To celebrate the release of the newest Interactive film to hit the video game market, The Complex, we here at STARBURST had the privilege of sitting down with director Paul Raschid to talk about directing an interactive film against a traditional film, his favourite FMV games and what makes this title stand out from its peers.

STARBURST: Congratulations on the film/game. It’s a great thriller that had me on the edge of my seat questioning my personal moral compass with plenty of replayability.

PAUL RASCHID: Thank you so much! As a filmmaker, I refer to it personally as a film but it’s coming out on gaming platforms so it’s up to you really [laughs]. Yes, there are plenty of endings and it’s going to be so fun to see what everyone gets at the end of their playthroughs.

It’s safe to say that this is unlike anything you’ve done before. How was it as a traditional filmmaker transferring to making a live-action interactive film that is essentially multiple different films with different outcomes?

That’s a really good question. For me, especially with my previous film White Chamber and a lot of the scripts that I write, I tend to try and experiment with a structure quite a lot – a lot of fragmented timelines and alternative realities. So, my mind was already geared towards an atypical screenplay on a structural level. From the script stage and having to wrap my head around Lynn’s terrific script, it was something I really enjoyed because I think it was quite easy for me to transfer my skills across to adapt to the interactive narrative. Once I’d broken the script down and made my own flowchart of the events, it fell into place – the only issue with this format is that you have to obviously shoot a lot more and you have to make sure the continuity was there. Aside from that, I was able to stick to most things quite traditionally – rehearsals with the actors and everything like that.

What was it about the story that drew you to the project?

For me, first and foremost, it was the interactivity of the story. Some of my favourite films are hostage thrillers which are set in very contained spaces such as Phonebooth and Buried – chamber piece thrillers. Those kinds of stories are so skilful for screenwriters to make a narrative that is contained and riveting at the same time. I thought Lynn had done a fantastic job at that. I’m a casual gamer and I really enjoy interactive narratives the most – like Heavy Rain and Until Dawn, that is my favourite for sure.

What, in your opinion, makes The Complex stand out from the other interactive films that are currently out there?

I’d say it’s the relationship status tracker – the emphasis on relationships, I personally haven’t seen anything like that before. I know it was lightly touched upon in Late Shift, another titled published by Wales Interactive, and I thought it was something that I could build upon in The Complex. Relationships are built on decisions in the real world and I think that, especially as it is a chamber piece, it needed those relationships to really assist the character-driven story. As a screenwriter, you are always taught that true character is defined by the decisions that the characters make so I feel like there were a lot of things that motivated us to nail this key mechanic to the game. I hope people consider their choices really carefully, especially on who they trust and don’t trust.

After being popular in the 90s, FMV or interactive films have recently made a resurgence. How proud and excited are you to be a part of this rising genre of gaming and storytelling?

I’m really proud and really excited because I really believe in the format – I believe in the genre. Once you get into it, you can’t really go back as now every script I write is interactive! [laughs]. I think that we are truly in a golden age of film and TV and gaming, but I think its only natural that there’s more of a crossover between them all to audiences because they are essentially thrill-seekers, therefore, they are seeking emotional responses to things. Film fans especially have been crying out for things like this for years so that they can get more involved in the story. It’s a natural progression for sure. Netflix’s Bandersnatch has also done a world of good for the format as it introduced these types of stories and interactivity to a much wider, global audience that is even further than gamers.

The film stars a multitude of global talent including the wonderful Kate Dickie. How was it working with her and the rest of the cast?

We were really blessed with a fantastic cast on this – and they really all helped us wrap our head around everything and everyone was on board and knew exactly how to approach it, especially Michelle as she had the most scenes and her along with the rest of the cast made each decision feel like it was high stakes. I’ve been such a fan of Kate’s for the longest time – she is utterly magnetic on-screen and her diversity of work that she’s done genre-wise is unrivalled. She had such amazing energy on set and she’s such an intelligent actress, able to hit her mark on every single take – it was a blessing as a director to work with her, truly.

Can we expect another interactive film from you in the future?

One hundred per cent. Absolutely one hundred per cent! If anybody wants to hire me, please do! [laughs].