CREATIVITY.  PASSION.

It applies to every creative medium and beyond.   What I loved about Indie Game: The Movie was the heart and dedication demonstrated by the creators of three unique independent video games.  You don’t have to love video games to understand this wonderful documentary’s message:

Hard work, sacrifice and commitment pays off if you believe in yourself.

It’s compelling to watch these highly creative people struggle to finish their projects and reach their goals.  They are constantly under pressure from others and themselves.

Indeed, the stakes are extremely high when you pour everything into something you believe in.  And it takes courage to put yourself out there.

As an aspiring screenwriter, I found their journey to be inspiring.

I need to be creative in order to function normally on a daily basis.  It’s just not a regular day without a screenplay or a blog post to work on.  These video game evelopers have taken on stress, debt and the darkness of uncertainty in order to achieve their vision.  They just want to create something worth while.  So we follow them as they overcome their insecurities and we share in their triumphs.

One of the most profound moments in the film is brought to us by Super Meat Boy’s Co-Creator Edmund McMillen.  He is a die hard gamer who spent his youth playing the games that inspired him to design games himself.

After Super Meat Boy’s release, he has a quiet moment to reflect on what the overwhelming success means to him.  But he doesn’t talk about the money, the fame or what it means for his career.  He knows the impact it will have on him professionally and so do we.  Teary eyed, he thinks about the child staying up all night playing his game.  And how great it would be if his game inspired someone.  What if someone designs a game someday because of him?  It’s a powerful moment.

I loved this film for that very reason.

The people in this documentary are passionate and talented artists who found success because they never gave up on their vision or themselves.

Indie Game: The Movie doesn’t just inspire video game designers.  It will inspire anyone passionate about their creative aspirations.

The flick is available now online here.

Click here for more reviews.

Click here for more screenwriting.

VIDEO GAMES INSPIRED BY MOVIES, MOVIES INSPIRED BY VIDEO GAMES
AND THE NERDS INSPIRED BY BOTH.

Today the line between movies and video games is paper thin.  Cinematic experiences can be found in movie theaters and your favorite console at home.  I’m an average gamer.  I’m usually into at least one game on any given day.  They’ve influenced me artistically since I unwrapped my original NES long ago.  I’ve written a lot about video games and their affect on me over the years.  Certain games have truly inspired me.  Others have inspired movies I love and movies I’m bound to love if they ever get made.

Here are some of my favorite video game posts.

• The Top 10 Cinematic Game Studios

• Screenwriting & Sim City

• Link, Zelda, Hyrule, Middle Earth & Screenwriting

• Screenwriting & Minecraft

• Wouldn’t It Be Awesome If The Bioshock Movie Happened?

• Why King’s Quest 6 Ruled My Screenwriting Notebook

• No Screenwriting Today.  Just Starcraft 2

• Indie Game: The Movie Trailer & Your Passions

XTRA | Screenwriting Goes With Everything

NEW DOCUMENTARY LOOKS INSPIRING!

I had no idea a project like this was even in development until I read an article promoting the trailer on /FILM.

The movie focuses on indie game developers and their passion for video games and video game design.

I write about passion on this site often.  I don’t feel normal unless I have some kind of creative project to work on everyday.  Whether it’s a new screenplay, a blog post, an image in photoshop or a big broadcast at work, I desperately need to feel creative everyday.  It’s that passion that drives me every morning when I skip television and jump straight onto my computer to work.

People ask me often how I’ve managed to write every day on The Athletic Nerd in addition to my indie film aspirations, screenwriting obsession and more.  I explain it by asking people what they do when they get home from work on a normal day.  Most evenings are filled up with television or whatever else helps one relax and unwind.  The last thing anyone wants to do after a long day at work is… More work.  But I don’t see these projects as work.  It’s simply what I love to do.

If you understand what it’s like to wake up extra early to work on a passion project then you probably enjoyed the trailer above as much as I did.