So I was also a participant in this documentary when it was shot, and I've played at a few different chapters across the country.
Actually, when I saw the film I was surprised at how even-handed it actually was. There's a lot of drama queens that LARP, and there's no way any film made about a NERO chapter would have appealed to all of them. I mean, there's so much drama in the NERO universe that there's controversy over who started NERO in the first place.
Some of my family members have watched this movie and now finally have a grasp on what it is I actually do with some of my weekends. More importantly, they came away from the film with a greater sense of understanding.
Another NERO member said that the lizard guys in the photo quit shortly after shooting, which is true. To that point, oddball types float in and out of the game all of the time, and they usually play the monsters who don't know the rules well. The film covered the die-hards and the more pathetic participants (even though they really do get a chance to speak for themselves).
NERO is a community. It attracts all types. Sure the film doesn't follow the in-game plot; but come on fellow Larpers, that stuff is only interesting to us. This film seems to have been crafted to appeal to people besides just us. It focuses on real drama that comes with trying to make our fantasy work! That's probably why it was more than just another you tube video showing people hitting each other with padded weapons.
Of the characters profiled in the film, I knew about 40% of them. While they are more complex than the film reveals, I didn't think that they were misrepresented. I thought it did a better job at providing an even-handed perspective for them than King of Kong did for Billy Mitchell. Additionally, those I have talked to who were in the film by and large were satisfied with how they were portrayed.
I'm glad I was documented in this project. If nothing else, I'd say watch it and see for yourself.
Actually, when I saw the film I was surprised at how even-handed it actually was. There's a lot of drama queens that LARP, and there's no way any film made about a NERO chapter would have appealed to all of them. I mean, there's so much drama in the NERO universe that there's controversy over who started NERO in the first place.
Some of my family members have watched this movie and now finally have a grasp on what it is I actually do with some of my weekends. More importantly, they came away from the film with a greater sense of understanding.
Another NERO member said that the lizard guys in the photo quit shortly after shooting, which is true. To that point, oddball types float in and out of the game all of the time, and they usually play the monsters who don't know the rules well. The film covered the die-hards and the more pathetic participants (even though they really do get a chance to speak for themselves).
NERO is a community. It attracts all types. Sure the film doesn't follow the in-game plot; but come on fellow Larpers, that stuff is only interesting to us. This film seems to have been crafted to appeal to people besides just us. It focuses on real drama that comes with trying to make our fantasy work! That's probably why it was more than just another you tube video showing people hitting each other with padded weapons.
Of the characters profiled in the film, I knew about 40% of them. While they are more complex than the film reveals, I didn't think that they were misrepresented. I thought it did a better job at providing an even-handed perspective for them than King of Kong did for Billy Mitchell. Additionally, those I have talked to who were in the film by and large were satisfied with how they were portrayed.
I'm glad I was documented in this project. If nothing else, I'd say watch it and see for yourself.