Journals / Bodrum Journal of Art and Design / 2026 / Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2

Machinima as a Production Technique Extending from Digital Gaming to Cinema: The Case of Grand Theft Hamlet

Dijital Oyundan Sinemaya Uzanan Bir Yapım Tekniği Olarak Makinima: Grand Theft Hamlet Örneği

Hakan Kürkçüoğlu(BOLU ABANT İZZET BAYSAL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İLETİŞİM FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0003-2603-1764
Pages
398–412
Publication Date
2026-08-01
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Grand Theft Hamlet and similar machinimas demonstrate that the future of cinematic language will be established not only through technologically advanced techniques but also through the contributions of the digital medium to the narrative universe and the emergence of new forms of expression.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:As a result of the rapid development and convergence of digital technologies, new forms, techniques, and aesthetics have emerged in popular culture and media content.
📊
Key Findings & Data:One of these is machinima, which involves the creation of video content using game engines, mods, or player performances.
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Conclusion & Impact:Grand Theft Hamlet and similar machinimas demonstrate that the future of cinematic language will be established not only through technologically advanced techniques but also through the contributions of the digital medium to the narrative universe and the emergence of new forms of expression.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2024 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Dijital Oyunlar · Oyun Kültürü · Dijital Sinema

Abstract

As a result of the rapid development and convergence of digital technologies, new forms, techniques, and aesthetics have emerged in popular culture and media content. One of these is machinima, which involves the creation of video content using game engines, mods, or player performances. Machinima, which can be regarded as an art form where filmmaking intersects with performance arts, includes original cinematic narratives, parodies, critical videos, and adaptations of pre-existing narratives. The aim of this study is to identify the key points of the machinima technique and to analyze one of the noteworthy examples of this genre in recent years: Grand Theft Hamlet (2024), within the aforementioned context. The study employed an exploratory research design as its methodology, and the film Grand Theft Hamlet was analyzed as a case study exemplar of the concept under study. The film, despite being an animation, ironically has realistic (documentary) features. Although it is a documentary, the film also has some of the basic features of classical dramatic narrative. Its structure leverages the technical features of the game to construct its storytelling. For all these reasons, the film offers valuable clues about the machinimas of the future. Grand Theft Hamlet and similar machinimas demonstrate that the future of cinematic language will be established not only through technologically advanced techniques but also through the contributions of the digital medium to the narrative universe and the emergence of new forms of expression.

Özet

Dijital teknolojilerin büyük bir hızla gelişip birbirine yaklaşmasının sonucu olarak popüler kültür ve medya içeriklerinde yeni biçimler, teknikler ve estetik tarzlar ortaya çıkmıştır. Bunlardan biri olan makinima, oyun motorlarının, modlarının veya oyuncu performansının kullanılarak video içeriklerinin üretilmesini içermektedir. Film yapımıyla performans sanatlarının kesiştiği bir sanat türü olarak da değerlendirilebilecek olan makinimalar, özgün sinema anlatıları, parodiler, eleştirel videolar ya da daha önce mevcut olan eserlerin uyarlamalarını kapsamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı; hem makinima tekniğinin anahtar noktalarını tespit etmek hem de bu kategorinin son yıllardaki dikkate değer örneklerinden biri olan Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) adlı filmi bahsedilen bağlam içerisinde incelemektir. Çalışmada yöntem olarak keşfedici araştırma yöntemi kullanılmış, incelenen kavramın bir örneği olarak Grand Theft Hamlet filmi vaka analizine tabi tutulmuştur. Film, bir animasyon olmasına rağmen ironik biçimde gerçekçi (belgesel) özelliklere sahiptir. Her ne kadar belgesel niteliği taşısa da film aynı zamanda klasik dramatik anlatımın temel bazı özelliklerini de taşımaktadır. Anlatısını kurarken oyunun teknik özelliklerinden yararlanan bir yapıdadır. Bütün bu nedenlerden film, geleceğin makinima yapıtlarına dair önemli ipuçları sunmaktadır. Grand Theft Hamlet ve benzeri makinimalar, geleceğin sinema dilinin sadece teknoloji açısından gelişmiş tekniklerle değil, filmin üretildiği dijital aracın anlatı evrenine yaptığı katkılarla ve yeni ifade biçimlerinin ortaya çıkışıyla da kurulacağını göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Kürkçüoğlu, H. (2026). Machinima as a Production Technique Extending from Digital Gaming to Cinema: The Case of Grand Theft Hamlet. Bodrum Journal of Art and Design, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2, 398–412. https://doi.org/10.58850/bodrum.1804283

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