored through the companions' unique backstories and layered personalities. Baldur’s Gate 3 not only provides a uniquely tailored gaming experience but also serves as a platform to reflect on the player's own moral compass, illustrating the potential of video games as tools for exploring morality.

References

Hao Wang, Game Rewarding System: Gaming Experiences and Social Meanings. (2012). https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=d850269a6e95214c6212c6402d06edb918f35db9

Tilo Hartmann, the “Moral disengagement in violent video games” model. (2017). https://gamestudies.org/1702/articles/hartmann

Belman J., Flanagan M. (2010). Designing games to foster empathy. International Journal of Cognitive Technology, 15(1), 5–15. https://tiltfactor.org/wp-content/uploads2/cog-tech-si-g4g-article-1-belman-and-flanagan-designing-games-to-foster-empathy.pdf

Consalvo, M., Busch, T., & Jong, C. (2016). Playing a Better Me: How Players Rehearse Their Ethos Via Moral Choices. Games and Culture, 14(3), 216–235.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412016677449

Formosa P., Ryan M., Staines D. (2016). Four lenses for designing morally engaging games. Proceedings of the First International Joint Conference of DiGRA and FDG. http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/four-lenses-for-designing-morally-engaging-games/

]]><![CDATA[Diversity as a design pitfall: The successes and failures of the character design of Overwatch by Kira Song]]>Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:44:58 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/diversity-as-a-design-pitfall-the-successes-and-failures-of-the-character-design-of-overwatch-by-kira-song

A long way to go to a “future worth fighting for.”

Released in 2016, Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment, 2016) is a team based first person shooter game set in a future Earth. Selling over 50 million copies (D’Anastasio 2022), The game revolves around two teams of six players picking from a cast of playable characters or “Heroes” hailing from diverse backgrounds to do battle across various locations set around the globe.

Overwatch is a game that is often praised for its focus on inclusivity and diversity in its character design as quoted by the game director of Overwatch Jeff Kaplan “What we cared about was creating a game and a game universe and a world where everybody felt welcomed. And really what the goal was inclusivity and open mindedness” (Kaplan, 2017, 31:35).

Prior to it’s closing before the release of its sequel it had a pool of 32 playable heroes, of 14 were women, 2 were canonically confirmed to be LGBTQ+ and one who suffered from a disability (Overwatch, 2022). However, while officially having more female and LGBTQ characters create exposure and representation for women and other marginalized groups which can in turn act as tools for empowerment and change in the gaming community, the same tools when used improperly can also serve to feed further into stereotypes and discriminatory beliefs and practices. When making the narrative decision to label a character’s identity, Blizzard takes away the individual agency of each player to write their own story (Dym et al.,2018) and has now shouldered the responsibility of developing respectful and complex characters, staying truthful to the communities that they are supposed to represent. Through the weighted choices presented in its game systems and the gender biased culture of its social spaces Overwatch sends mixed messages which stand in the way of the inclusive spirit of the game. In spite of its progressive ideals, the design choices behind hero diversity in Overwatch causes shallow character representation, which perpetuates stereotyping and gender norms, deepening the divides in the gaming community.

Diversity as a checklist

In games like Overwatch, playable characters are fully written by the developers and not player generated, this comes with its own set of unique benefits and drawbacks. While it sacrifices the player’s affordance to create an avatar which represents them, having pre written characters allow the developers more opportunities to not only create rich and engaging character narratives, but also more chances to integrate that narrative within the storyworld. This allows developers to take advantage of games as a storytelling medium and provide an immersive and interactive story experience to captivate players. However, with its potential boons comes its own set of potential pitfalls and this is perhaps where Blizzard may have missed the mark. With the reveal of Overwatch’s two non-heterosexual characters, Blizzard chose to digress the reveal in a few images and speech bubbles, shown through a series of digital online comics that were separate from the game with no prior hints existing within the game itself. When a character identity is defined it is a choice to tell the players who the character is, but when that identity isn’t adequately expressed and integrated within the gameworld, it causes a suspension of belief between the player and the narrative, when Soldier:76 was revealed to be gay, there was community pushback saying that his sexuality was retconned because the Soldier:76 that they got to know up to that point had no indication or sign of ever having any sexual feelings (Välisalo et al.,2022). While the representation of minorities is a step in the right direction, if the goal of Overwatch is to truly push for inclusivity within its player base then the game “needs the input of sexuality, gender and ethnicity as more than just tidbits in the game narrative in transmedia expansions more or less distant from the actual gameplay” (Välisalo et al.,2022). With no mention of the struggles of living through homophobia, and no representation of the difficulties of living in a heteronormative society impacting their development, a character being homosexual is nothing more than a label. This lack of expression creates a static and quantified approach to character design and is an example of telling instead of showing. Defining character identity through a checklist rather than their lived experiences is inauthentic and cheapens the experiences of the LGBTQ people that these characters are meant to be relatable to.

Part of fun in game comes from immersion and narrative and there is no better place to see this then in player made content, even in games that do not give means to publish such creations in game, content will find it’s space on external sites, such as videos on YouTube, or fan written narratives on websites such as Archive of Our Own (Dym et al.,2018). Where fans have fostered a sense of belonging to the game universe through written personal narratives connecting themselves or their own characters to those in the game. However, by canonically defining a character’s sexuality, a developer removes an aspect of ambiguity behind that character and denies the validity of any other claim that players might have in fan written narrative. “Video games will never satisfy fans’ desire for diversity with a magical number of token characters” (Dym et al.,2018). By making the decision to define the sexuality of a character through external media separated from the game Blizzard has not only taken away from player agency to write their own narrative but also created a commodified and stereotypical representation of marginalized minorities.

Gaming culture & Gender Norms

As games have evolved to become more complex, so have the learning curves and skill floors associated with them. A steep learning curve can prove to be daunting to new players and can prove to be a barrier to entry, dissuading prospective players from picking up a game. However, in multiplayer games like Overwatch, such barriers can also stem from things outside of programmed game mechanics. To understand this we must first understand the classification system of the Heroes in Overwatch which are categorized into three classes, (Overwatch, 2022) they are:
Tanks: a role focused on leading pushes and mitigating incoming attacks from the enemy team.
Damage: a role focused on dealing damage and eliminating opposing players.
Support: a role focused on healing allies and providing buffs and support to enhance the performance of the rest of the team.

From a game design perspective, this method of organization allows for the creation of particular sets of heroes designed to encourage distinct playstyles and as a result attract multiple types of players. Players who gleam enjoyment out of mechanical mastery and eliminating other players may prefer damage heroes, who often rely more on aim and mechanical skill, while players who wish to engage with the enemy in close combat to deny opportunities to the enemy team may play tank heroes who generally have less potential to eliminate enemies but are given tools to mitigate the effectiveness enemy attacks. However from a cultural perspective, the effects of this method of categorization factors heavily into the perpetuation of gender stereotypes and discrimination both within Overwatch as well as the gaming community as a whole (Zhou et al.,2021). Like its cast of characters, Overwatch attracts a diverse playerbase from around the world. As of 2017, the number of female players of Overwatch is at 16%, which is more than double the 7.4% percentile of women who play games in the FPS genre (Yee, 2018), a factor of this higher percentage might be a result of the greater inclusivity, cartoon violence, and the strong focus on teamwork and cooperation that Overwatch provides (Filimowicz, 2023). However, a larger female minority also comes with its own reflective set of gender norms. Research has shown that such norms Include the female tendency to play heroes in the support class conforming with the patriarchal expectation to take on a more supportive and nurturing role (Zhou et al.,2021). The norm that women were more likely to be the target of gender based harassment and that poor performance was a result of their gender rather than a lack of skill (Zhou et al.,2021). This pattern of discrimination creates a negative feedback loop where women are pressured from exploring other roles and pressured into playing support characters because they are easier in order to avoid conflict with their teammates (Zhou et al.,2021).

These stereotypes extend beyond the community and are also represented within the game itself. Four of the seven support characters in the game are female compared to the three female tank characters out of a pool of eight (Overwatch, 2022). As “Algorithms mimic reality” (Trammel et al.,2022) it should come as no surprise that a multiplayer game played by millions of people has elements of the real world issues of societal gender norms as well as the political controversy associated with them. The virtual ideological space of Overwatch has become a reflection of the values of society and the preconceived gender biases embedded within it.

