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Amazing how @theideafirst_co decided to make #GameboysTheSeries w/ #screenlife only bec of shooting limitations (PH's community quarantines). But #screenlife actually made the show more compelling & affecting. How? Hang on... https://twitter.com/raikantopinisms/status/1310386735809851392
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's screen-dependence (see Chaganty's #Searching, Susco's #Unfriended).
#Screenlife worked ALL THE MORE FOR #Gameboys' storytelling success bec we instinctively understood the meaning of everything on the characters' screens- icons, page layouts, terms. Their online behavior reflected ours (Cairo & Gav'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' 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' intimate experiences (Cai & Gav self-recording, etc). But even in these scenes, we found things/actions to identify/relate with. This is why #Gameboys' character-depictions felt SO REAL- as if we're intruding.
We're so convinced we know the characters because we've been staring eye-to-eye w/ them this whole time. We'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't pierce the #screenlife veil until Episode 10-- the character'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'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. 
#GameboysForever
#GameboysTheSeries
#GameboysForever
#GameboysTheSeries
