What is social realism?

Realism started out in the film industry, it shows the audience a sort of romaticised version of what aspects of life we can relate. Social Realism however- 'The world how is is or life as it really lived'; it is pegged as a very 'British' form of cinema it is restricted to keeping it factual, it isn't fluffed up - told how it is.

There is no universal, all-encompassing definition of realism, nor is there agreement amongst academics and film-makers as to its purpose and use. But what we can say is that there are many ‘realisms’ and these realisms all share an interest in presenting some aspect of life as it is lived’. Carroll (1996) suggests that the term should only be used with a prefix attached. This is because another important feature of all realisms is how they are produced at specific historical points. The addition of a prefix, such as social-, neo-, documentary-, specifies the’ what’ and crucially, ‘when’ of that movement or moment. What is regarded as ‘real’, by whom, and how it is represented is unstable dynamic, and ever-changing, precisely because realism is irrevocably tied to the specifics of time and place. ‘Moment’” (Lay, Samantha, 2002: p 8)

A good example, for how realism is a difficult ares to cover as a whole- its difficult not to over glorify it, its makes it appealing to the audience. There is usually the intent of a political aspect in the film aswell.

Realistic aspects, of games are like " Props" According to Alexander Galloways articles on Social Realism in gaming. He compares realistic games like war- related games, may well be realistic but the players 'normal lives' are better compared to "The Sims". Most- wider known games aren't massively directed at realism; the most well known is war related games, widely drawing from historical, factual events that happened.