Promise of choice and punishing explorationPlayers tend to choose to play characters that represent them (Hodges et al.,2018), however that representation extends beyond character traits and identity to unique mechanics and affordances given to a hero. One of the appeals of hero based shooters is that each hero brings with them their own unique set of tools and abilities in which they can use within the game world. This provides players with a meaningful choice as to which character to play as it becomes a tradeoff, each character having their own unique advantages and drawbacks. Within other prominent character based competitive team games such as Valorant (Riot Games, 2020) or Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment, 2019), these character choices are made at the beginning of the game and once decided are permanent for the rest of the match. If a player in one of these games encounters a situation that exacerbates the weaknesses of the character that they have chosen, they only have the defined affordances of that character to work with when finding a solution. This leads to one of the unique appeals of Overwatch; the ability to change your character at any point in the match. In Overwatch, whenever a hero gets eliminated or returns to their home room, they are allowed to swap characters giving players more choices to adapt to the situation at hand. (Overwatch, 2022) This provides a changing dynamic to provide players with greater opportunity for choice.

However, the mechanical differences between heroes mean that hero choice has a tangible effect on the quality of your team composition. Certain heroes tend to work better together than others.and the competitive nature of Overwatch mean that often, choosing a hero becomes more than just personal preference but also one of team cohesion and composition (Hodges et al.,2018). Potentially, this pressures players into picking heroes that are more aligned with what professional teams run rather than what they enjoy playing and can open up opportunities for players to berate or verbally assault their teammates for playing a hero they consider to not be optimal (Hodges et al.,2018). This punishment is made worse by the abuse of the report system, which automatically punishes player accounts if they are reported a certain number of times regardless of the validity of the reports themselves. As a result, the player’s hero choice becomes one not of which character they will have the most enjoyment playing but instead whether to play the character they enjoy knowing that they run the risk of facing verbal and textual harassment and potentially even suspension from the game. Additionally, should they decide to pick a hero they don’t enjoy for the sake of the team there is no actual incentive or reward given by the game. Overall, while the diverse cast of characters offer the initial impression of exploration and discovery for players, the game gives power to the competitive nature of the community and places undue pressure on players who enjoy playing heroes who are not dominant in the state of the game. When viewed from this angle, Overwatch is punishing players who are brave enough to go against the norms which goes against their goals of inclusivity.

Conclusion

Overwatch is a wildly successful and popular game and it’s goals toward inclusivity and acceptance toward all people is both noble and one that has clearly seen results. However, despite its acclaim Overwatch is not without its faults, and its popularity serves to increase the damage that those faults have on society. The poor integration of marginalized communities within the game’s heroes have created only superficial support for progressiveness while the prevalent gender biases within the game community cause and the punishment of players who would explore it’s boundaries have recreated the ideals of conforming to societal norms within Overwatch’s virtual world. While Overwatch champions diversity and inclusivity, it’s shortcomings show that it has a long way to go to reach a future worth fighting for.

References:

Blamey, C. (2022). Chapter 3: One Tricks, Hero Picks, and Player Politics: Highlighting the Casual-Competitive Divide in the Overwatch Forums. In M. Ruotsalainen, M. Törhönen, & V.-M. Karhulahti (Eds.), Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch (pp. 31–48). essay, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Dym, B., Brubaker, J., & Fiesler, C. (2018). “theyre all trans sharon”: Authoring Gender in Video Game Fan Fiction. Game Studies, 18(3). https://gamestudies.org/1803/articles/brubaker_dym_fiesler

D’Anastasio, C. (2022, April 29). Activision’s overwatch 2 is redefining the sequel. Bloomberg. Retrieved December 30, 2023, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-04-29/activision-blizzard-s-overwatch-2-game-is-a-lot-like-the-original-review.

Filimowicz, M. Demographics by Age & Sex [Class handout]. WebCampus. https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/79948/pages/demographics-by-age-and-sex?module_item_id=3038049

Hodges, D., & Buckley, O. (2018). Deconstructing who you play: Character choice in online gaming. Entertainment Computing, 27, 170–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2018.06.002

[MrPhi]. (2016, October 28). 3rd chat ban for playing Widowmaker[Online forum post]. Reddit.https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/9ihsdp/fantastic_view_from_google_earth/

Overwatch. Overwatch 2. (2016, May 24). https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/

S, R. (2016). Cosplay at the 2016 New York Comic Con. flickr.com. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/94565827@N05/30113751612/.

Trammell, A., & Cullen, A. L. (2022). A cultural approach to algorithmic bias in games. New Media & Society, 23(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819900508

Välisalo, T., & Maria Ruotsalainen, M. (2022). “Sexuality does not belong to the game” — Discourses in Overwatch Community and the Privilege of Belonging. Game Studies, 22(3). https://gamestudies.org/2203/articles/valisalo_ruotsalainen

Yee, N. (2018, June 14). Beyond 50/50: Breaking down the percentage of female gamers by genre. Quantic Foundry. https://quanticfoundry.com/2017/01/19/female-gamers-by-genre/

YouTube. (2017). D.I.C.E. Summit 2017 — IGN Live. YouTube. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SNdrEGSVUY&t=445s.

Zhou, R. J., Gao, Y., & Han, Q. (2021). Study of gender-based playing style stereotype in overwatch using machine learning analysis. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1883(1), 012028. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1883/1/012028

Games:
Overwatch [Video game]. (2016). Blizzard Entertainment.
Valorant [Video game]. (2020). Riot Games.
Apex Legends [Video game]. (2019). Respawn Entertainment.

]]><![CDATA[Beyond the Game: Exploring the Narrative, Cultural Diversity, and Social Impact of Overwatch by Syed Sanjan]]>Fri, 29 Dec 2023 06:07:24 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/beyond-the-game-exploring-the-narrative-cultural-diversity-and-social-impact-of-overwatch-by-syed-sanjan

Overwatch

Introduction

Overwatch, developed by Blizzard Entertainment and launched in 2016, marks a milestone in the evolution of video game narratives and their cultural footprint. Set against a futuristic backdrop, it unfolds the story of the Omnic Crisis and the resultant assembly of a diverse coalition, the Overwatch task force, charged with restoring peace (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022). This online multiplayer shooter transcends its primary genre by weaving a transmedia narrative that sprawls across comics, animated shorts, written stories, and an eclectic mix of fan-generated content. Such an expansive narrative ecosystem not only enhances player immersion but also fosters a dynamic participatory culture.

“Overwatch’s narrative design and cultural impact underscore the evolving role of video games in shaping transmedia storytelling and societal dialogues, particularly through character diversity and player engagement.”

The game’s diverse character roster serves as a canvas reflecting inclusivity and sparking nuanced conversations about identity and representation within the gaming community. Characters like Tracer and Soldier: 76, who are canonically queer, catalyze this discourse, challenging entrenched paradigms of character portrayal in digital games (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022). The richness of Overwatch’s universe lies not just in its visual and narrative artistry but also in its role as a conduit for cultural exchange, where each character’s distinct story contributes to a larger dialogue on societal norms and values.

In this research essay, we shall delve into three pivotal concepts that Overwatch embodies: transmedia storytelling, character diversity and representation, and the intricacies of player community engagement. Each concept, explored in subsequent sections, will demonstrate how Overwatch is not merely a game but a dynamic platform for cultural expression and community interaction.

“Diversity and inclusion are the heroes in Overwatch, a runaway commercial gaming success”

Transmedia Storytelling in Overwatch

Transmedia storytelling, a technique that disperses a narrative across multiple platforms and formats, is central to Overwatch’s design philosophy. This approach to storytelling is not merely additive; each platform contributes uniquely and significantly to the overarching narrative, enriching the player’s experience (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022). In Overwatch, this narrative is not confined within the digital borders of the game itself but extends into animated shorts, comics, and a plethora of fan-created content. This expansive narrative ecosystem invites players to delve into the backstories, motivations, and interpersonal dynamics of the Overwatch heroes, thus crafting a multifaceted narrative that resonates on a global scale (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022).

The game’s narrative design innovatively incorporates queer characters, ensuring that the representation is embedded within the core of the transmedia experience. The revelation of characters such as Tracer and Soldier: 76 as queer was not just a mere footnote in their character arcs but a defining aspect of their identity, contributing to a nuanced and progressive portrayal of LGBTQ+ individuals in the gaming landscape (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022). These reveals were pivotal, sparking extensive discussions on inclusivity, representation, and the importance of diversity in video games. The way these characters’ stories are told and retold across various media exemplifies the power of transmedia storytelling to serve as a catalyst for cultural and societal dialogue (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022).

