Mission Complete
Navigating the Boundaries of Virtual Realities with Jara Moravec
Directed by Jara Moravec
Interview by Tatev Avetisyan
In a world where the line between the virtual and the real continues to blur, Mission Complete, an experimental short film directed by Jara Moravec, shapeshifts further the concept with a thought-provoking cinematic experience. Live shots combined with 3D computer-generated images introduce the audience to the "perfect life simulator." Drawing inspiration from the iconic video game series The Sims, Mission Complete reveals the strange sadness and nuanced manifestations of love between its characters.
Having experienced the diverse landscapes of Prague, London, and Berlin, Jara Moravec, in conversation with Curation Hour, reveals the concept and inspiration behind the film, reflects on the emotional input within the idea of virtual reality and shares the behind-the-scenes of the production process.
How did you get involved in filmmaking?
A total classic: I had been riding BMX. Tomáš Kotas was also a BMXer at the time. I quickly realised I enjoy documenting bikes and skates more than anything else. Another biker, a good friend of mine, grew up in an artistic family and has pursued a career as a graphic designer. It led me to enrol in a photography course, move to London and realise I am much more interested in moving images than stills. It didn't occur to me until I was 30 that I would become a director.
You did a full circle: moving from Prague to London to Berlin and back to Prague. How did these cities influence your aesthetics, and how different is it to work in your hometown compared to the cities that culturally differ?
Having worked in all three locations, I can say that each has its own unique pros and cons. With so much talent and business opportunities in London, it is also the hardest city to create work. Everything is more expensive - rentals, transportation, the distances you have to travel. For a foreigner, it was difficult to shoot personal work of higher production value. Compared to other cities, Berlin is somewhere in the middle. I am always amazed at how much you can accomplish with very little in Prague.
However, I don't think any of these cities have a particular vibe that shaped my aesthetic, not in a direct way. The privilege of living in London and Berlin has allowed me to meet a lot of people, acquire experience, and learn a lot. Even if I had lived somewhere else in my 20s, I would have been into raves and moody visuals.
The dystopian semi-reality you have created in Mission Complete is a "perfect life simulator". What was the inspiration behind it? And, how did you combine real shooting with 3D computer-generated images?
This film began to take shape when the pandemic began. At its inception, this was a very personal reflection of how I lived: looking at and creating images in a virtual environment. Even outside the creative industry, so many people spend their days working on a computer, building this intangible economy. Algorithms fascinatingly organise our lives in a fascinating way. In the age of social media, delivery services, health and dating apps, we develop alter egos that resemble computer game characters. Gamified Western individualism that's taking over the world.
My other notable experience was watching most of my friends (including myself) settle down. People around me are starting families, building houses, and living life as adults, very different from how we used to live ten years ago. As much as the 20s were a time of self-discovery, the 30s are more about establishing foundations, and I find that change fascinating. That's where Sims 1 comes in.
“In the age of social media, delivery services, health and dating apps, we develop alter egos that resemble computer game characters. Gamified Western individualism that’s taking over the world.”
This mix of mediums gives off both an impressive and chilling energy. How did you approach the storyboarding, and what was the most challenging part of making the film?
I have considered using 3D rendering software, but I preferred to be limited by the boundaries of an existing computer game. The Sims was a perfect match for this project - an ordinary life simulator with incredible sentimental value for my generation. As a kid, I never played Sims, but so many of my friends did. It is the only game that doesn't involve dragons, spaceships, or magic; instead, you build your own American dream. Aesthetically, Sims 1 was the only version that fit, newer sequels became too cute and cartoonish. Sims 1 has a lot of darkness, be it the art direction, eerie imperfect human emotions, or even weird details like the grim reaper taking away dead Sims. I found Sims 1 through Simitone, a game mod that allowed a 3D view in a game designed for bird's eye view. It is what gives these shots that crude, grotesque quality.
However, working with a real game had its drawbacks as well. My initial plan was to do all the screen recordings myself. But I realised I had no idea how to play the game. My search for help on some peculiar Discord forum led me to mrpenguinb - a really helpful Sims expert. But even then, we had to endure all the fits of the Sims characters - when asked to hug and kiss, they didn't like each other enough, and then they were tired or hungry. We also had to chase the light. We lined up a shot, waited for the right light and then our characters just ignored the commands. True celebrity manners. As easy as it seemed, the virtual shoot turned out to be just as difficult as any other real-world shoot.
