Blogs of the Round Table: The Role of an Auteur in Games

Auteur theory, in films at least, suggests that a "creative visionary" can truly lead a team project and have an authorial influence on all, or nearly all, aspects of the project. Some people don't believe that an auteur can truly lead a creative vision across a project, particularly because a modern Hollywood film consists of work contributed by hundreds of people, many of whom never work directly with each other.

I certainly am a believer of a broader view of Auteurism. I certainly think there are Auteur directors that definitely leave an indelible mark of themselves upon the screen. But I also think that the definition of an auteur, of someone with an authorial impact on a film, expands to fill many of the creative roles in a film. At one point I had my film collection broken down by the Directors, Writers, Cinematographers and even Actors that I think bring something more to a film, and can elevate a film to greatness. The idea that these individuals leave indelible marks on a film's DNA, and to me that is a definition for "authorial".

I watch a lot of DVD special features. It's a habit of mine to try to watch most of the non-commentary special features on each DVD of mine. I also realize that it can be something of a rare habit, as not a lot of people care for special features. One thing that I have noticed in my special feature watching is something that should be practically common sense: good auteurs find talented people to work for them. Delving into special features you will find auteurs' love letters to the editors, costume designers, cinematographers, set designers, and what have ...