Soldier 76 and Tracer fan art

Moreover, the community engagement with Overwatch’s narrative is reflective of a participatory culture that has emerged within modern fandoms. The game’s transmedia approach has fostered an environment where players feel a sense of ownership and connection to the narrative (Wood, 2023). They actively participate in the storytelling process through discussions, fan art, and fan fiction, thus furthering the game’s lore and creating a sense of belonging among its diverse audience (Wood, 2023). This engagement is not only indicative of the game’s success in storytelling but also of its role in shaping a community that is collaborative, creative, and inclusive (Wood, 2023).
The strategic design choices made by Blizzard in the ongoing development of Overwatch’s narrative have significant implications for how players interact with the game. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, for instance, has been met with both acclaim for its progressive stance and criticism over the execution of such representations (Shlapak, 2023). These reactions are indicative of a larger conversation happening within the gaming community and society at large about the nature of representation in media. The game’s narrative choices have thus become a mirror reflecting contemporary cultural attitudes towards diversity and inclusion (Shlapak, 2023).

Pride event banner for Overwatch 2

Player responses to these narrative elements vary widely, from enthusiastic support that celebrates the visibility of underrepresented groups to critical analyses of how these representations are handled. Such responses not only shape the game’s community but also influence the broader discourse on diversity and inclusivity in digital entertainment mediums (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022). The game’s ongoing narrative development, facilitated by its transmedia storytelling, continues to engage players in a dialogue that extends beyond the virtual realms, touching upon real-world issues and contributing to societal change (Välisalo & Ruotsalainen, 2022).

In essence, the transmedia storytelling of Overwatch illustrates how a video game can transcend its entertainment value to become a significant cultural artifact. It creates a shared universe that not only entertains but also educates and engages its audience in meaningful ways. By weaving a complex narrative tapestry that encompasses diverse characters and stories, Overwatch has set a precedent for how games can contribute to, and even lead, cultural conversations in the 21st century.

Cultural Representation and Diversity in Overwatch

Overwatch, since its inception, has been at the forefront of celebrating cultural diversity and representation within its universe. The game, set on a near-future Earth, boasts a cast of ‘Heroes’ from an array of different cultural backgrounds, each with their own rich lore and backstory (Breevoort, 2019). This diversity is a cornerstone of the game’s identity and has been the subject of praise for its inclusivity as well as critique concerning the depth of its representation (Breevoort, 2019).

The game’s approach to representing various cultures goes beyond superficial character design. It is rooted in a commitment to authenticity, with each hero’s abilities and narrative reflecting their backgrounds. This commitment facilitates a deeper connection between the player and the characters, allowing for an immersive experience that respects cultural specificity and diversity. Such representation is vital in media, as studies suggest that the absence of representation — known as “symbolic annihilation” — can negatively impact the self-esteem of those from underrepresented groups. With a roster that includes a wide range of genders, ethnicities, and LGBTQ+ characters, Overwatch takes significant strides in addressing this within the gaming industry (Overwatch’s impact: LGBT representation and diversity in gaming — Edusson.com 2023).

Overwatch’s dedication to cultural diversity has recently been highlighted through a collaboration with the K-pop sensation LE SSERAFIM in Overwatch 2 (Blizzard Entertainment, 2023). This event introduced legendary hero skins inspired by the group, a custom game mode, and other exclusive in-game items, thereby connecting the game with contemporary pop culture and the global influence of K-pop (Blizzard Entertainment, 2023). Such a crossover is indicative of the game’s evolving nature, seamlessly integrating global cultural phenomena and resonating with a wide international audience.

THE LE SSERAFIM X OVERWATCH 2 EVENT

This integration of contemporary cultural elements like the K-pop collaboration is a clear example of how Overwatch remains culturally relevant and responsive to its audience’s interests. The game not only provides a platform for representation but also for cultural exchange and appreciation. These efforts reflect an understanding of the importance of media in shaping perceptions and fostering a community that values diversity.
The real-world implications of Overwatch’s character diversity are significant, as seen in the game’s influence on social movements and cultural discussions. For instance, the character D.Va who resembles a pro gamer from South Korea has been embraced by the South Korean women’s rights movement as an icon of empowerment (Overwatch’s impact: LGBT representation and diversity in gaming — Edusson.com 2023). Such examples underscore the potential for video game characters to resonate beyond the screen and into the fabric of societal change.

The character D.Va A.K.A Hana Song

Overwatch’s cultural representation and diversity are not just aspects of its gameplay but are integral to its core values. By continually expanding its horizons through initiatives like the K-pop collaboration, the game solidifies its place as a culturally inclusive platform. It provides a space where diversity is not only seen and played but celebrated and integrated, making Overwatch a pioneering force in the gaming industry’s journey towards greater inclusivity and cultural engagement.

The Esports Phenomenon in Overwatch

Esports represents the competitive zenith of Overwatch’s player engagement, where the game not only entertains but also cultivates a sphere of professional athleticism within the digital domain (Ruotsalainen et al., 2022). Since its inception, Overwatch has carved a niche for itself within the esports industry, creating a professional, organized league that parallels traditional sports in its structure, complete with teams, international tournaments, and a dedicated fanbase (Ruotsalainen et al., 2022).

Pro Overwatch League Players Competing for the ultimate prize

The Overwatch League (OWL) is a testament to the game’s global appeal and the viability of esports as a spectator sport. The league’s establishment has contributed to the economic and cultural legitimization of esports, positioning Overwatch as a forerunner in this burgeoning field (Ruotsalainen et al., 2022). Each team within the league represents a city, fostering local pride and a sense of community among fans, further solidifying the game’s role in the cultural zeitgeist (Ruotsalainen et al., 2022).

Banner of OWL

Overwatch’s impact on esports extends to how the game has influenced the genre’s approach to broadcasting and viewer engagement (Blizzard Entertainment, 2018). With a focus on viewer-friendly broadcasting, complete with live commentary, post-match analyses, and player profiles, Overwatch esports events are tailored to both the ardent enthusiast and the casual observer (Blizzard Entertainment, 2018). This accessibility has been crucial in expanding the game’s reach and solidifying its status as a cultural touchstone within the esports world.

The game’s contribution to the growth of esports is not only commercial but also academic. Researchers examine the phenomenon of Overwatch esports to understand the social dynamics of gaming communities, the economic implications of gaming as a profession, and the cultural significance of digital sports in a global context (Ruotsalainen et al., 2022). Through scholarly examination, Overwatch esports is contributing to a deeper understanding of the interplay between digital culture and traditional sports paradigms (Ruotsalainen et al., 2022).

In esports, Overwatch players are not just gamers; they are athletes who train and compete, demonstrating the high skill ceiling and strategic depth of the game (Taylor, 2018). This professional layer of player engagement showcases the potential of video games to foster careers, create new forms of social interaction, and challenge preconceived notions of athleticism and competition (Taylor, 2018).

The esports landscape within Overwatch has emerged as a unique and influential facet of its cultural impact. It is a domain where the thrill of competition, the spirit of community, and the spectacle of sportsmanship coalesce, elevating the game beyond its origins as a pastime into a significant social phenomenon that resonates with a generation redefining entertainment, community, and sport.

Conclusion

Through the lens of Overwatch, this essay illuminated the game’s pivotal role in transmedia storytelling, diversity in cultural representation, and the burgeoning esports scene. Each concept underpins the statement that Overwatch is a significant cultural medium, impacting societal discourse and fostering community engagement.

Overwatch transcends traditional gameplay, creating a transmedia narrative that invites player participation in its expansive lore. The diversity showcased by its characters elevates the dialogue on representation, promoting inclusivity within the gaming community. Meanwhile, the game’s foray into esports has solidified its stature as a competitive and spectator sport, contributing to the genre’s legitimacy and academic interest.

The interweaving of these concepts validates the bold assertion that Overwatch does more than entertain; it serves as a platform for cultural expression and reflects the evolving landscape of digital interaction and community. The game’s influence extends beyond virtual encounters, resonating with broader themes of identity, belonging, and the human experience in the digital age. Overwatch is a testament to the powerful role of video games in shaping and mirroring societal values, proving itself to be an enduring and transformative facet of contemporary culture.