I wanted to observe somebody's life rather than create and have full control over something in 3D software. We did not storyboard for this project. Instead, we rehearsed with Niki and Loczek; and explored their body language and computer game aesthetics. For the Sims, I wanted to see all the different manifestations of love - a dance, a hug, a kiss, taking care of a child, always seen from far away, like in Edward Hopper’s paintings.
What was it like working with the creative? How did you communicate your vision to the production team? Can you walk us through your decision-making process when choosing the style and tone of the documentary?
It is fun to make films with people who bring their own ideas to it. The idea that a director is the holy source of inspiration does not hold any appeal to me. The closest collaborator was our DP, Tomáš Kotas, and our producer, Matěj Marcinko, on the production side. In the post production, I spent a lot of time with our editor Katarina Gramatová.
We talked about the core values of the film, how we want to make the audience feel and how we portray the theme of virtuality in a way that does not feel too obvious. I was aware this whole “virtual world” idea has been done so many times before. We opted for the most practical, in-camera approach that minimises post-production. In fact, we shot on 35mm film, not so much for the look of it but for the slow, concentrated and meticulous way of working you can only achieve with a limited amount of film.
Seeing Niki and Loczek move reminded me of playing computer games in the afternoon after school, a memory shared by my generation. The Sims characters also display this strange sadness. Based on that, we defined our main objective: how can we show nuances of human experience without “acting”?
"It’s a reflection of my own life too as I watch my friends settle down, have kids and become grown-ups," you said on social media. Do you feel that with the rise of social media, people began to live double lives: real and the one where we see as if somebody else makes the decisions for us? What do you think are the prospects of the future in relation to the capitalistic society we live in now?
It is no secret social media feeds off the human desire to present ourselves in the best light and to compensate for insecurities by being praised by others. However, I do not necessarily see that as a second life. Instagram can be like going to a really fancy ball. Even though everyone is dressed up for the occasion, most people will wear something comfortable tomorrow. It's just a game.
What message do you hope viewers will take away from watching Mission Complete? Is Mission indeed complete? Perhaps, the open ending hints at something more.
A person's life has always been filled with aspirations - to figure out who you are and what you want, find a partner, start a family, or buy more stuff. Even when we achieve a lot, human nature doesn't stop greed and lust. Thus, you complete one mission and then unlock another, just like in a video game. It is as old as time itself. That's why I wanted to tell the story fragmented, scattered, hopping through time and space, challenging what is real.
Any filmmakers or artists whose works you follow?
It is fascinating to see artists making commercial art that pushes the envelope along with their personal work. I was recently blown away by the sheer power of Leigh Powis' vision. Matilda Finn is great. Then, there are Pantera, Realité, Camille Summers-Valli, rubberband and many others. Outside of short form, I enjoyed Causeway by Lila Neugebauer, Men by Alex Garland and the latest Adam Curtis masterpiece Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone. Fresh by Mimi Cave is a lot of fun too.
What projects are you working on next?
I am actually taking a break! I am about to marry my amazing girlfriend and do quite a lot of travelling. In the coming summer, I plan to take it easy, wait for the right project, and start thinking about my next personal project.
Directed by Jara Moravec
featuring: Nicole Zuzanna Hoff and Oskar Marcin Szymkowski
music: Jakub Benda aka Trevor Linde
editor: Katarina Gramatová
sims: Timothy Herrmann
color: Marina Starke
photographer: Vojta Veškrna
title animation & retouch: Lucas Saidl, Sebastian Baalbaki / notreal_virtual
stylist: Veronika Pavlíková
make-up artist: Kamila Brunias
1st ad: I-ju Lin
1ac: Dominik Brostl
2ac: Patrik Jelínek
gaffer: Tomáš Volter
best boy: Josef Stárek
steadicam/ronin: Štěpán Cincibus
key grip: Richard Dastych
grip: Jakub Veinlich
camera trainee: Shubhranshu Chaudhary
camera trainee: Liza Nedayvoda
shadowing: Emile Diatta
driver: Pavel Koníček
producer: Matouš Marcinko
production: Nikol Urbanová
produced by: closer.video, Hamlet, Kode media,
executive producers hamlet: Jason Felstead, Ruben Goots, Clément Martorell
executive producer kode: Jack Goodwin