Midterm Critical Play Video Essay

(10-15 minutes)

 

For your midterm, you’ll perform an extended analysis of any video game that we have covered in class up to that point. As you explore your topic, you may turn to formal approaches as well as a cultural theory or philosophical methodology of your choice. The best analyses will combine:

 

1.) Medium-specific close reading practices.

2.) Critical theories and methods such as historicism, feminism, critical race theory, Marxism, anthropological ethnography, and/or media theory.

3.) A clear definition of a concept that you are exploring and complicating through your argument.

 

Keep in mind that a persuasive analysis of different forms and media requires specific vocabularies and close reading practices proper to the work in question. For example, if you analyze a film, you must attend not only to plot or character development, but also to features such as shot distance, lighting, costume, mise-en-scène, cut type, sound effects, etc. When you think about a video game, on the other hand, you might consider elements including (but not limited to) aesthetic style, interface design, navigability, (non-)interactivity, game mechanics, platform affordances, networked dimensions, and so forth.

 

Instead of writing a paper, we are asking you to create a short video that includes your own verbal analysis combined with footage of gameplay that you are analyzing. This page includes additional instructions and resources for creating these essays. Samples of published versions of video essays, which analyze video games and film, include:

 

• Ian Bryce Jones, “Special Effectivities” in [in]Transition: Journal of Videographic Film & Moving Image Studies 6.3, 2019.

• Allison de Fren, “Ex Machina: Questioning the Human Machine,” Vimeo, February 14, 2017.

 

We are not expecting video essays of this quality but they can serve as models. Both essays grapple with sophisticated theoretical concepts and questions via close readings and media examples. Your video essay should introduce your game, include a close reading, develop an argument, and foreground implications (the “So what?” of your argument). In addition to footage from your primary game case, you can include footage of other games if they serve your argument.

 

Video Capture Software

 

PC

Windows 10 includes a built-in tool for recording videos for games through its Xbox Game Bar. To open the Game Bar, press Windows Key + G while playing a game. Click the red record button and you will see a timer appear in the game window. The videos will be saved  as .mp4 files in your Videos\Captures folder. More information can be found here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/xbox-game-bar/9nzkpstsnw4p?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

 

Mac

Mac comes preinstalled with QuickTime Player which can be used to screen record gameplay. Launch QuickTime Player and click on File from the App menu. Select New Screen Recording from the drop-down menu. Through QuickTime, you also have the ability to record audio directly from your microphone and to show mouse clicks in recording. Click on the red record button to begin recording your screen.

 

OBS (PC, Mac and Linux)

Open Broadcast Studio (OBS), is an open source program for recording real-time videos. This program is more complicated than the Xbox Game Bar and QuickTime but it carries the advantage of being backed by some of the top technology companies (e.g., Twitch, NVIDIA and Logitech) and it’s free! 

 

Xbox One

The Xbox One has the ability to record and capture game clips and screenshots. To record a clip, press the Xbox button to open up the menu and then press the X button. This will grab the last 30 seconds of game play. Depending on the game clip resolution and available storage space, clips can range up to 10 minutes to 1 hour (with external storage). You can set the video resolution and capture location in the menu Broadcast 3 capture > Advance setting. 

 

Playstation 4

The PS4 also has the ability to record and capture game clips and screenshots. To record, press and the Share button to open up the Display Menu. Press the Square button to save the video clip. The PS4 has the ability to record clips up to 5 minute to 1 hour and will store the video on the internal hard drive.

 

Elgato Game Capture

For all other consoles, you will need to use an external recording device. The MADD Center currently has two Elgato Game Capture HD60 High Definition Game Recorders which records game footage in 1080p at 60 frames per second. Before you begin, you will need to install their game capture software onto your laptops found here:  https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/game-capture-software. You do not need a gaming laptop to run this software, we would recommend just turning off the live video preview in order for the program to run smoothly as you record your clips. However, if you are in need of a laptop, the MADD Center has 3 gaming laptops available for use. 

 

The Elgato will need to be connected to a computer, game console, and the TV. Once connected, press the record button on the game capture software. 

 

Make sure to bring an external hard drive for saving your recorded clips. The MADD Center will not be responsible for any loss of data from your game play sessions. MADD regularly wipes hard drives once they become full. 

 

Editing Suites Resources 

 

Once you have your clips recorded, you’ll be ready to edit your video. If you are in need of a computer for editing you may use the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Room 013’s editing suites or The Computer Science Instructional Laboratory (CSIL) located within the MADD Center. Both Mac computer labs offer software including Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro. 

 

Each lab will require a CNET ID in order to log into the computers. These computers are wiped and restored to their default settings every night. We encourage you to save your progress on an external hard drive or cloud storage service of your choice (e.g. Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, or Amazon Cloud Drive). 

 

If you intend to use the Adobe Creative Suite, you must first create a few Adobe login here: https://account.adobe.com/ then sign in using your ID.

 

Video Editing Software Tutorials 

 

There are multiple programs that you can use to edit video depending on the platform you’re using. We recommend using the following with links to video tutorials:

 

Final Cut Pro Tutorial (Mac): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UET7QptHtc

 

Premiere Pro (Mac and PC): https://youtu.be/PYTPXsMkYDE

 

iMovie Basics (Mac): https://youtu.be/VF2mUJ0P3xU

 

We hope that this assignment gives you an opportunity to learn the basics of video editing or develop abilities that you already have. To reiterate, however, we are assessing the video essays, first and foremost, on the quality of their argumentation, close analysis, compelling evidence, organization, creative intervention into the field of game studies, and other qualities that make for a strong essay. Though the visual and audio dimensions of the video essay need to serve your overall piece, we are not looking for primarily at the cinematic dimensions of your essay.