References

Breevoort, A. E. R. (2019, January 1). Heroic diversity: A study on cultural diversity of the heroes cast of the video game Overwatch. Utrecht University Student Theses Repository Home. https://studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/39629

Entertainment, B. (2018, October 31). Overwatch World Cup Viewer: A new way to experience Esports. — Overwatch 2 — Blizzard News. https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/overwatch/22548747/overwatch-world-cup-viewer-a-new-way-to-experience-esports

Entertainment, B. (2023, November 1). Make it a perfect night in the Le Sserafim X overwatch 2 event. Overwatch. https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24014297/#:~:text=Last%20week%2C%20LE%20SSERAFIM%20released,pop%20sensation%2C%20LE%20SSERAFIM

Overwatch’s impact: LGBT representation and diversity in gaming — free essay example on Edusson.com. Overwatch’s Impact: LGBT Representation and Diversity in Gaming — Free Essay Example on Edusson.com. (2023, August). https://edusson.com/examples/overwatch-s-impact-lgbt-representation-and-diversity-in-gaming

Ruotsalainen, M., Törhönen, M., & Karhulahti, V.-M. (2022, March 15). Modes of esports engagement in Overwatch. OAPEN Home. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/53330

Shlapak, H. (2023, March 13). Overwatch introduces first LGBTQ+ hero. CGMagazine. https://www.cgmagonline.com/news/overwatch-reveals-first-queer-character/#:~:text=Overwatch%20introduces%20its%20first%20LGBTQ%2B,Representation%20matters%20in%20gaming

Taylor, I. (2018, February 23). Overwatch: Building an esport from the ground up. GamesIndustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/how-blizzard-established-overwatch-as-a-top-esport#:~:text=,take%20off%20as%20an%20esport

Välisalo, T., & Ruotsalainen, M. (2022, August). Game studies. Game Studies — “Sexuality does not belong to the game” — Discourses in Overwatch Community and the Privilege of Belonging. https://gamestudies.org/2203/articles/valisalo_ruotsalainen

Wood, M. (2023, May 31). Overwatch 2 is taking the right steps for LGBTQ+ rights. Game Rant. https://gamerant.com/overwatch-2-lgbt-rights-good-representation-baptiste-pharah/#:~:text=Many %20LGBTQ%2B%20characters%20exist%20within,lesbian%2C%20bisexual%2C%20or%20otherwise%20even

]]><![CDATA[Labyrinth of Ethics: Navigating Morality in Shin Megami Tensei IV by Sam Showkati]]>Wed, 20 Dec 2023 23:30:07 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/labyrinth-of-ethics-navigating-morality-in-shin-megami-tensei-iv-by-sam-showkati

Introduction

Shin Megami Tensei IV (2013) is a Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Atlus Co., Ltd. It is the 4th mainline installment of the Shin Megami Tensei series (SMT), in which you, the protagonist (named Flynn by default) apply to become a samurai for the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, a kingdom in a medieval fantasy setting.

After becoming a samurai, you and your comrades start going through a dungeon fighting various “demons” based on different religions and mythologies. Eventually after reaching the bottom of the dungeon in a twist, it is revealed that that the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado is located over a dystopian version of Tokyo. Throughout the game you will encounter various characters from the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, as well as Tokyo, alongside a variety of demons and angels from various religions, who all try to influence you to their cause. As you continue to play through the game more and more questions regarding religion, social standing, and rights will arise, and as your comrades diverge from each other and pick opposing paths, you as the player are left to wander who to side with, or if to pick a different path from them all together. The moral ambiguity in the design of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s characters, divinities, and the in-game world not only create an interesting story, but also encourages the player to question conventional morality, and decide what they truly value most, thereby allowing for the game to become a platform for meaningful ethical reflection.

Depiction of Religion

Unlike traditional depiction of religion (especially prominent monotheistic religions) god is not portrayed as entirely good or the devil as completely evil. Rather god and various angels represent the forces of Law striving for order, and Lucifer and the various demons from a variety of mythologies represent the forces of Chaos striving for freedom.
This is represented in the structure and hierarchy of both sides. For example, for the forces of Law, god is always at the top, below him are the archangels, and below them are various other angels, and it would be considered blasphemous for anyone to even consider going for a higher position in this hierarchy. On the other hand, the structure of the forces of chaos lead by the Demon Lord Lucifer is more similar to a meritocracy taken to an extreme, where the strong will take all that they desire by force, and the weak have to obey those stronger than them. This divide does not end at the supernatural. For example, the kingdom of Mikado follows the caste system which is similar to the hierarchy of the forces Law, with the secular nobles at the top and the commoners at the bottom. Meanwhile the dystopian depiction of Tokyo is more similar to the anarchy represented by the forces of Chaos, where the strong and affluent take what they want by force, and the weak regardless of status or background have to struggle to survive. Even the visual design of the supernatural figures differs from tradition. For example, the 4 archangels look robotic, with unsettling anthropomorphic symbolism (Marcato & Schniz, 2023).

These visual contrasts bolster the notion to the player that neither side should be trusted by default, helping to reduce any potential bias the player may have had, and therefore allowing for meaningful introspection.

However, this type of depiction of religion may also comes with it’s own problems and controversies. This game includes mythological figures from a variety of sources including Abrahamic mythologies, Chinese Mythologies, Greco-Roman mythologies as well as many more. It also draws from historical figures, and modern fiction, and it also contains some originally designed demons. It could be argued that showing actively worshipped divinities from ‘world religions’(Hinduism, Christianity, Islam) alongside historical and folkloric deities (Greek, Egyptian, Mayan), as well as originally created demons may seem unsettling, disrespectful, and inconsiderate by some people. The same could be said regarding the art-style of each individual deity as well, since this game often takes some liberties in their art design. Although most aspects of each artwork are based on the actual mythology, the actual depiction of the deities may still come across as disrespectful to some worshippers of that religion (de Wildt & Aupers, 2020). I would argue that the design and variety of these supernatural beings helps to create a more interesting and varied gameplay, and they assist in creating a deeper and more complex narrative for this game.

Morally Ambiguous Choices and Dilemmas

Within Shin Megami Tensei IV you as the protagonist start as a commoner (referred to as “casualry” in game) who goes to the capital to apply to become a Samurai. You end up being one of the five people being accepted as a Samurai. Along side you there is Jonathan, a gentle noble (referred to as “Luxurors” in game) who seeks to unite all in service of Mikado regardless of caste; Walter, a brash commoner who becomes a Samurai in order to escape the life of a fisherman; Isabeau, a strong-willed noble, who lacks in conviction; and Navarre, an elitist noble who looks down on the commoners. As you go through the game there are many morally ambiguous dilemmas that you and your companions will have to deal with. There are too many for this paper too go in depth with them, but I will cover an example that seemed very interesting. In one example, you try to place yourself in the place of the king of a country who has invited people from all across the country to attend in a competition. However, one individual attending is much taller than the rest. You are then asked if you would exclude this individual from competing for the sake of fairness. Walter claims that the person’s height is out of his control and should not be excluded for it. However, Jonathan claims that it would be unfair for everyone else attending for there to be such a big height difference.

This alongside many other difficult ethical choices contribute to this game’s strong narrative. This game also makes use of a morality meter to help in deciding the ending that you will get. Morality meters are mechanics often used in games that are attempting to incorporate ethics into their gameplay. However, this mechanic has also been criticized for reducing morality to a binary of good and evil with no room for complexity. I would argue that the way Shin Megami Tensei IV implements this mechanic works around the criticism and helps to better immerse the player in the experience of the game. For example, as mentioned earlier, characters and deities are not represented as good vs evil, but rather as Law vs Chaos. The same applies for the decisions that you as the player make. Selecting choices that relate to order will push your morality meter towards the side of Law, and selecting choices that relate to freedom will push your morality meter towards the side of Chaos. It is also important to note that the morality meter in this game is not directly visible by the player, and therefore it cannot influence their choices (Formosa et al., 2021). The endings of the game themselves result in you as the protagonist siding with the forces of Law or Chaos. However, if the player manages to keep their morality meter in a very small threshold in the middle, they will unlock the neutral ending where you fight off both forces of Law and Chaos, but it is implied that era of neutrality will not last long and forces of Law and Chaos will descent upon humanity once again, Perhaps signifying that as long as humanity exist questions and debates regarding morality and ethics will continue to rise (Marcato & Schniz, 2023).

