Documentary As Game
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Documentary as Game Joana Malagueira Mestrado em Multimédia da Universidade do Porto Orientador: José Alberto Pinto (Professor Auxiliar) Coorientador: Pedro Cardoso (Professor Auxiliar Convidado) Setembro de 2020 © Joana Malagueira, 2020 Documentary as Game Joana Malagueira Mestrado em Multimédia da Universidade do Porto Aprovado em provas públicas pelo Júri: Presidente: Bruno Sérgio Gonçalves Giesteira (Professor Auxiliar) Vogal Externo: Ricardo Manuel Coelho de Melo (Professor Adjunto Convidado) Orientador: José Alberto Pinto (Professor Auxiliar) Resumo Esta dissertação providencia possibilidades de como o documentário pode usar os jogos como media para produzir crítica e, particularmente, como a retórica processual pode ser utilizada para alcançar este objectivo. A investigação consiste numa análise de casos de estudo que originaram uma tipologia de retórica processual para produção de crítica; e na criação de um documentário-jogo, Deixa-me Falar!. Os resultados dos testes realizados provam a eficácia comunicacional deste tipo de género documental num contexto de crítica social. Esta investigação pode ser útil a realizadores ou autores de cinema, assim como a designers de jogos que queiram explorar o documentário-jogo enquanto género, ou pretendam utilizar os jogos em ambientes críticos e/ou não ficcionais. Palavras-chave: documentário-jogo; retórica procedimental; documentário; jogos críticos. Abstract This dissertation provides possibilities of how documentaries can use games as media to produce critique, and particularly how procedural rhetoric can be used in order to achieve that goal. The research consisted of an analysis of case studies that originated a procedural rhetoric typology to produce critique; and the creation of a documentary game, Deixa-me Falar!. Its playtesting results proved the communicational effectiveness of this type of documentary genre in a context of social critique. This investigation can be useful for filmmakers and game designers who want to experiment the documentary game genre or how games can be used in critical and/or non-fictional environments. Keywords: documentary game; procedural rhetoric; documentary; critical games. Acknowledgements I want to express my most sincere gratitude to the professors José Alberto Pinto and Pedro Cardoso for their support and for believing in this project from the beginning. I am also grateful to my parents and siblings for being part of this journey, especially my younger sister, Beatriz, who is always the first person to test everything I do and to give her most sincere opinion. To my long lifetime friends Karuline Costa, Luís Rebelo, Kamila Ferreira and Shauna Ashley for being always by my side and available to help me in everything they can. To Miguel Duarte who worked with me on the programming part of the documentary game. Thank you for the long hours of work and patience. In addition to being a great professional, you are an even more incredible person and friend. To Gabriela Ferreira for being an excellent colleague in times of crisis! To the incredible women who were part of this documentary game. Thank you for trusting me and my work: Cristiana Morais, Fabrícia Glória, and Tita Maravilha. And to professor Soraia Ferreira who, in addition to being an excellent teacher in this master’s degree, taught me not to be afraid of experimenting and trying new things. Joana Malagueira To the beloved memory of Diana, who left us too soon. Table of Contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 I.I Context and Motivation ....................................................................................................... 1 I.II Project ................................................................................................................................ 2 I.III Problems, Hypothesis, and Objectives of Research .......................................................... 2 I.IV Relevance ......................................................................................................................... 3 I.V Dissertation Structure ........................................................................................................ 3 PART 1 – LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 6 1. The Documentary ................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 The Traditional Documentary ............................................................................................ 8 1.1.1 Contextualizing the Documentary Film ..................................................................... 8 1.1.2 Nichols’ Documentary Modes ................................................................................... 9 1.2 The Interactive Documentary .......................................................................................... 14 1.2.1 Understanding Interactive Documentaries............................................................... 14 1.2.2 Gifreu’s Basic Features of Interactive Documentary .............................................. 16 1.2.3 Gaudenzi’s Interactive Documentary Modes .......................................................... 17 1.3 The Rhetoric of Documentary and a Way of Artivism .................................................... 20 1.4 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 23 2. Games as Communication Tools ......................................................................................... 24 2.1 How Games Tell Stories .................................................................................................. 24 2.1.1 The Four Elements of Games .................................................................................. 24 2.1.2 Time in Games ......................................................................................................... 28 2.1.3 Game’s Environment ............................................................................................... 31 2.1.4 Action, Emergent Narratives and Traversal in Games ............................................ 33 2.2 How Games Make Arguments ......................................................................................... 36 2.2.1 Rhetoric and Play ..................................................................................................... 36 2.2.2 Procedural Rhetoric ................................................................................................. 39 2.2.3 The Persuasive and Expressive Power in Games .................................................... 41 2.2.4 From Newsgames to Artivism ................................................................................. 43 2.3 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 46 PART 2 – PROJECT ........................................................................................................... 48 3. Case Studies .......................................................................................................................... 51 3.1 Context and Methodology ............................................................................................... 51 3.2 Case Studies Analysis ...................................................................................................... 52 3.3 Procedural Rhetoric Typology for Critique ..................................................................... 60 3.3.1 Procedural Rhetoric of Failure ................................................................................. 60 3.3.2 Procedural Rhetoric of Success ............................................................................... 64 3.3.3 Procedural Rhetoric of Exploration ......................................................................... 65 3.3.4 Procedural Rhetoric of Irony ................................................................................... 67 3.3.5 Procedural Rhetoric of Experience .......................................................................... 70 3.3.6 Procedural Rhetoric of Collaboration ...................................................................... 71 3.3.7 Summary .................................................................................................................. 72 3.4 Table of Case Studies ...................................................................................................... 74 4. Creating a Documentary Game .......................................................................................... 77 4.1 PHASE 1: Research ......................................................................................................... 77 4.1.1 Research of Documentary Films ............................................................................. 77 4.1.2 Research of Game Rules and Mechanics ................................................................. 78 4.1.3 Creation of Concepts for Documentary Games ....................................................... 78 4.1.4 Varda’s Documentary .............................................................................................. 80 4.2 PHASE 2: Planning and Development ............................................................................ 81 4.2.1 Objectives, Argument and Procedural Rhetoric .....................................................