The "Soul Code" Game Plan
David Konow: Do you feel there will be a crossover into video games with "Soul Code"?
THOM MOUNT: Oh God, yes. I think between Lisberger and Chobot, between their collective imaginations, and the content of the movie, I think it's born to be a video game and a film at the same time.
David Konow: So a game will be developed while the movie is being made?
THOM MOUNT: Absolutely.
David Konow: Do you feel there will soon be a crossover with movies and games, or do you think they'll remain separate worlds?
THOM MOUNT: Here's what I think: I think we're in the very first stage of the movie business. We're in a business that's just barely, not even quite a hundred years old. So we know almost nothing about where this business is going, and where this art-form is going. From my perspective, the transition from analog to digital is the logical end of the first act, if you will, of the drama that is the movies. As we wholly move into this new arena for image capture, for projection, for (the presentation) of the stories we make into various media platforms with ease, we open up unbelievably exciting new opportunities for every aspect that we do. One of the things I love about this is that Steve Lisberger's very much at the forefront, as he was twenty-five years ago, of thinking through how it's going to look, how it's going to work, what the new dynamics are, what the new perimeters are.
Whether it's a game, a movie, an animated piece, the rules are largely the same. You need to touch someone at the end of the day. You need compelling characters, a compelling narrative, and it needs to be relevant to the people that are engaged in the process, the viewers. Remember, in the beginning everything was about technological thrills, but people tire of technological thrills quickly. There was a moment when the notion that film had sound was enough to drive people to a theater. There was a moment the notion that film was in color was enough to drive people to the theater. 70mm was enough to drive people to the theater, and right now, the new 3-D process is apparently enough to drive people to the theater. But very quickly, people tire of technical tricks, and get back to the time tested values that make a difference to all humans, which is, are we invested in character? Do we care what happens to these people? And are we touched by the outcome?
One of the things that's exciting about "Soul Code" is as we've filled out the dramatic narrative for the film, Steve and Jessica finished the screenplay, thank God before the writer's strike, and we were able to take into account a lot of the dynamics of the game at the same time.
David Konow: Do you feel the game market will still be big by the time the movie's out?
THOM MOUNT: I think the game market's going to expand and become a staple of life like anything else.
David Konow: So you don't think there will be a downturn in the game market?
THOM MOUNT: No, I really don't. I think games will improve in quality, and improve in their emotional dynamics.
David Konow: When will "Soul Code" potentially be ready?
THOM MOUNT: We'll start shooting this movie in the second half of 2008. One of the things we're grappling with at the moment is where we're going to shoot, who the effects suppliers are, how to wrangle all this into place, because it's not a small picture, and it's not an unsophisticated picture. When we get a little closer to making those decisions, we'll have a sense of when we'll finish the movie, but I can tell you we're starting in the second half of 2008. I'm guessing that it will be finished somewhere into 2009, which means it probably won't be released until late 2009, early 2010.
