Myst was a gaming phenomenon when it launched in 1993. Now, a Kickstarter project hopes to collectively fund a documentary on this historic point-and-click adventure game.
As home computers became more popular, Myst helped popularize the CD-ROM drive. Myst surprised with his use of live action digital actors and pre-rendered backgrounds. It also became the best-selling PC game of the decade.
The Myst Documentary is the work of filmmaker Philip Shane (Be elmo, Dancing in jaffa) He was inspired to tell Myst’s story after meeting the game’s creators, brothers Rand Miller and Robyn Miller, at a conference in 2016. Since then, he has filmed more than 100 hours of preliminary footage while still on the pre-production phase.
The Kickstarter campaign begins on July 14, with a goal of $ 200,000. I had a chance to ask Shane and the Millers about this documentary before the launch of the crowdfunding campaign.
GamesBeat: Why is now the time for a Myst documentary?
Philip Shane: I started working on the documentary in 2016 after meeting the Miller brothers at the Killscreen Fest in Brooklyn. I played Myst in 1993 when it first came out and had always been a fan. So when I heard Rand and Robyn speak at this festival in my own backyard, I had to go! Then I met them and told them about some of my work: they had seen and enjoyed Be elmo. I asked if they had ever considered making a Myst documentary and they didn’t, so I said I would love to make one. That’s where the idea started and since then, I flew several times to Seattle and Spokane and recorded over 100 hours of footage. Now that I’m recruiting more team members to help with the production of the film, we’re reaching out to fans to help fund the project.
Currently, the film documents an extraordinary transformation of technology through which we interact with each other and with which we tell our stories. The men and women working on these technologies are living through these same difficult times and they are all trying to help us come out on the other side with something that fuels our need for stories, elevates our spirit and unites us. The Myst fan community is one of the most diverse I’ve ever experienced, and it’s remarkably intergenerational, in a way that I haven’t experienced since my work with fans of Jim Henson and The Muppets. There is a kindness, compassion, and a level of community sharing and support that extends from the most distant fans to the creators of the games themselves.
Myst and their worlds are part of all their lives, and it is a story they share and a spirit they cherish. Cyan’s games reward patience, intelligence, teamwork, and foster a love of nature and technology through creativity and exploration. More than ever, old and young fans are sharing stories of how they discovered Myst, and how much they are rewarded by returning to their Ages over and over again, yesterday and today, and it is a very good bet that they will be there deep into the future. .
Rand Miller: This is strange to consider from the creator’s point of view. I have a completely different perspective on why I would love the documentary. It’s not about the feelings I had when I played Myst, but the feelings I had when we developed and built the Myst worlds, and then we saw others play it. Those are more about reliving the work and the anticipation and relief we went through when we opened Myst to the world. So timing is not as important as just getting a selfish opportunity to get back those magical days of doing Myst.
Above: Rand Miller looks at the world he helped create.
Image credit: Phillip Shane
GamesBeat: Is Myst still relevant to the modern gaming landscape?
Philip As the research for the documentary unfolded, I found that people fall into three categories: those who have heard of and respect Myst but have not reproduced or finished it; Those who have played the game and feel that it is an important part of the game’s history, and those who have played it and say that it is what motivated them to become a game designer or developer! In that sense, I’d say yes, Myst is highly relevant to the modern gaming landscape and has a permanent place in gaming history. I think many people who otherwise would not have played video games did so for Myst.
Rand: I hope it remains relevant, even if it is relevant in a different way. I know that the original versions of certain books and movies that influenced me in my formative years may be showing their age, but I still consider them relevant. There may even be newer versions or sequels that I enjoy, but the original versions return a feeling of inspiration in its nostalgic form.
Robyn Miller: In terms of being relevant as a game, Rand and the people of Cyan have worked hard to keep the Myst franchise going and evolving in surprising ways. I will be as curious as everyone else to see what steps they take with Myst in the future.
GamesBeat: Does the documentary cover only the original game or the entire series?
Philip The documentary will primarily follow the story of the Miller brothers, Rand and Robyn, and how they set out to create a wonderful work of art and ended up making the best-selling video game in the world for more than a decade. So in that sense, it’s about Myst and a bit about the sequel, Riven. But it will also give the public an insight into what the Millers are up to today, and in the years after Myst they have released other games, including Uru and Obduction, and are now developing Firmament. I hope to show the evolution of the immersive worlds that the Miller brothers created and gave life to millions of people around the world.
Above: Myst co-creator Robyn Miller.
Image credit: Phillip Shane
GamesBeat: Is there any behind-the-scenes material for the development of the series?
Rand: When Myst passed the 25-year mark, I started looking in drawers and cabinets, looking for forgotten videos. And lo and behold, I got some with some fun pictures. I already had a bad streak with a Hi8 camcorder that I bought on eBay eating the first tape I gave it, so we will be a little more careful with the remaining tapes. And I managed to save the first tape by completely disassembling the camcorder. Wow, are those complicated things. So yes, we will contribute some behind the scenes material to Philip.
GamesBeat: Is Myst ready for a comeback?
Philip I have observed over the years that Myst has had several comebacks, and continues to do so. After Myst came out on PC in 1993, it continued to find new audiences on consoles, mobile devices, handheld devices, most recently the Nintendo Switch. So I think in response to your question Myst has had plenty of ‘lifts’ already and will continue as long as there are fans of a great story, interesting puzzles and a compelling adventure.
Rand: Depending on your point of view: Myst never needed a return, or Myst always needs a return. The original Myst will always be special, but the various sequels and versions take advantage of technology to offer different perspectives on the worlds. It is a matter of personal taste. I know that the greatest story surrounding Myst always seems to beg him to tell it one way or another.
Robyn I’ve been away from Myst since Riven’s end, it’s hard to believe that more than two decades have passed! So I have been experiencing the various Mysts as the world experiences them. I think for me, a return could mean going back to work on a Myst project. Crossing my fingers on that.
Above: Philip Shane made the documentary “Being Elmo”.
Image credit: Phillip Shane
GamesBeat: What stories are you most excited to share with the documentary?
Philip One of the things that I’m most excited about is taking Robyn and Rand to meet some of the people who were involved in creating the hardware and software that allowed Myst to happen. They met some of these people in the past, but others they never knew! We are talking about the people responsible for creating the amazing devices and technologies that we still use today, people in Japan, Europe and here in the US The brothers are lovingly talking about so many amazing memories they have of these cutting-edge inventions appearing on the scene and literally changing the course of how the game was made. It really was the beginning of the video game era, when they entered pop culture. And Myst was one of those games that inspired a new generation of games, gamers, and game makers.
Rand: I’ll have to echo Philip in this case. I am amazed at the amazing people who created the technology that allowed us to create Myst. Those are some of my heroes, most of whom are not recognized, and it would be amazing to chat or just express how much fun it was to misuse and misuse their tools to make our world.
Robyn Due to the press at the time, people have the idea that it was all Rand and Robyn. I hope Philip has a chance to chase some of these other threads of the story: some of the biggest stews that were combined. From the small company in Japan that invested in the project, with almost no idea of what the game was going to be like, to Bill Atkinson, who created HyperCard, the tool without which Myst would have been almost impossible to create within our budget. These stories of what led to this Myst thing are especially interesting. In the end, I think a viewer will see that Myst was almost inevitable. Someone was going to make Myst, or a game like Myst. We were lucky to be the first. And we had a little foresight.
