Production company electriclime° has revealed details about its recent ‘Interactive By Design: Lessons From Games To Films’ talk, which was held at their Dubai office, °W13, as the latest installment of its creative talks.
Bringing together industry leaders and filmmakers in Alserkal Avenue, the evening explored the influence of gaming within the filmmaking space, and how interactive design principles are helping shape the future of commercial storytelling.
Michael Ahmadzadeh, Co-Founder, electriclime°, said, “Our vision is to create spaces where creative disciplines collide and push each other forward. Hosting conversations like this — with voices from gaming, advertising, and filmmaking — shows how much cross-pollination there really is, and how it can elevate the kind of stories we tell for brands globally.”
At the event, the speakers discussed how mechanics from games — such as audience agency, world-building, and dynamic narratives — can be adapted to enhance filmic experiences and create deeper connections between brands and audiences.
The event was moderated by Helmi Abdalhadi, who has been leading some of the biggest gaming accounts for seven years and has negotiated and closed some of the biggest gaming sponsorship deals in the region. The panel included Omar Kishk, Regional Product Lead EMEA – Valorant at Riot Games; and Sameer Suri, Creative Director at Serviceplan Middle East.
During the session, Kishk said, “Gaming is never always the answer, it’s more like we understand what your business objectives are, what you are truly trying to get for your product and then see if gaming is the right space to go through.”
He added, “Gaming requires longevity, it’s not just hit and run. You need to build your relationship. Just think on ‘how can I win with this product, be relevant to my audience and exist in this space?’, and then the audience will see you as something that’s genuine.”
Meanwhile, Suri said: “Gamers are really passionate about the universes they live in, and they don’t want their experiences tainted by brands forcing their way in. So you can’t manufacture a community, because gamers will sniff it out immediately.”
He advised, “The best thing a brand can do is keep listening, spot where communities already exist, and support them instead of trying to manufacture them.”
The event also welcomed an insightful Q&A with the audience, followed by a networking event in the °W13 space.
Commenting on the event, Abdalhadi said, “Not only is electriclime° proactively bringing together experts from different disciplines and industries, but they have given us the space to create insightful conversations that – I hope – will have given tonight’s audience a few takeaways to bring into their own professional lives.
“For me, these outcomes centered around building and maintaining communities and having those communities participate in the worlds and stories you create,” he added.
The talk was part of electriclime°’s ongoing initiative to create spaces for dialogue and collaboration around the future of storytelling, technology and creative innovation.
