Submarine Channel
The best video game cut scenes today can easily compete with Hollywood’s biggest CG effects movies. But many of the high profile game titles still lack in the emotion, storytelling and (voice) acting department. Not so true for Metal Gear Solid – Hideo Kojima’s iconic video game series that pioneered the stealth game genre. Our friend Alexei Tylevich – art director of our 2004 Sneakers doc (clip) and co-founder of LA-based production co. Logan – co-wrote, directed, shot and designed ten jaw-dropping ‘scenes’ for the current installment of MSG, including the opening movie. Tylevich’ created 12 minutes of high-res HD video that expand on the games’ universe…
“The initial idea grew from producing a fairly conventional title sequence introducing the game characters, to creating a self-contained preamble to the game, providing a glimpse into the world of 2014 … Since live-action played such an important role in this, my main concern in directing performances was to make sure that, aesthetically, the material didn’t break the reality of the game,” Alexei explains in a press release. And he succeeded. Besides the futuristic eye candy and the cinematic approach, there’s also a dark sense of humor at play, something that especially fans of the previous installments of the MSG series should be familiar with. Some of the clips parody current popular TV show formats and commercials, in a 2014 setting. See the patronizing game show host in “7th Circle”, the hysterical cooking show host in “Bombshelter Buffet”, or the annoyingly arrogant talk show host in “Celebrity Moralist”.
A live action movie adaptation of Metal Gear Solid is planned for release in 2009. This is equally exciting and worrying, considering Hollywood hasn’t produced a decent movie based on video game property since… err… never? We suggest hiring the duo Kojima/Tylevich to direct the live action feature.
