“And actors can't do exactly the same thing every time, every take. Their expression may change slightly and that little nuance makes me really happy.”
Kojima explained what shooting with actors gives him that digital work does not: he has been making games for over 30 years, close to 40, and with games he can make something he is 100% satisfied with because it is all digital. But he still wants chance happenings to occur — on a live‑action shoot it can rain, the weather can change, the sunset can look beautiful, and those elements do not exist in his mind and catch him by surprise. Actors also cannot do exactly the same thing in every take; their expression changes slightly, and that little nuance makes him very happy. By incorporating other people’s senses instead of only his own, something different, even something better, may be born. He finished with a guild‑like barb, saying he thinks people in the animation industry would be shocked if they knew all this, and that those who shoot live action do understand him.
“I've been making games for over 30 years, close to 40 years now, and with games I can make something that I'm 100% satisfied with, because it's all digital. But I still want chance happenings to occur. […] Those elements don't exist in my mind. It'll catch me by surprise. […] By incorporating other people's senses instead of just my own, something different, something even better may be born. I think people in the animation industry will be shocked if they knew all this.”