Shannon Jahnel Lanktree

Game Face

The project, made possible by the RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund, delves into three stories about an industry that is worth $200m a year to the country. However, it is an industry that many do not know about, let alone understand.

The creators wanted the public to get a feel and appreciation for what interactive media can do. As such, this project uses the innovative design, language, and mechanics of video games but applies them to traditional journalistic storytelling.

Game Face is a documentary about Lorien Gugich, a young mum living in Napier who plays games and streams it on Twitch under her screen name: LoriiPops.

The video describes a day in the life of LoriiPops - the challenges of being a mum and balancing that with her demanding career as a full-time streamer.

During the documentary, viewers are seamlessly brought into the experience to help LoriiPops through ‘mini-games’. The concept behind the design was to transform moments in Lorii’s routine into interactive experiences for the viewer as a metaphor for how she, on a daily basis, steps in and out of the world of games.