Master Cinematography playing Video Games: Metal Gear Solid
Archetypes, War Prophecies and Conflict.
Different than my latest post about Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid brings a much different approach to storytelling. Seriously standing out with awesome characters, plot and pace. Here are the top 6 principles that I learned from this gem that helped me improve my cinematography and scripting.
1. Build Amazing Characters over Archetypes
Someone could think this will bring a predictable story, but we as humans need coherence to connect to a storyline. The fury of a revolver gunman, the computer nerdy friend that helps you save the day, your old man commander, a complex deadly sexy female sniper, the empathy for the girl next-door/cell with daddy issues that you have to rescue at some point, the every kid loved ninja cyborg, the harmfulness of cigarettes, the revanche between brothers, and the list goes on.
Metal Gear’s plot it’s all about archetypes, and at this point it doesn’t matter if some facts are not physically possible, you have enough familiar roles that you could follow other details without loosing connection.
Building over archetypes doesn’t limit yourself to stereotypes, even a mid age misogynist lone wolf smoker could become a charming icon, it just has to feel real.
2. The Importance of a Conflict Pace.
Conflict and tension are the sauce of the game, just as life, some bad decisions could bring the spice to the day and as humans we tend to still choose bad on purpose. We love emotional rollercoasters and that’s why MGS got a great emotional rhythm, because it let you choose the pace.
If you wanted, you could go stealth not dropping any un-silenced shots, mastering the art of CQC, there’s a path, or if you want raw action, jumping the cutscenes, not answering the calls and shooting every sleepy genome soldier. It’s close to video cutting and editing, you can define the pace of the story, and usually at the cutting room is where the magic relies.
Create an amazing conflict Pace.
3. The importance of Dialogs
I remember myself with just 12 years old, playing this game with my pals begging them to answer the codec and also not jump the cut scenes. For myself this content was amazing, I can’t remember other game with so many dialogs, Action it’s great but usually war games don’t bring more than “roger that!” or “fire in the target” kind of phrases at that time, but MGS just forced me to understand the power of dialogs, how much deeper you can go into the characters and their personal interests, also taught me the value of a great voice casting.
By the way I still prefer David Hayter’s voice as Snake, hands down.
4. Add Racional Aspects and Political Backgrounds
Every character already has a story before the main story, and other facts are also going on, bringing a lot of rational details about the context. MGS it’s amazing because you discover during the briefings that the adventure was not about the nuke, was about rational personal interests and worldwide political conflicts, increasing your hype for humanity and current world agenda till spoiled kid levels!
Later, Metal gear Solid 3: Snake eater, put on the table the cold war aspects and added storyline to a previous timeline.
Building rational foundations over real world time events, creates a full believable universe. Then if something feels incoherent, just blame the nano machines as Kojima does!
5. Take Time to Create Icons and Concept Art
From characters to objects and even sounds, you are not just filling the scene with random props, each asset must become an identification of your story and style. On Metal Gear, it’s not just a soldier, it’s the “genome soldier”. It’s not a box, it’s the “metal gear stealth box” and that alert sound it’s just like the signature of the game, a few millions use it as a mobile notification sound.
Conceptual design is so important, each asset and character must have a conceptual process, it takes time to create every little thing but for sure will pay the effort.
6. Break Rules and Surprise the Audience.
On other series, you could predict what going on. Everything will be blown up by a nuke, or the hero will get the girl at the end; But not for Hideo Kojima, this genius creates remarkable scenes that could be taken as Easter eggs.
Like the fight against Psycho Mantis, were it takes control of the TV and controller, moving the controller to plug to the 2nd player slot to avoid his mind control; using ketchup to get out of the cell, fighting fist to fist the cyborg ninja, the soldier’s diarrhea, and the list goes on.
My personal favorite is the epic return to shadow Moses island on MGS4 (Ps4), while the gameplay jumps back to the MGS1 low-poly / low-res appearance on every detail, it was amazingly unexpected, inevitable to release tears while playing this part.
My conclusion,
Like cooking, great ingredients make a great result. If you got a great storyline, conflict, characters and surprises; previously planning on concept design, the product will be awesomeness. Concept is key! Thanks Kojima for the master class!
I’ll continue the series of mastering cinematography playing video games, so stay tuned and curious.
Thanks for playing.
Jose Aljovin
