“Me? I know who I am. I’m a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude.”
~ Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus playing Sgt. Lincoln Osiris
(Tropic Thunder, 2008)
Act out different roles in a variety of exciting movies over the course of this Storium game about playing an actor playing a character. You are the actor. You are also the character. It’s complicated…
How it Works
(It’s not THAT complicated)
In this game the character you create is an actor. That actor will have a role as part of an ensemble cast of several different movies.
The movie will go a quick 3-6 scenes, at which point we will begin a new movie, and the actor you create will be cast in a different role altogether, but still bringing their own look, personality, and quirks to that character.
So you might create Jane Doe, hopeful hollywood starlet. She might be playing the lead in a RomCom in the first scene, a Russian spy five scenes later, and an alien diplomat from the galactic core by scene 10.
How to Play It
This will require a touch of finesse. See, you play from the point of view of the role (the movie character) at all times. They should know they are in the world of the movie, be motivated carry out the story’s plot, and be in the mindset of the role. They ALSO know they are an actor in a movie, have that actor’s own motivations (like have a fantastic death scene, or have that oscar moment), and possibly have some fourth-wall breaking, self aware moments about what is going on.
It’s a delicate balance perhaps, but should be fun to play out.
All the action should be on-screen. The director won’t be calling cut to reset the scene (though it’s fair game to reference the bad CGI they are using for the big monster). Any behind-the-scenes drama will play out within the movie world (for instance, that jerk may keep running over your lines, but rather than having it out in the trailer, you’ll just have to under-react to his punch in your fight scene. Revenge!)
I hope to keep it as cinematic as possible in the form of writing. Bias should be given to action and dialogue over inner voice, but there IS plenty of fun to be had with inner voice, or voice-over, or in rare instances straight up talking into “the camera”.
There will be an interesting balance struck between characters completing actual plot-challenges (sway the diplomat, defeat the bad guy) as well as “cinematic” challenges (have a cool montage, Shyamalan twist, do an amazing stunt).
How it Might Feel
The experience should be a little like watching a movie marathon of the body of work of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, or early Joss Whedon. You watch a variety of different stories told, often utilizing many of the same actors playing different characters. (plus some new faces along the way)
This more a game about WATCHING movies, rather than making them. For the players, it’s about BEING IN THEM. There will be no behind the scenes stuff, though I expect there to be a lot of nods to movie tropes, things you often see in movies, and only in movies.
Some references with elements we’ll be looking for: Stranger than Fiction, Last Action Hero, Scream, Deadpool, Ferris Beuller’s Day Off
The First Movie:
(Subject to change based on Open Lobby and Green Room discussion)
A group of friends, old and new, join a co-ed kickball league to have some fun on the weekends. The situation starts getting out of hand when an arrogant team from the fancy condo development in town challenges them to a bet they can’t refuse. In this underdog comedy of self-discovery, friendships will be tested, romance explored, and a kickball championship will be hotly contested.
This is designed to be a short, simple concept to get our feet under us with the style of this game. Roles might include any of the “friends” in the kickball league, the coach, the opposing team, the league organizer, whatever
Hosted and narrated by:
Koze (Koze)
Started 07/15/16.
Scenes played: 3
License: Community License
