Usedcarsalesman had a rough concept of the logistical difficulties involved in making a major motion picture before for moved out to Los Angeles. But his understanding of the challenges involved was refined once he was able to work on a few L.A. movie sets and gain some first-hand experience.
Working as a Union Extra, Usedcarsalesman was astounded when he witnessed the production efforts needed to organize actors, crew, supplies, locations, equipment; and he was looking at just a scene shot locally in LA. When he later stopped to consider the films and TV shows with scenes that needed to be shot in remote locations (Hollywood currently, for example, has about 4 films that are being shot in Antarctica, of all places), he then recognized that productions coul become staggeringly complicated and expensive for a variety of different reasons.
Versus film and TV production, Video game production is -- logistically -- a likely a more pleasant story. Yes, it is true game designers do venture out of their "campuses" to find visual and audio influences for their projects. But when push comes to shove, imagery in a video game is not shot by crews operating film cameras and directing actors in some exotic locale, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (where you may need satellite telephones and refrigerated-food flown in from Europe). Rather, the imagery in a video games -- whether Madden 2005 or Half Life -- is generated on PCs, usually located in an office complex somewhere in California. Sure game designers may spend a lot of nights coding, but it is done in a controlled environment.
Versus film and TV production, Video game production is -- logistically -- a likely a more pleasant story. Yes, it is true game designers do venture out of their "campuses" to find visual and audio influences for their projects. But when push comes to shove, imagery in a video game is not shot by crews operating film cameras and directing actors in some exotic locale, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (where you may need satellite telephones and refrigerated-food flown in from Europe). Rather, the imagery in a video games -- whether Madden 2005 or Half Life -- is generated on PCs, usually located in an office complex somewhere in California. Sure game designers may spend a lot of nights coding, but it is done in a controlled environment.
To some extent, Usedcarsalesman would imagine making a highly profitable animated films, such as Finding Nemo or The Lion King, involves the same office-park logistics as making a video game (Edit July, 2007: lately, successful films like Sin City and 300 with seemingly exotic locations have also largely been made in more logistically manageable environments like studio lots and office-parks; this could be a rising trend).
With all of the aforementioned in mind, Usedcarsalesman asks you this: If you were a business person looking at making a live-action film needing a variety of locations vs. making video games in an office-park and you were guaranteed to gross the same for either, which would you choose to produce? The expensive, complicated, spread-all-over-the-place live action films or the tightly controlled, locally-designed video games? Usedcarsalesman would probably go with the video games, himself.
With all of the aforementioned in mind, Usedcarsalesman asks you this: If you were a business person looking at making a live-action film needing a variety of locations vs. making video games in an office-park and you were guaranteed to gross the same for either, which would you choose to produce? The expensive, complicated, spread-all-over-the-place live action films or the tightly controlled, locally-designed video games? Usedcarsalesman would probably go with the video games, himself.
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