when Super Mario 64 Introduced the idea of a third-person camera, he had to explain it the only way players could understand it: by literally showing Lakito holding the “camera” controlling him. Since then, video game cameras have tried to liken themselves to the real-life cameras used in movies and TV. They take direct inspiration from their movements, framing, and lenses.
While they might Feel Same thing, video game cameras don’t Action The same way real cameras do. It requires special programming and techniques to recreate this feeling, from camera shake to depth of field. And most importantly, they have to adapt to something that movies and TV don’t do: a player that controls the camera. Despite the challenges players face, developers have found innovative technologies and techniques that allow them to add immersive cinematic decorations to their cameras. This allowed video game cameras to do things that filmmakers could never dream of (on a generous CGI budget).
While we have decades of movies and TV affecting the way we think cameras should work in games, things are starting to change. Game cameras are beginning to influence the ways film and television cameras operate. A lot of The Mandalorian Filmed on set that functions like a giant video game level, and not just because the technology was crafted with Epic’s Unreal Engine. Even the style of gaming cameras is starting to influence cinematography, including Academy Award winners such as Sam Mendes’ 1917.
You can learn about all the ways video game cameras have been affected by real-life cameras (and vice versa) in the video above. If you want to know more about The MandalorianCreative Virtual Production, check out Vox’s in-depth video of how it works. We also have more videos about crossover games and movies on our YouTube channel.
