Producer Glen Mazzara Explains

Why ‘The Walking Dead’ Has

Spawned So Many Video Games

(Q&A)

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-­glen-­mazzara-­explains-­walking-­dead-­video-­games-­397102)

Music Careers in 2012: Video Game

Audio, Scoring, Conducting Pays;;

Teaching? Not So Much (Study)

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berkelee-­study-­music-­industry-­careers-­394607)

Directors Albert Hughes, Roger

Donaldson and Joel Schumacher

Amongst Jurors for Plus

OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS

SHARE (/pri

nt/3

9810

1)

Comments (#comments)

When "Motor City" stalled, the director turned to Electronic Arts and game developer Crytek tohelm an original web series.Albert Hughes was all set to film his dream movie, Motor City, when the plug was pulled. So the

director decided to explore the video game world for the first time. Hughes has been working with

Electronic Arts and developer Crytek, helming a new short video series, The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3.

The director has utilized CryEngine 3 technology to essentially

create seven cinematic shorts that explore the upcoming shooter’s

seven interactive worlds. The February 2013 release for PC, Xbox

360 and PlayStation 3 is set in a future New York City, which has a

giant nanodome covering it. Gone are the streets of Gotham and in

its place is a veritable urban rain forest complete with swamps,

fields and canyons. Hughes talks about how he approached this

project and offers his thoughts on how far gaming technology has

come in this exclusive interview.

PHOTOS: Fall Movie Preview 2012

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/fall-­movie-­preview-­master-­hobbit-­

skyfall-­366890)

The Hollywood Reporter: Can you talk about The 7

Wonders of Crysis 3 and what gamers will be

experiencing with this web series?

Albert Hughes: I hate to use this analogy, but it’s like when you

see good 3D. When it’s really done well, you’re immersed in the

world. That’s what I took from Crysis 3 when I saw what they were

doing over there. You just feel like you’re in there and it’s a real

world and you’ll able to move everywhere. There are no

limitations to your point-­of-­view, and that’s mostly what amazed

me because I’ve seen first-­person shooter games all my life, just

like everybody else. I’ve seen amazing graphics from the past, but

nothing on this level. Also, these environments are so rich and lush

with this overgrown rain forest inside of a future New York. The

Filmmaker Albert Hughes Reveals Why He'sExploring the Video Game World of 'Crysis 3' (Q&A)11:00 AM PST 12/5/2012 by John Gaudiosi

Subscribe Newsletters Daily PDF Register Log inIndustry ToolsFollowFollow Like 134k

GLOBES COMPLETE COVERAGE CES 2013 PALM SPRINGS FEST TCA WINTER PRESS TOUR 2013

Like 28

0

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-­

glen-­mazzara-­explains-­walking-­dead-­video-­games-­

397102)

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berkelee-­

study-­music-­industry-­careers-­394607)

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/directors-­

albert-­hughes-­roger-­donaldson-­260145)

18

Amongst Jurors for PlusCamerimage Festival(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/directors-­albert-­hughes-­roger-­donaldson-­260145)

Analysts Predict Reversal of U.S.Video Games Sales Slump(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/analysts-­predict-­reversal-­us-­video-­393732)

challenge was to do this series of shorts and let the audience know

what the first-­person view looks like in reality. We’re not

doctoring anything up. It’s like what you see in the first-­person can

actually happen in the game. The third-­person is more cinematic,

so that was the real challenge of melding those two styles together.

But when I saw the world, I realized there was an abundance of

riches here to use.

THR: What are your thoughts as a filmmaker on the

potential for a Crysis Hollywood movie?

Hughes: It’s like any kind of translation -­-­ sometimes the movie

inspires a video game and most likely it’s vice versa. To me, it

doesn’t matter what the source is as long as the scripts are good and it’s a great story, it’s going to work.

If it’s not handled well, whether it’s Super Mario Bros. or Crysis 3, it’s not going to work well. They have

a very complex storyline in this game. The script was the first thing they sent me. I had to read it three or

four times, and some of this I didn’t pick up on because you have to know the jargon of the game and the

world. The developers are so close to the game that they know it inside and out. I think even fans, when

they come into it, there’s a learning curve that takes place. It takes a while to get what’s going on with

technology and the terminology and things like that because it’s so dense. In the end if I were to make a

Crysis 3 movie, I think it’s great material to start from. Basically, it’s all about the writer, but that’s the

next page.

Q&A: Producer Glen Mazzara Explains Why ‘The Walking Dead’ Has Spawned So Many

Video Games (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-­glen-­mazzara-­explains-­walking-­dead-­video-­games-­

397102)

THR: Electronic Arts has been busy with video game movies like Need for Speed and

Dead Space. Why do you think so many past video game movies haven’t translated well?

Hughes: You’ve also seen comic book movies not translate well, like Green Lantern. And you’ve seen

Battleship, which was a board game, not translate so well. If it’s done really well, it doesn’t matter the

source. Of course, Hollywood is going to clamor to the video games because games now are grossing

more than movies. They think, "Hey, we have a built-­in audience here, and everybody already knows the

title. It’s a brand, let’s exploit it." There’s nothing wrong with that. What gets to be wrong with it is that

they rush it, thinking that if they spend $150 or $200 million on something, they’re going to make $500

million or a billion back worldwide. And that’s not really the way to go. I don’t know how I feel about it

because everything is changing so much in Hollywood. It’s like everything is a tentpole, so it’s a very

weird time right now, and they’re clamoring for anything familiar. They’re not about what they used to

be about, which was trying to get original material. That bodes well for the people out there that do

want to make movies out of video games.

THR: We’re starting to see more video game web series, with Mortal Kombat and Halo

4: Forward Unto Dawn. What are your thoughts about web series as a new form of

creative entertainment?

Hughes: Any kind of entertainment is a good thing, if it’s done well. It doesn’t matter the medium to

me. I’m at a film festival right now, and this woman was having this big debate with me about kids

watching movies on iPhones and iPads instead of in a theater. I said, "We have no control over that.

That’s that generation." It’s just like the generation that’s watching web episodes on the computers. You

have to now design for the audience. If it’s a good story, it’s always going to show through. I’m at a

cinematography festival, and cinematographers don’t want to hear that. I’m sure that the people who do

all the great work over at Crytek that put all that effort into the detail of a game like Crysis 3 want it seen

in a proper format on a big HD screen at home. These web series are great, and these computers are

amazing nowadays. You can get HD quality on your computer screen, but it’s not like a full-­blown

cinema screen. In the end it doesn’t matter the format, whether it’s short-­form or long-­form or web-­

based or iPhone or iPad. If it’s a good story, that’s all that matters.

(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/analysts-­predict-­reversal-­us-­video-­393732)