Computer game documentary goes viral
The viral success of a documentary made by a film student from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) at Farnham has led to major interest from around the world.
Third-year BA (Hons) Film Production student Anthony Rosner is due to appear on ABC TV in Australia and has also been asked to fly to the USA to do a Q&A at the Phoenix Comic Con Film Festival to talk about his film, which focuses on his own addiction to a computer game.
IRL – In Real Life charts Anthony's obsession with the video game World of Warcraft which saw him use a Gap Year to play the game full-time. In just three weeks it has reached nearly 200,000 views on YouTube.
Anthony, who is 22 and from Redbridge, North London, said: "Honestly, I can't believe it's gone viral. I had no idea a documentary about computer games could generate this much interest because it's niche subject matter.
"I think that part of its success is that addiction is a subject that lots of people can relate to, whether it's a computer game or something else. Also, although quite a few films have been made about game addiction, very few of them have shown a personal story which I think allows people to engage with my film more."
In the seven-minute film, Anthony speaks candidly about his feelings of isolation and lack of self-worth, plus how he gained weight and felt as though he had lost touch with the world until he started university.
Anthony said: "If I'm honest, I felt uneasy at times making the film. Talking about some of the subjects brought back some of the feelings I had while playing the game and, I must admit, I was hesitant about releasing it online due to the personal nature of the film.
"Now though, it feels like a relief to get my story out there and the vast amount of positive feedback has made it worthwhile."
Anthony, who wants to go into feature films when he graduates, says UCA has given him firm foundations to begin his career.
"The strong and encouraging support from the tutors and technicians at UCA have allowed me to think differently in my approach to filmmaking," he added. "Also, the professional environment and creative community which encompasses the course and the university allows you to exchange creative ideas with people, which I think helps everyone become better at what they ultimately want to do, in my case a filmmaker."
ILR – In Real Life was written, produced and directed by Anthony Rosner; co-produced and script supervised by Arron Amo, with Visual Effects by Dave Novis.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