A Videogame as a Platform for Ethics

This section focuses on and questions whether a videogame is an appropriate platform for ethics. First thing to consider when looking at this topic is the effect of moral intuitions on moral decisions within the game. According to the Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars (MIME) “ exposure to media featuring content that exemplifies the upholding or violating of moral principles will increase the accessibility of related moral instincts (termed as moral intuitions) through both short-term and long-term processes” (Tamborini et al., 2016, p.566). Within the context of a videogame these moral intuitions may influence the players decision. For example, if the scenario involves the act of cheating, the fairness intuition in players may make them reluctant to commit the act even if it is strategically beneficial to do so. It is also shown in the research that strength of these intuition will vary within each person.

Meaning that while one player will avoid cheating at all costs, another player may be willing to occasionally cheat. “The MIME conceives moral intuitions as a dynamic construct, one which both constantly influences reactions to media and in turn is influenced by content” (Tamborini et al., 2016,p.568). This is something that is important for videogames more than any other media, since a videogames content is something you both observe and directly affect at the same time. The MIME also suggests that the intuitions are divided into two dimensions of accessibility, those being chronic and temporary. The chronic accessibility being the stable baseline level of accessibility that results from one’s culture and background. On the other hand for the temporary accessibility “the MIME reasons that even brief exposure to a fleeting exemplar highlighting a moral principle can temporarily increase the accessibility of a related intuition and in turn influence subsequent reactions to other exemplars highlighting the moral principles related to the same intuition”(Tamborini et al., 2016,p.568). This study proved that when playing a videogame the players are not completely detached from their moral intuitions, and they may make choices based on their chronic intuitions or their temporary intuitions, which are likely contextualized by in-game factors (Tamborini et al., 2016). Despite all this enacting ethics within a game is still considered to be difficult. Within many games the concept of the “magic circle” has been used to disassociate in-game actions from morality. However, it is important to remember that videogames can give players direct control over moral actions and choices, whereas in other media the audience can only view and judge actions that they have no control of. This means that videogames may be a very effective way to approach ethical topics. However, this makes it even more important to approach moral themes in videogames with sophistication rather than separating choices as “good” vs “evil” (Ryan et al., 2017). This alongside the MIME studies show that videogames can be one of the best medias for exploring moral themes, if the game is created with care and consideration. That helps to show the care that Shin Megami Tensei IV was designed with, that allows for it’s dilemmas to cause much ethical introspection in many players.

Conclusion

Shin Megami Tensei IV is an extraordinary videogame that goes beyond the boundaries of entertainment. It’s depiction of religion helps to remove any of the player’s pre-existing bias as they tackle ethical questions in the game. Those questions themselves influence much of the narrative, with the supporting character clashing their beliefs and ideologies with each other, the player will be left to consider who to support and who to oppose. Even the world of the game itself shows the contrast in morality, like order in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado being represented through the caste system, and the freedom in Tokyo being represented with anarchy. This all brings us to the question of whether a videogame is truly an appropriate platform for moral themes. Throughout various research including that of MIME it is shown that not only can videogames be an appropriate platform for ethics, but they can also be one of the best medias for exploring morality, as long as they are created with sophistication. Shin Megami Tensei IV shows that it does have that level of sophistication, and stands as an exemplar, demonstrating that video games have the power not only to entertain but also to stimulate ethical contemplation. Therefore, it can be said without a doubt that Shin Megami Tensei IV can be considered as a platform for meaningful ethical reflection.

References

Formosa, P., Ryan, M., Howarth, S., Messer, J., & McEwan, M. (2021). Morality meters and their impacts on moral choices in videogames: A qualitative study. Games and Culture, 17(1), 89–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211017040

Tamborini, R., Bowman, N. D., Prabhu, S., Hahn, L., Klebig, B., Grall, C., & Novotny, E. (2016). The effect of moral intuitions on decisions in video game play: The impact of chronic and temporary Intuition Accessibility. New Media & Society, 20(2), 564–580. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816664356

Ryan, M., Formosa, P., & Tulloch, R. (2017). Playing around with morality: Introducing the special issue on “Morality play.” Games and Culture, 14(4), 299–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412017738862

Marcato, L., & Schniz, F. (2023). At the Same Time … Both Truth and Fiction. In Fictional practices of spirituality I interactive media (pp. 356–362). essay, transcript Verlag.

de Wildt, L., & Aupers, S. D. (2020). Eclectic religion: The flattening of religious cultural heritage in Videogames. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 27(3), 312–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2020.1746920

Ishida, E. (n.d.). 4 archangels of Shin Megami Tensei IV. Archangels. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://www.spriters-resource.com/3ds/shinmegamitenseiiv/sheet/74389/.

Ishida, E. (2020). Shin Megami Tensei IV Key Art. Shin Megami Tensei IV Key Art (AI Enhanced). Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://www.deviantart.com/marblegallery7/art/Shin-Megami-Tensei-IV-Key-Art-AI-Enhanced-826111254.

Ishida, E. (2013). Shin Megami Tensei IV cover. Shin Megami Tensei IV Guide. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://www.ign.com/wikis/shin-megami-tensei-iv/Endings.

]]><![CDATA[All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)]]>Sat, 26 Nov 2022 21:08:11 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/all-quiet-on-the-western-front-2022

Empathy – we are all 1) advertising it, 2) striving for it, 3) acknowledge its importance in world of polarization. All quiet on the Western front is a book that I read in my teen years. It is written by Erich Maria Remarque, a writer that I admired. His book Three Comrades was a friend of mine in the cold winter evening hours for years. All Quiet on the Western front was published in 1928 and depicted the struggle of German soldiers during the First World War. Two years later the book was adapted to the big screen. The film was directed by Lewis Milestone and I saw it during my film school years. It was a good film and the Academy recognized it as such by giving it an Oscar for best picture and best director.

The atrocities of the Second World War erased all the empathy for the German soldier regardless of the time period. How could we empathize with mass killings? We can’t. Rightfully so. The question is are we ready? Are we ready to see the world of war from the enemies point of view? Are we ready to empathize with their struggles? Are we ready to empathize with their emotions and their desire to survive? Are we ready to empathize with the propaganda they have been fed to fight? Are we ready to see the similarities of their and our worlds?

The political aspect of the World Wars and it’s implications are not the topic that 1) I want to explore, nor 2) I’m in a position to do. This review will focus on the artistic aspect of the new adaptation of the above mentioned novel.
Directed by Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is a very well made film. The battle scenes are superbly staged and choreographed and show the absurdity of survival. The First World War called by many The Great War is a war of political ambitions. Political ambitions aiming to restore the greatness of a nation, political ambitions aiming to retain the motherland, political ambitions aiming to revitalize the young generation and their ambition to leave their mark. The political ambitions and their futile and ultimately deadly aspects are superbly depicted in the newest film adaptation.
The cinematography captures not only the moments of despair, but elongates them into eternity of duress. The long tracking shots (especially during attacks) combined with the atmospheric lighting and fog place the viewer in that environment. One can feel the cold and wet mud that becomes a solders paradise or last resting place. The cinematography is greatly enhanced by the believable special effects and realistic make-up. The special effects are not over the top and they are not incorporated to showcase the bravura of the next generation software. The make-up especially effective by depicting superbly the ultimate impotency of the grandiose invasion ideas. Those three cinematic elements are further emphasized by the dark low pitch monotonous music that captures the lives of quiet desperation in the face of untimely but omnipotent death. A music that I could still hear several hours after the film end credits. The directing juxtaposes those brutal scenes with quiet moments. Quiet moments that further comment on the difference between soldiers and generals. The scenes of the soldiers stealing poultry and cooking it is contrasted by the gluttony and shallowness of commanding officer who is unwilling to accept defeat. The pride of a general that is more important than the lives of thousands. The pride of politicians that begets destruction, the pride of diplomats that are impotent to prevent the worst before it happens.
The sound and the editing are intertwined into a cohesive narrative that make All Quiet on the Western Front to be arguably one of the best film of 2022. The film is not made for the faint of heart, but it should be seen by all (politicians, military and diplomats included) because it oozes out the farcical aspect of honor. As the artist says – wars should be fought by politician themselves hitting each other with socks filled with manure.
4 / 5
Directed by Edward Berger
Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer.

]]><![CDATA[Triangle of Sadness]]>Mon, 10 Oct 2022 21:11:44 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/october-10th-2022

Ruben Ostlund continues his exploration of weird and uncomfortable situations in the upper classes of society in this well crafted film. It's entertaining to see the reversal of the roles people assume when a situation changes, but Triangle of Sadness is not about that alone. Don't misunderstand me, of course that is part of the plot, but I believe that message is entirely different.

