Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

A documentary that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

Directors:

Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky

Stars:

Jonathan Blow, Brandon Boyer, Renaud Bédard

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jonathan Blow	...	Self
Brandon Boyer	...	Self
Renaud Bédard	...	Self
Anthony Carboni	...	Self
Ron Carmel	...	Self
Chris Dahlen	...	Self
Phil Fish	...	Self
Gus Mastrapa	...	Self
Danielle McMillen	...	Self
Edmund McMillen	...	Self
Jamie Refenes	...	Self
Kim Refenes	...	Self
Tommy Refenes	...	Self
Ken Schachter	...	Self
Jamin Warren	...	Self

Storyline

A documentary that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

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Plot Keywords:

video game industry | movie in title | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film states that Jonathan Blow's next game, The Witness, will release in 2012. However, the game did not release until 2016.

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Goofs

When Tommy is mailing Microsoft, he's using a PC, but the full-screen pictures of the email client are of Apple Mail.

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Quotes

Edmund McMillen: [in a Skype-call with Tommy before release day] I'll send out the press release, update the website, update my blog, update my Facebook, and call it a night... What are you going to do Tommy?
[pause]
Tommy Refenes: Uhh... What happened? I just fell asleep.
Edmund McMillen: Really?
Tommy Refenes: Yeah... uh... uh... What, what did you say?
Edmund McMillen: [laughing] Um, nothing.

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Crazy Credits

Video previews for a number of indie games are featured during the closing credits. Here are the titles of all the Indie games featured in order of appearance. Warp, Canabalt, Catapult for hire, Antichamber, Overgrowth, Alpha Squad, Caster, Gravity Hook HD, Arena, High flyer Death Defyer, Poidin, Xenonauts

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Connections

References Mass Effect 3 (2012)

User Reviews

A voyeuristic look at the travails of the Indie game developer's world

I don't know how to react to this intriguing and engrossing documentary. We are voyeurs into the lives of a few Indie game computer programmers who produce and distribute their products alone, as against the vast corporation produced games we are more familiar with.

There are three different projects examined here in the run up to their release of their creations, and it's a rough and at times uncomfortable viewing. Their road to release is really quite hellish.

Very basic low budget filming puts the onus on the conversations with these programmers. In truth, of the four programmers it's hard to believe you'd wish to have a drink with three out of the four of them and in any case the other one is so busy he'd likely pass you up. Yet you still seem to empathise with them and the key of this documentary is how you do hang out to the end wishing them to succeed.

As said, at times you will feel uncomfortable watching these guys. They've all admitted to practically cutting themselves off from normality and having social lives, and it shows. One is married and that marriage seems to make him the most grounded something that becomes clearer as the film moves on when you compare him to the rest.

I'll state that I don't play computer games at all and have not done so for donkeys years, bar Angry Birds. So really the twee type of games these gamers are making appeals to me as I'm not familiar with the modern gaming market. I don't fully understand their world and maybe I never will, but I did like their products and maybe that's why I wanted the best for them.

However, I still admired these guys through their travails and stresses. The documentary doesn't build them as heroic but they are winners in my eyes no matter their quirks, and as viewers we are given a very broad overview of them to form our opinions.

Enjoyable and engrossing. I'd say it's worth a watch.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 September 2012 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

Indie Game: The Movie

Box Office

Budget:

CAD100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BlinkWorks Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD