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Amazing how @theideafirst_co decided to make #GameboysTheSeries w/ #screenlife only bec of shooting limitations (PH& #39;s community quarantines). But #screenlife actually made the show more compelling & affecting. How? Hang on... https://twitter.com/raikantopinisms/status/1310386735809851392">https://twitter.com/raikantop...
In my humble movie junkie view, #screenlife sprang from the found-footage style (see cult-fave #BlairWitchProject, 1999) before it evolved into THE narrative language that it is now, given more dexterity by pp& #39;s screen-dependence (see Chaganty& #39;s #Searching, Susco& #39;s #Unfriended).
#Screenlife worked ALL THE MORE FOR #Gameboys& #39; storytelling success bec we instinctively understood the meaning of everything on the characters& #39; screens- icons, page layouts, terms. Their online behavior reflected ours (Cairo & Gav& #39;s numerous chat entry-edits before sending...
, passive-agressive subtweets/subposts, stalking, inclination to endlessly post stories, etc.) And with the pandemic in the backdrop, the characters& #39; deep need for connection reflected how we all depended on social media to keep ourselves above water in these difficult times.
#Screenlife provided us seemingly real-time peeks into the characters& #39; intimate experiences (Cai & Gav self-recording, etc). But even in these scenes, we found things/actions to identify/relate with. This is why #Gameboys& #39; character-depictions felt SO REAL- as if we& #39;re intruding.
We& #39;re so convinced we know the characters because we& #39;ve been staring eye-to-eye w/ them this whole time. We& #39;ve seen ALL their micro-expressions, non-verbal cues, & whether or not these coordinated w/ their spoken words (Enter Michael Caine on the importance of close-ups).
@theideafirst_co didn& #39;t pierce the #screenlife veil until Episode 10-- the character& #39;s 1st physical meet-up. They then pushed #screenlife even further w/ the impressive one-shot first fight. In Ep 13.5, their slim brushes w/ #AlterPH was yet another rich #screenlife moment.
#GameboysTheSeries did #screenlife well and the prod reaped the benefits in narrative effectivity and audience engagement. This is why, moving forward, #Gameboys should still integrate #screenlife in their future seasons & movies. Why?
Well, they& #39;ve done it well & imagine the show (or its movies) possibly tackling porn addiction, YouTube reactor characters, work-from-home setups, online classes, catfishing, the dark web. Imagine horror/thriller specials done partly/fully thru #screenlife. Endless possibilities!
Props to/blame @raikantopinisms for leading me into this rabbithole hehe. 
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