The film start with entertaining scene that exposes the shallow world of male modeling. Here we are presented with the observation that if the fashion brand name is more expensive then the strategy of the brand is looking down on its customers. If the brand is meant to be purchased by the middle/low classes then the advertisement is more friendly. Obviously that statement applies to the whole of society not just to the fashion industry.

During the second segment of the film this idea of separation between lower and higher is taken further by the Captain of the boat and the Russian millionaire. In an interesting exchange of quotes by famous people both of them state what the film is about - the entrapment of the individual in the dysfunctional political systems. Both of the characters expose the shortcomings of the dominating societal systems underlining the conundrum of the contemporary individual in general. In particular, contemporary societies are facilitating between communist or capitalist systems but both of. them are not perfect. One of them us utopia of choices, the other one is dystopia of limitations.

The third part of the film takes place on an island. Here the sterileness of the communist ideology is unraveled. Communism is not possible as an alternative to the human condition because it's not practical. The reason being: human nature. Individuals want to be recognized for their abilities and the qualities and knowledge they have compared to their peers. This drive eventually leads to desire for power and/or greed.

Therefore, the first segment of the film depicting the fashion world exposes the teeth of capitalism. The last segment of the film depicting the island survival exposes the root canal of communism (to stay with the dental analogy). The first sequence shows that capitalism has a tunnel vision focusing on dollar/euro sign. The last sequence shows that communism has a tunnel vision enhanced by the complete misunderstanding of human nature.

As such, these are the two parts of the triangle of sadness leaving the individual to be the third angle. The middle/yacht segment of the film shows humans trapped in between two entities. Trapped in between both political systems, tapped in their societal roles, and most importantly trapped in unhappiness not knowing how to escape it.

Now the downside. Regardless of the profound message the film felt episodic. The presence of the two main actors in all three parts did not feel sufficient enough to form a cohesive whole of connected sequences. The breaking down of the film into parts enhanced that feeling.

Another area that the film could have done better in is cinematography. Digital cinematography can feel cartoonist, which Triangle of Sadness escaped for most of the time. However, the film felt stale. One can argue that this is intentional and represents the staleness of the above discussed political situations. I don't think is that easy. I saw only one moving shot - Paula walking in the yacht hallway towards the captain's cabin. This shot felt so alive compare to the rest of the film that it stood out right away and engage me in participation. I wished that contemporary filmmakers with designated budget utilize the technologies available to them and don't take the easy way out. The presence of moving camera will enhance audience engagement and please film buffs.

Regardless of these two points the film is worth seeing.

3.5/5
Director: Ruben Ostlund
Starring: Charlbi Dean, Harris Dickinson, Dolly De Leon, Vicki Berlin

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "The Salta Trilogy: The Civilised Barbarism in Lucrecia Martel’s Films" by Pedro Lange-Churion]]>Sat, 15 Jan 2022 16:17:05 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-the-salta-trilogy-the-civilised-barbarism-in-lucrecia-martels-films-by-pedro-lange-churion

Based on Domingo Faustino Sarmiento’s text Facundo: Civilisation and Barbarism, the urban environment is considered civilized and in opposition the rural is associated with the native and barbaric (467). This way of perception defines “the others” and enhances the asymmetrical power paradigm (467). To Lange-Churion, the center stage in Martel’s movies are taken by white female characters. They belong the upper classes, but are located in provinces. Thus the marginalized natives are pushed to the background (468). Another characteristic of Martel’s films is that they do not succumb to the Hollywood recipe of storytelling, but rather rely on “gestures, moods, repeated motifs, incomplete and almost spasmodic dialogues, parallel framing” (469). This approach to filmmaking is intentional by Martel, who dislikes the viewer to be complete immersed in the viewing (470). To her this prevents the viewer from critically examination of her films (470).

Lange-Churion examines the civilization/barbarism in Martel’s film through Foucault’s concept of heterotopia or the abnormal space. He focuses on three of Martel’s films – The Swamp, The Holy Girl and The Headless Woman. In The Swamp the swimming pool is the symbol for the decadence and the recession of the provincial bourgeois family (472). Further, Martel avoids tracking shots to show the enclosed environment the characters are moving through, an idea enhanced by her intentional use of close-ups (472,473). To Lange-Churion, this is especially evident in the first two films from the trilogy, where the spaces become gothic (473). In The Headless Woman, the enclosed spaces are scattered, but they are connected by another enclosure, the car (473). These enclosed spaces are providing the necessary boundary between the upper classes and the barbaric outside environment (474). Moreover, this notion is enhanced by the characters themselves, evident in their superior behavior (474). However, the leading characters actions are getting them into troubles and thus disrupting their bourgeois balance and rendering them the barbaric ones (476). These are the spaces that show the hidden discrimination between the classes. Discrimination is the underlaying current, because if it is exposed then can be confronted and opposed (477). The heterotopic concept is functioning on two levels. First, the people from the civilized caste are spatially separated from the natives or the barbarians. On the other hand though, the civilized rely on the barbaric for their survival and functioning (479). The barbaric/native being the supporting members of the cast are not specifically seen and the cinematic attention is not drawn to them. However, the barbaric/native servants can be heard through their actions – cleaning, cooking, serving, gardening ext. (479,480).

I can argue that this observation is based on other bourgeois perception – elegance demands quietness. The louder people are the less sophisticated they seem. The Swamp, successfully reverse the male/female roles by portraying the female characters as the driving force and the male characters as passive participants.

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "Film as research / Research as film" by Trevor Hearing and Kip Jones]]>Thu, 13 Jan 2022 16:20:51 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-film-as-research-research-as-film-by-trevor-hearing-and-kip-jonesIn this chapter of the book Hearing and Jones are exploring film as a base for research and research as a base for making a film (426). Hearing is interested in incorporating documentary filmmaking as a valid process of collecting data that can be used in academic research (425,426). Reversely, Jones uses different types of academic research as a base to make a fictional films (426). Hearing also uses film with slow edited images as a method to encourage audience meditation (429). He considers this approach as equivalent to a researcher framing the research question, except that he is doing it with the audience (430).

He further elaborates that the filmmaker directs viewer’s attention through the filmmaking process the same way a researcher is directing the readers attention (430). He regard documentary filmmaking as medium which offers ways to know and understand the world in a different but equally valid way as academic research (435).

For Jones, the message that the research produces has to be attainable to people (431). Research papers might reach people on the intellectual level. If the researcher wants their audience to have an emotional experience, film has the capability of doing just that (431). So Jones, regards creativity as an aspect of academic research (431). For Jones, there is no separation between film for research and research for film (435). They are more like both sides of the same coin. Its possible to incorporate both practices or work just with one of them (435).

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "Blood Assemblages" by Kjetil Rodje]]>Thu, 13 Jan 2022 03:12:03 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-blood-assemblages-by-kjetil-rodjeFilmmakers use red liquid to convince audiences that is a real representation of blood. The perception of this red liquid as blood depends on it’s relation to other elements in the story, because not everything that is a red liquid is perceived as blood (85). Rodje explains how the color of real blood varies depending on oxidation, thus people references to the realistic representation of blood is different (85,86). Obviously filmmakers can not cover all the variations of expectations of audience members, but to make the liquid convincing they focus on color and texture in relation to film stock (87).

To Sofer, props, such as blood, are active elements that interact with ether actors and the audience (89). There are several reasons why the sight of blood, or a red liquid that resembles blood, affects humans. There are evolutionary reasons for perceiving blood as dangerous, because when is flowing outside of the body then is out of it’s place (90). And there are social reasons associating blood with rituals (pagan or religious) or menstruation (90). According to Julia Kristeva, the site of menstruation blood, threatens the social male order, because is associated with the female body (92). However, Rodje does not see these explanation fully explaining the cinematic image, because film allows the same image to have different interpretations by various audience members or why different images have different effects on the viewer (93,94). The author, views Melissa Meyer’s views of blood having relational meaning connected with symbols and rituals more plausible (94). However, Rodje does not find Meyer’s view relatable to cinema studies (95). The meaning of images changes with their juxtaposition with other images and as such blood should be examine in it’s relation to what it does (96). Rodje lists several factors that are required of the red liquid to be perceived as blood by the audience – color, texture, relation to the story (96,97). Therefore, the mise-en-scene (sound, special effects, make-up, actors) and the time matters (97). So, blood in cinema is “relational construct” (97) because it perception depends on four factors – 1) the blood itself, 2) mise-en-scene, 3) juxtaposition and 4) biological and social perception of the audience (97). According to Rodje, in order for the red liquid to be perceived as blood, the liquid enters into a “blood assemblage” (97). The blood assemblage is material, because is created new for every single film or situations in the same film (97). Therefore, the blood assemblage is expressive for each instance (97). Further, the blood assemblage depends on the production – if the production schedule runs on time or if the production budget permits (98). Thus, the blood assemblages can not be fully controlled by the filmmakers, which makes them active (99). Further, the success of the blood assemblage is judged by it’s real life counterpart (100). This observation allows Rodje to view the blood assemblages as actors that perform (101) and as such to displace the human actors as main performers in blood scenes (102).

