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Cataclysm Press Event: New views of Cataclysm, Blizzard offices
In addition to all the changes announced in the Cataclysm press release event, World of Raids has a flyover video of several of the new zones, including Orgrimmar, Stormwind and Thousand Needles, among others. If photos are more your fancy, Wowhead posted a gallery from their tour of the Blizzard offices, including some gorgeous shots of statues and action figures from the Warcraft line, a ton of gallery artwork, giant plushies and Blizzard's own unique take on motivational posters that highlight Blizzard's philosophy on game design.
WoW Moviewatch: Dragonball Z: Trouble on Arlia, pt I
Tryton created Dragonball Z: Trouble on Arlia, pt I by putting Dragonball Z's soundtrack on top of World of Warcraft graphics. This isn't the first time Tryton's created Dragonball Z WoW machinima, as we've featured his work before. I guess he must be a pretty big fan. The animation is actually really well done. I like the character models he chose, and I thought the settings, effects, and mis en scene all came together very well. That being said, without the character context or background story information, I didn't feel like I had much clue what was going on. That's probably just my lack of familiarity with Dragonball Z, though, and I can totally cop to that. I was, however, somewhat disappointed not to see anyone shouting "It's over 9000!" Hopefully, the second part will actually happen, and we'll be able to see where the story goes. I'd encourage Tryton to try and create his own script, eventually. His moviemaking skills are definitely there, and I'd like to see what original content he may create. If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Polystyrene Dream
I don't usually do a lot of WoW music videos, because I tend to be more of a story-buff. But Polystyrene Dream by Yume caught my attention. I'm not sure if it was the ethereal quality of the video, which lined up very well with "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead, or maybe the hints of narrative that persisted through the piece. I could probably drive myself crazy projecting motivations on the two central characters, and trying define relationships, reasoning, and results of their actions. In summary, two blood elves repetitively walk up to an increasing variety of critters, stab them, and take their stuff. It could just be meant to be pretty, and it definitively is pretty. I don't have much to say about the audio track, since it is essentially a nice song by a widely known band. It's possible that if I knew the song or band better, I might see more relevance in the imagery. Still, if you're talking about "Fake Plastic Trees," I guess it's fair to use a pair of Blood Elves as protagonists. [Via WarcraftMovies] If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Things You Need
Things You Need is a submission to the machinima category of the 48 Hour Film Project by Stone Falcon Productions, Oblivious Films, and Slashdance. It's a little raucous, and a little rowdy, so your mileage on this film is going to vary according to your taste. It's the story of a down-trodden gnome who encounters a magic shop, gets a tub of magic paint, and hijinks ensue. I really enjoyed the first part of the film. It was cute, amusing, and the musical portions were pretty darn funny. I loved the shop owner, and the dialogue and play between the two characters. It was lighthearted, fast paced, and totally worth the time. I'm not as sold on the gnome's female companion, created using the magical bucket. She's stereotypically vacuous and unsatisfying for the gnome, who decides to erase her. There's two schools of thought on this. The first is the obvious concern about the misogyny, the creation of a "perfect" woman, the exploitation of her, and the immediate use of her for base purposes. The other side to that discussion, of course, is that you can interpret the piece as a criticism of that kind of behavior, questioning the motives and character of a man who would do such a thing. Ultimately, though, I don't know if there's a lot to be read into it except a joke, and whether or not you find the joke funny. Like I said, your mileage is going to vary. [Via WarcraftMovies] If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: The Orchard
We lead off this week with an offering from Lafawnduh, otherwise known as Dan Ross. The video is The Orchard, and it won first prize in the Warcraft Movies Shrieking Shorties Contest. Lafawnduh was previously featured on Moviewatch for the Ultimate Snowdown back in December 2007. This time, Lafawnduh's looking at the strange story of Old Margaret, whose mysterious apple pies have won the Brewfest's Southshore Apple Pie contest for years. A frustrated farmer is at his wit's end and tired of losing to Old Margaret. He chooses to sneak into her barn one night to discover the secret. The Orchard is categorized as "Horror," but you don't need to be told that. Within a few second of the video, the mood, music, and first-person perspective tells you what kind of story you're about to witness. The perspective carries the horror theme very well, with a disjointed sense of what the character's witnessing. The story itself has a great ending. The morality of Margaret isn't called into question, except by what you might draw on from horror tropes. In fact, the cruel coincidence of what the narrator happens across probably makes for the most horrific part of the story. If he hadn't chosen this night, if he hadn't happened to be around, things might have turned out differently for him. I particularly enjoyed this graying of events, since it makes everything plausible without particularly maligning anyone, or relying on tired cliches of motivation. [Via Myndflame]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Netherwing - The Movie
Continuing our spotlight of the top movies in Warcraft Movie's Fabled Few contest, today we have something special for those of you suffering from extended server downtime: a fifteen minute movie.Why would you want to watch a 15 minute machinima piece? Because this one is very, very well done. Story, script, music, cinematography, sound effects, you name it. This movie has got it. It ended up placing 2nd in the Drama category, only beaten by Black Rose.Netherwing - The Movie dramatizes the event surrounding the Netherwing faction quest in game. And for once, doesn't use the Blood Elf model to make the race look like a bunch of prancing idiots. Part 1 is above, and part 2 of the movie is after the jump.If you want to know more about the film maker and his other projects, check out his blog at Stormscape Creations.
