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Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613906009063424 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Vuuren, Elizabeth |
| author2 | Van der Merwe, Schalk |
| author_browse | Van Vuuren, Elizabeth Van der Merwe, Schalk |
| author_facet | Van der Merwe, Schalk Van Vuuren, Elizabeth |
| author_sort | Van Vuuren, Elizabeth |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132332 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:35.067Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132332 Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency Van Vuuren, Elizabeth Van der Merwe, Schalk Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama. Video games -- Social aspects Digital storytelling Motion pictures -- Criticism, Narrative Interactive multimedia -- Social aspects Narration (Rhetoric) UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. van Vuuren, E. 2025. Blurred lines: Exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/66ca35b8-6d83-4518-bcc6-1a917ef1538d ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the similarities and differences between interactive films and immersive first-person games. Christopher Vogler’s The Hero’s Journey and Ross Berger’s narrative structure for gaming will be not only discussed and compared, but also used to analyse the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) and the immersive first-person game Erica (2019). This study will firstly create a baseline understanding of how Vogler’s narrative structure functions when analysing a film. The film being analysed is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001). Subsequently, the same will be done for gaming as well to understand how Berger’s narrative structure functions in a game. The game being analysed is The Last of Us, Part One (2013). This is followed by a comparison of the two narrative structures to determine how similar or different they are from one another. Thereafter an analysis will be done using Vogler’s narrative structure to analyse both Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) and Erica (2019). The same will be done using Berger’s narrative structure. The reason for this is to understand whether Vogler and Berger’s structures can be used to not only analyse the form of entertainment they were created to analyse, but also that of the opposite form of entertainment – either game or film. This study aims to also investigate the similarities or dissimilarities between how these two forms of entertainment were produced and how that could have affected the narratives. Lastly, this study will consider how narrative structure can influence viewer or player agency. The argument is made that interactive films and immersive first-person games are neither games nor films, but rather a new form of entertainment of its own. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die ooreenkomste en verskille tussen interaktiewe rolprente en meevoerende eerstepersoon-speletjies. Christopher Vogler se The Hero’s Journey en Ross Berger se naratiewe struktuur vir speletjies word nie net bespreek en vergelyk nie, maar word ook gebruik om die interaktiewe rolprent Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) en die meevoerende eerstepersoon-speletjie Erica (2018) te analiseer. Hierdie studie sal eerstens ‘n basiese begrip probeer skep van hoe Vogler se naratiewe struktuur gebruik kan word om ‘n rolprent te analiseer. Die rolprent wat geanaliseer word, is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001). Vervolgens sal dieselfde gedoen word vir speletjies om te verstaan hoe Berger se naratiewe struktuur funksioneer wanneer ‘n speletjie ontleed word. Die speletjie wat geanaliseer word is The Last of Us, Part One (2013). Hierdie sal opgevolg word deur om die twee naratiewe strukture te vergelyk om te bepaal hoe soorgelyk of verskillend hulle van mekaar is. Dit word opgevolg deur om gebruik te maak van Vogler se naratiewe struktuur om beide Erica (2019) en Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)te analiseer, asook om dieselfe proses te volg met Berger se naratiewe struktuur. Die rede hiervoor is om te verstaan of Vogler en Berger se strukture gebruik kan word om nie net ‘n analise uit te voer op die vermaakvorm waarvoor dit geskep is nie, maar ook dit van die teenoorgestelde vermaakvorm – of dit nou speletjies of rolprente is. Hierdie studie beoog ook om te kyk na ooreenkomstes en verskille oor hoe hierdie twee vorme van vermaak vervaardig is en hoe dit moontlik die naratiewe kon beȉnvloed het. Laastens sal die studie ondersoek aangaan om te verstaan hoe naratiewe strukture kykerof spelerbeheer beinvloed. Die argument word gemaak dat interaktiewe rolprente en meevoerende eerstepersoonspeletjies nie as rolprente of speletjies geklasifiseer kan word nie, maar eerder ‘n nuwe vorm van vermaak van sy eie is. Masters 2025-06-04T07:03:18Z 2025-06-04T07:03:18Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132332 en Stellenbosch University ix, 150 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Video games -- Social aspects Digital storytelling Motion pictures -- Criticism, Narrative Interactive multimedia -- Social aspects Narration (Rhetoric) UCTD Van Vuuren, Elizabeth Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency |
| title | Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency |
| title_full | Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency |
| title_fullStr | Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency |
| title_short | Blurred lines : exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling, and the role of viewer/player agency |
| title_sort | blurred lines exploring the convergence of gaming and filmic storytelling and the role of viewer player agency |
| topic | Video games -- Social aspects Digital storytelling Motion pictures -- Criticism, Narrative Interactive multimedia -- Social aspects Narration (Rhetoric) UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132332 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vanvuurenelizabeth blurredlinesexploringtheconvergenceofgamingandfilmicstorytellingandtheroleofviewerplayeragency |