]]><![CDATA[Summary "Privacy, Visibility, Transparency, and Exposure" by Julie E. Cohen]]>Tue, 11 Jan 2022 19:50:11 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-privacy-visibility-transparency-and-exposure-by-julie-e-cohenIn this article Julie Cohen draws the connection between the constant surveillance, enabled by digital cameras in public spaces, and the active accumulation of data, available to different organizations. This accumulation of data stored in multitude of databases paints a digital picture of people more revealing than the separate and random surveillance in public spaces. This integration of data in databases pose a privacy threat much more dangerous than Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon and Foucault’s interpretation of it. Cohen draws the connection between observation, surveillance, watching and power. Surveillance not only gathers information about human behavior, but when this information is stored in database then becomes a concrete fact about the past of people.

These databases in combination of different and various types of data is the real threat to privacy. She deduces that physical and online space are one and the same in terms of that they both can generate data and thus is more accurate to think of them as a “networked space” (p.195). Further she examines privacy and surveillance. Cohen distinguishes between spacial and information dimension of privacy. And she examines that surveillance changes the space over which is exerted in two ways. First the idea of power over people, but at the same time offers a sense of security. The conclusion is that surveillance in public spaces produces the same results and effects as online surveillance.

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "Totalitarian Paranoia in the Post-Orwellian Surveillance State" by Henry A. Giroux]]>Tue, 11 Jan 2022 04:25:47 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-totalitarian-paranoia-in-the-post-orwellian-surveillance-state-by-henry-a-girouxHenry Giroux examines the surveillance practices widely used in contemporary society through the lens of George Orwell’s book “1984.” To the author the current data gathering mentality and environment created by private corporations and the government in USA surpasses the dystopian society created by Orwell. The author sees neoliberal politics from the last couple decades of the previous century as a main reason for creating the unequal power balance between the citizens of USA and the “corporate-state apparatus” (p.128).

He links surveillance societies with the absence of democratic practices, intentional targeting of political descendants, and governmental tendencies of passing laws and regulations which harm “principles of liberty and freedom” (p.127). To the author, surveillance not only diminishes and eliminates privacy, but is inherently connected with accumulation of power by various governmental agencies that leads to increased control over its citizens and to totalitarian regimes.

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "Anatomy of an AI System" by Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler]]>Wed, 05 Jan 2022 18:17:22 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-anatomy-of-an-ai-system-by-kate-crawford-and-vladan-jolerIn the article Anatomy of AI System the authors, Kate Crawford and Vladan Joier, are tracing the processes involved in the creation of digital devices. The authors are addressing the birth, life and death of those devices connected with the natural and human resources needed and involved in the process. The authors illustrate these processes by giving detail account of inner workings of the Amazon Echo and its artificial agent Alexa.

The three requirements needed to operate and AI – “material resources, human labor and data“(part 4) are connected with the lifespan (birth, life and death) of those devices. All digital devices require chemicals and materials which are produced in the natural environment in the spam of billions of years. Yet the lifespan of digital devices is less than a decade. In the process of obtaining those chemicals and materials another processes are employed – human exploitation, intimidation, child labor. Further, Amazon has not been transparent regarding several elements connected with the Echo. They are not disclosing how the Echo works, what larger clout system is connected to, and what information does it collect. This is very important omission, because the Echo is designed to analyze, learn and improve its AI algorithm based on the user's knowledge and interactions with the device. This makes the Echo “a consumer, a resource, a worker, and a product” (part 6). Amazon is also not disclosing the environment footprint their servers have on ecology. These AI system's connected with multinational corporations are known to have huge demand for energy and impact on the environment. The example Crawford and Joier give to illustrate this point is with the demand for latex produced by palaquium gutta tree trunks in the late 19th century. This demand for latex, which was used for electrical insulator, lead to the complete exhaustion of to the eventual extinction of the palaquium gutta tree.

]]><![CDATA[Summary of '“I’ve got Nothing to Hide” and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy" by Daniel J. Solove]]>Tue, 04 Jan 2022 05:58:05 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-ive-got-nothing-to-hide-and-other-misunderstandings-of-privacy-by-daniel-j-soloveIn this article Daniel Solove examines the privacy argument of if people have nothing to hide then they should not be against government surveillance. The author looks at the above stated argument from several different angles. To address the problem in its entirety, Solove examines the definition of the term privacy and what it encapsulates. This background work helps to address the strongest argument related with “nothing to hide”(p.2) statement, which is the correlation between security and privacy. His conclusion is that the privacy concern related with “nothing to hide” (p. 3) argument are broader and encompasses more than individual rights and preferences. This is a problem that has social implications and its minimization could be dire for democratic principals and government oversight.
]]><![CDATA[Summary of "Postscript on the Societies of Control" by Gilles Deleuze]]>Mon, 03 Jan 2022 02:12:36 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-postscript-on-the-societies-of-control-by-gilles-deleuzeGilles Deleuze talks about how societies have been controlled in the past, the characteristics of the modes of control and the transformation of that control. He incorporates the teachings of Foucault and his insight that control in societies is transitory. The society of sovereignty is the first one analyzed with its characteristics of taxing the subjects, absence of democracy and lack of modes of production.

Following the society of sovereignty are the disciplinary societies in the 18th and the 19th centuries. Those societies are characterized with controlling “vast spaces of enclosure” (p.3), concentrated modes of mass production and concentration of property. This mode of mass production, which is concerned with increasing profits, invests in technologies that can replace the workers. This technology development leads to a different form of capitalism, or the society of control. The societies of control are using smaller machines, computers, the individual is identified by their password, and the control is exercised by curbing access to information. The society of control is not concerned with manufacturing and production, because it purchases ready products and sells services.

It seems there is a double standard. We are encouraged and sometimes forces to share more and more data though different tracking mechanisms – computers, cell phones, digital watches or health monitors. On the other side we have no idea how our data is managed and distributed. These modern technologies are the “electronic collars” (p.7) of today, which have the same function as the leg bracelets worn by people under house arrest.

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshana Zuboff]]>Sat, 01 Jan 2022 22:19:53 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-the-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-by-shoshana-zuboffShoshana Zuboff explores the power structure in the digital contemporary society and what big data creates and enables companies to do. This continuous and linear collection of data that prays on our input, behavior and knowledge are the base for the algorithm that is trying to predict our future actions. Zuboff coins the term surveillance capitalism that describes the market in which big data is traded, our past and present movement and behavior recorded, and our future actions predicted.

However, surveillance capitalism has gone even a step further. The vast amount of data collected and the knowledge that comes with it allows the big tech companies not only to predict our actions, but also to direct them. This gives a new dimension to the machine learning arena, because it tips the scales of power in a dangerous way, away from democracy and equality. Zuboff calls this an “instrumentarian power” (p.8) because humans can be manipulated to alternative goals. This process, labels the companies and the organizations that purchase our big data the real customers to the tech giants. Thus, she argues that people are not the product being sold, but rather the “raw material” (p.10) needed for the transaction. The product of surveillance capitalism is taking our experiences and selling the knowledge accumulated based on that data for nefarious purposes. There is another characteristic of the surveillance capitalism and that is the flow of knowledge transmitting in one direction only. The giant tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple) know all about us where at the same time their processes, actions and business dealings are kept in extreme secrecy. This business structure sways the benefits away from the consumers. She calls it “faustian” (p.11), because we are feeding the system that has the potential and the power to destroy us, and at the same time we can’t step off the mouse wheel.

]]><![CDATA[Terms and Conditions may Apply]]>Mon, 27 Dec 2021 02:30:33 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/terms-and-conditions-may-apply

The documentary explores the evolution of the terms and conditions policies of Google and Facebook and its privacy implications. Through many interviews from different privacy professionals, governmental employees, legal professionals, authors and journalists the filmmaker makes a compelling case regarding the disappearance of privacy in the digital society. The film reveals the many different types of information that companies gather about us.