WoW Moviewatch: Black Rose
After five days of showing you various runner ups to Warcraft Movies' Fabled Few machinima contest, it's time to put the spotlight on the finalist with the most votes. Who is the player who beat out Baron Soosdon for the top spot?The $1,000 Grand Prize winner is Kenion with his Music entry, Black Rose. As the creator mentions on the movie's page, making action videos using the limited animation of WoW characters is tough. But with fast-moving music, clever camera angles, excellent editing and dazzling special effects, Kenion sure found a way to make it work.Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: Among Fables And Men
The top winners of Warcraft Movies' Fabled Few continue to impress. First place in the drama category went to Dopefish for this video that pushes the boundaries of what you've seen before in WoW Machinima. No voice over, no text and no moving video. This entire tale is told using still images. And it's one of the best you'll see this year.Budding machinimists often forget how important music and sound effects are to telling the story. Dopefish challenged himself by using only those two elements on his soundtrack. Add to that the innovative use of screenshots and you get a film that weaves a spell that draws you in. And isn't that what a good story should do?Tomorrow, we'll be spotlighting the Grand Prize winner.Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: To Cure A Hangover
The first place winner in the Comedy category of Warcraft Movies recently finished Fabled Few contest is none other than Baron Soosdon. His surreal images and fast-paced editing are on display in "To Cure A Hangover" and also something else we rarely see from him: a narrative structure.You see, this Orc Warlock had too much to drink the night before and needs to rent a video to keep his demonic minions happy while he recovers. What? That's not enough of a story for you? That's more than you get in any given episode of "Seinfeld."Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: Roll a Horde - Elf Hunters
The Warcraft Movies site has always been a great source of WoW-based machinima. Recently, they held a video creation contest called the Fabled Few to find the best of the best among today's visual storytellers. The finalist were selected and the voting closed on Tuesday.The vid above is the runner up in the Comedy category. Inspired by the "Get A Mac" commercials, a Blood Elf and Night Elf argue superiority based on racial abilities. After you watch the film, I think we all can agree that we've grouped with someone like the Belf Hunter depicted. And immediately found a reason to /disband.Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: The Fifth Horseman
WarcraftMovies ran a Halloween Machinima contest this year. Baron Soosdon of I'm So Sick and Unlimited Escapism fame came in second place with this horrific tale of corruption and mayhem.The Baron has been criticized in the past for lack of narrative. This time, he created a film that followed one man's journey into the heart of darkness, and the terrifying consequences. It's on the bloody side, so if you don't like slasher flicks, I wouldn't recommend viewing this one.As usual, avoid the embedded stream for Baron movies and check out the Stage 6 link for high quality picture.Previously on Moviewatch....
The Fabled Few machinima contest
Do you love creating machinima but lack the motivation to publish your own films? You're in luck. Warcraftmovies.com has just announced the opening of The Fabled Few contest. With $2000.00 in cash and prizes to be won, there is plenty of incentive to get your movies made.The contest submissions begin today and go through November 12th, so if you haven't gotten your magnum opus finished you still have a bit of time. There are three categories you can compete in: Drama, Comedy, and Music. The first prize is $1000 in cash. That's a lot of tacos, my friend. Should you win the grand prize your film will also be featured for an entire weekend on WarcraftMovies.com. Most importantly, make sure you send us info on your submission here at WoW Insider so we can Moviewatch that triumph I'm sure your work will be.
Machinima 101: The basics
You've seen a crazy good PvP video that shows a top ranked player's latest moves or maybe a short clip of the latest epic mount and now you want to make a Warcraft film of your own. With two simple programs you can make a video in an hour or less. It's not going to be an epic story of love and war across the ages, but it can be anything in game you want to show your friends, guildmates or the world whether it's a guild event, a boss fight or an Arena battle. In this article, I'm going to cover the very basics of Machinima (making movies using game footage.) By the end of this feature, you'll be able to record, edit and post a short video of your exploits in Azeroth. You can see a demonstration of how to make a Warcraft film by clicking on the short video tutorial above. Otherwise, read on for step-by-step instructions complete with screenshots and recommendations for advanced techniques.
WoW Moviewatch: World of Final Fantasy
Well, our friends over at WarcraftMovies.com have done it again; this time recreating our favorite MMO with the old-school stylings of Final Fantasy! Watch and enjoy and bask in the retrospective nostalgia. For those that happen to have no idea what the Final Fantasy series is, let me enlighten you. The series began in Japan in 1987 with a turn-based cartridge game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Square. The series is still alive and kicking, having released Final Fantasy 12 just last fall. The classic menu style, music, and Chocobo reference are amazingly funny. I love this video! [Thanks, Kakashisan on Mal'Ganis]
