Kreative Kontrolle in Echtzeit

: Engine-geführte Solo-Filmproduktion in der Praxis

Abstract

This master’s thesis examines the paradigm shift in digital filmmaking driven by the
adoption of real-time game engines such as Unreal Engine and its specific implications
for solo creators. Positioned at the intersection of emerging film technology and personal
creative practice, the study investigates the evolving role of the independent filmmaker
in the era of real-time production.
The research employs a practice-based methodology, using the production of the original animated short film To Be Warm Again as its central case study. This reflexive and
reconstructive approach enables a close analysis of the engine-driven hybrid workflow
experienced by a single practitioner–researcher, from concept development through to
final post-production.
At its theoretical core, the thesis develops the concept of the “Dialectic of Democratization,” which articulates the inherent tension faced by the Digital Auteur: unprecedented
empowerment through total creative control and rapid iteration cycles is counterbalanced by the precarity of immense technical, cognitive, and skill-based demands.
The key analytical outcome of the study is the model of the Digital Auteur as Curator–Engineer. This model resolves the dialectic by defining the dual role of the solo
creator. The Curator’s agency represents creative empowerment through the selection, integration, and refinement of digital assets and aesthetic real-time decisions. The
Engineer’s burden encompasses the precarity of maintaining the production pipeline,
optimizing performance, and managing the cognitive strain of constant context switching between creative and technical problem-solving modes.
The thesis concludes that the primary bottleneck in virtual solo production is no longer
computational (e.g., render time) but cognitive. Real-time workflows do not eliminate
creative labor—they redistribute it: from manual creation toward a demanding act of
curation and technical orchestration. In doing so, the research offers both a theoretical
framework and a practical guide for understanding contemporary digital authorship.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Roland Keil (Supervisor)