4 / 5
Director: Cullen Hoback
Starring: Max Schrems, Zeynep Tufekci, Eric Schmidt, Danah Boyd

]]><![CDATA[THE DIGITAL PARADOX]]>Fri, 24 Dec 2021 19:50:23 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/the-digital-paradox11.1 – Both Sides of the Same Coin
The beginning of the 21st century presents us with a paradox. On the one hand, we are free to roam online, read various interpretations on any subject, express our opinions and exchange ideas liberally with anyone we choose. On the other side, our actions are surveilled, our data is aggregated and we are subject to behavior manipulation. Many of the privacy and surveillance challenges faced today did not occur as a result of coercion, but in the course of voluntary activities that are carelessly enjoyed as entertainment. Contemporary digital society incorporates mass surveillance and new forms of entertainment intertwined in a paradoxical relationship. Huxley’s Brave New World does not address mass surveillance and conversely, Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four omits entertainment. Given these blind spots in these two projected futures, I suggest that the contemporary social order is best analyzed and reflected upon using a combination of Orwell’s and Huxley’s visions.

Regarding both visions of authoritarian regimes as complimentary is not a new one. According to Henry Giroux, both books work together to examine current authoritarian tendencies in the USA (“Orwell, Huxley”). He addresses unwarranted governmental surveillance in the USA, militarization of police, dispersement of peaceful protests, racial profiling and suppression of dissent, labeling it terrorism (Giroux, “Orwell, Huxley”).

In the context of this research on audio beacons, a significant similarity between Huxley’s and Orwell’s worlds is that microphones play a significant role within the surveillance apparatus of the state. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, they are used to capture the inner feelings of Winston and Julia. In Brave New World, microphones are used to spy on John (the Savage) and to capture his internal state. This leads to elimination of his privacy and ultimately to his death (Huxley 260).

The books overlap in their connection to the act of reading. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston is tasked with rewriting the content of written media. Books are rewritten and altered to match current Party doctrine and those that remain original are banned or destroyed, as it was with Emmanuel Goldstein (Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four 39,40). A similar situation exists in Huxley’s Brave New World, where books are banned (51) because they will obstruct the conformity of the populace (226) and individuals are conditioned to hate books altogether (21).

Another connection between the books is the use of slogans. Orwell uses several slogans for propaganda purposes – “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” (Nineteen Eighty-Four 4). Brave New World uses slogans to condition the populace – “Ending is better than mending” (Huxley 49), “Gramme is better than damn” (Huxley 54), “When the individual feels, the community reels” (Huxley 94). The most popular contemporary slogan respective to privacy is “If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear” (Solove 2,3). Also called the “nothing to hide” argument, this slogan is a continuation of the privacy-security dichotomy (Solove 7) explored in Chapter 9. According to Solove, the slogan undermines the value of privacy by positing it as a question that affects isolated individuals (23). This eliminates the social impact of mass surveillance (Solove 23) and shifts the power balance toward institutions and governments (Solove 10).
Eradicating history is another practice that is promoted by the totalitarian leaders of Oceania and London. In Orwell’s world, historical facts are constantly updated to match the present. In Huxley’s world, the Controller proclaims “History is bunk” (34). In both societies, altering historical documents has an anti-democratic effect. The contemporary counterpart of these practices was observed in Chapter 9 with Google's changing of their original privacy policy. The initial privacy policy was written with consideration for user privacy, which is in direct opposition to Google’s current mass surveillance business program (Hoback 00:12:00-00:13:00).

11.2 – Epilogue: The Digital Paradox Society
The fictional worlds of Orwell and Huxley present opposite environments, but are equally concerned with power. Both societies are completely dominated by the ruling party, but their execution takes different routes. If we marry these two visions of totalitarian society, we recognize the two faces of contemporary society. On one side, we have a power imbalance enhanced by digital algorithms which is reminiscent of Orwell’s vision. On the other side, we have entertainment surveillance, reminiscent of Huxley’s vision. Entertainment offers distraction for individuals and shifts the point-of-view away from surveillance practices. Entertainment surveillance nourishes a state where an “army of managers control[s] a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude” (Huxley XV). Without entertainment surveillance, the system will collapse and it will resemble Orwell’s world with its gaudy display of power.
In the digital paradox today two types of protections, constitutional law and regulatory law, have “learned how to use the other’s laws to bypass their own restrictions” (Schneier). The result is the denial of privacy protection through a hidden process which masks personal harm. Citizens can be covertly penalized within an imposed social order of totalitarian measures.
Contemporary society has its roots in the previous discipline society as seen from Foucault’s description of the utopian legal penalty system – “deprive the prisoner of all rights, but do not inflict pain; impose penalties free of all pain” (Discipline 11). The system focuses on gathering information not about the past, but rather on current activities that provide additional insights revealing their potential of committing future crimes (Foucault, Discipline 126). In this penal system, punishment is carried out to transform the criminal (Foucault, Discipline 127), while in the digital paradox, behavior modification is targeted towards mercantile goals. As examined in prior sections, audio beacon technologies are linking multiple devices, making it possible to de-anonymize an individual. This action imposes geographic constraints on the individual due to accurately located data within a confined space. Moreover, people are unaware of the continuous data capture and cross-device identification.
For Foucault, an integral part of the process emerges from meticulous records of individuals’ habits (Discipline 129). The emergence of fusion centers, where different types of data are linked to reveal the full digital identity of a person, takes this idea one step further. According to Foucault, this process obscures its own manifestation prohibiting the individual’s involvement (Discipline 129). In the digital paradox society, this is ensured by the proprietary nature of data and the absence of disclosure of how algorithms work, what information they gather and how this information is used. The elimination of interference from outside forces succeeds by the scarcity of government legislation.
To ensure the order’s disciplinary power over the individual, Foucault observes that the visibility of the populace is paramount – “their visibility assures the hold of the power that is exercised over them” (Discipline 187). However, in the digital paradox society, the presence of power does not need to be overtly demonstrated. The exercise of power is masked by on-demand entertainment, games and instant gratification commercialism. In this way, I argue that today’s society is a combination of both dystopian and utopian tendencies mixed in a digital paradox. On one hand, we are subjected to penetrating tracking practices that make Orwell’s vision of surveillance in Oceania seem infantile (Haggerty and Ericson 612). On the other hand, we are inundated by technologies that make our lives convenient and allay boredom. Digital technologies allow us to travel virtually to any part of the globe, connect with loved ones instantly, discover long lost family members, and even locate organ donors. This thesis began with a quote from Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four - “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever” (267). For Orwell, the “boot stamping on a human face” (Nineteen Eighty-Four 267) is a symbol for the completely surveilled and oppressed society. In the digital paradox society, with its entertainment surveillance, Huxley's soma has become Orwell's boot.

In fact, the discernible aspects of the contemporary digital environment astonishes us with its variety, usability and lightheartedness. Reminiscent of characters in Huxley’s Brave New World, we need our daily ration of the custom-designed advertisement popping up at the right moment to fill the gap between loneliness and desire. This accords with Foucault's idea of how discipline over the body can function – it increases utility and concurrently decreases political disobedience (Discipline 138). In the digital paradox societies such as ours, extraordinary measures to protect individual privacy are not only desirable, they are imperative.

]]><![CDATA[Summary of "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century" by Donna Haraway]]>Fri, 24 Dec 2021 03:03:12 GMThttps://www.ilianfilm.com/film-blog/summary-of-a-cyborg-manifesto-science-technology-and-socialist-feminism-in-the-late-twentieth-century-by-donna-harawayIn her article Donna Haraway (1991) defines cyborg, as not only a hybrid between machine and a living organism, but also a creature of social reality and function. Thus from the late 20th century we have been creating cyborgs and many of us are cyborgs, regardless if we recognize it or not. She breaks down and dissipates the distinction between human and animal: between human and machine; and between physical and non-physical.

The author explores and criticizes the western social system in which we live in and she concludes that the future belongs to creatures that don't have gender, or race, or religion. The origins of the cyborg, however, are connected to the military and to patriarchal society. To Haraway this is not necessary a bad thing, because it opens doors to feminism. The whole middle section of the article is a commentary and critique on feminism and politics. To her the African- American women have cyborg's characteristics and they are the ones that understand and can lead “affinity” politics, instead of “identity” politics. Donna Haraway sees cyborgs as the creature of the future, not only in its hybrid nature between human and machine, but also as a creation that is free from religion, or gender, or race.

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