Adrian Carr – A Film Director’s Take on Tex Murphy
[b]Ingmar[/b]: In these days of Kickstarter you might be able to finance more games the same way. Where would you like to take the series from a director’s perspective in the future?
[b]Adrian[/b]: I have to be honest and say that I doubt we could repeat the success of the
Project Fedora
Kickstarter campaign. Dedicated fans and friends primarily backed Fedora; some have gone far beyond their role as backers to see Tex Murphy return. No, I believe if another Tex Murphy game is produced in-house, it will have to rely on the success of
Tesla Effect
to warrant another game of equal or bigger magnitude. Unlike several games that have been recently funded through Kickstarter, Tex is keeping to its original production figure.
Where would I take Tex next time from my perspective as a director? I would like to work on further blurring the lines between gameplay and FMV scenes. We are doing an amazing job on
Tesla Effect
.
When I observe games where CGI characters interact casually in an immense world I think, “Wow, I wish we could do that with Tex” but then I get annoyed when I return to speak to a character that I spoke to a few moments earlier and they totally ignore me. Basically I feel conned, that it was all a ruse and the interactivity comes across as fake.
Since Tex Murphy games are story driven, having sideline conversations would distract from and/or weaken the momentum of the story. Having said that, I would like to experiment with one scene to try and see if I can overcome this flaw and make the experience as truly interactive as possible. I doubt I can successfully achieve it with FMV, but I’ll give it the old college try. CGI characters never give me the satisfaction that I am watching and/or interacting with a real person, and for me Tex is all about the HUMAN connection.
Why use CGI when you can direct Hollywood icons like June Lockhart?
[b]Ingmar[/b]: The budget for this game is rather low compared to the old school days. What does that mean for your work as a director?
[b]Adrian[/b]: Compared to the budget for
The Pandora Directive
, which was in 1995 dollars, our budget is crazy low for a project as ambitious as
Tesla Effect
. However, with the advancement in digital technology over the past 18 years and my growth as a director, I can shoot more efficiently and better integrate the actors into the world of Tex Murphy. For
Tesla Effect
I have had more prep time than on previous games. It all boils down to being prepared, and preparation prepares you for the unexpected happenings on set.
[b]Ingmar[/b]: Last year you told me about the “possibility of a Tex Murphy movie in the not too distant future”. Any update on that? If you ever get the chance to do it, how would your approach be different than it is for the games, and are we talking about a story that is completely independent from the games?
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