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Windows Photo Gallery and Movie Maker refresh: Vimeo integration, camera stabilization
Microsoft's stalwart Photo Gallery and Movie Maker won't be hitting high-end studios anytime soon, but a new refresh for Windows 7 and 8 adds useful features that the teeming masses might appreciate. Topping the list for Movie Maker is video stabilization, which fixes camera jitter and "wobble" or rolling shutter -- a desperately needed feature for free software chockablock with shaky soccer mom and skater videos. Redmond has also added audio waveforms and an extra narration track, simple audio cleanup tools and text effects to the video editor. As for Photo Gallery, the only new tool of note is "auto collage" which should let you create spectacularly cheesy montages using seven or more photos, regardless of artistic talent or effort. Finally, the software giant announced Vimeo as its new "publish partner," letting you upload your Gadget Cribs rip-offs from either program directly to the site. Let's see if the video hoster figures out a way to cordon off the onslaught of new freeware riff-raff from its regular hipster / film school crowd.
WoW Moviewatch: If Shepiwot had a love child that made PvP videos ...
(Apparently Vimeo decided that this video wasn't artistic enough. They deleted it!)It's a well known fact that I rarely feature gameplay and PvP videos on Moviewatch. However, as long as they're artistic, I don't have a problem with them. As a matter of fact, now that I'm playing WoW again (as Moowi on Mal'Ganis!), I actually enjoy seeing them. The thing is, the UI needs to be off, some shots need to be sweeping, and I look for an overall cinematic quality in general.Paus, of Bathing with Ghosts fame, has created a beauty of a movie to show off the PvP skills of Ayanas, of Trollbane EU, in Waarom Fred zuigt in PvP. It makes me wonder what Shepiwot, of the How to Paladin series, would be capable of if he had a more complex editing program than Windows Movie Maker. As for actual display of skill, the poor guy keeps dying, but that's dwarfed by high definition (Boooooo, Vimeo!) spinning and jumping, plus an epic soundtrack!If you have any suggestions, such as artistic PvP videos, for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com with a brief explanation of the action.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Machinima: The basics
(Dell is holding a machinima contest, which we'll discuss shortly. They asked me to write a tutorial to help new machinimators get their start.)Every day, I feature a video by some brave soul that dived in head first into the world of machinima. For those that aren't familiar with the term, it stands for machine and cinema. The literal definition is movies made in a 3D gaming platform. Using this basic guide, as well as the other tutorials and resources available to you, you'll be creating your first project in no time!Here is what you'll need if you want to make a machinima for free: WeGame camera - A free capturing program GIMP - A free image editing program Audacity - A free audio editing program Windows Movie Maker/iMovie - Free video editing programs that should have come with your appropriate system [Thanks for originally suggesting this, Bryan!] Read on for optional and advanced tools, plus additional resources ...
WoW Moviewatch: Ascent vs. Illidan, with a twist
Submissions are starting to trickle in to our inbox, and some of them are quite surprising. Brysan wrote in about his machinima experience, outlining the journey from wee newblet to intermediate hobbyist. However, he'd like some constructive feedback on his latest piece, a PvE video of his guild's Illidan Stormrage kill. Having graduated from Windows Movie Maker up to Sony Vegas and WoW model viewer, he wanted to make a video that was more artistic than boastful. Brysan managed to come up with an entertaining storyline with what I felt was a decent voiceover and nice visuals. Since he's looking for ways to improve, I'll note that sometimes the lipsynching is off, the aspect ratio changes randomly, and the metal soundtrack made me want to cry, but that last one is more personal than anything. Make sure to include credits for any music you're using in the future![Thanks, Brysan!]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Cinemassively: Bobble and friends
In today's Cinemassively, Stamp answers the age old question of what would happen if your World of Warcraft characters jumped out of your computer. By the end of this video, you won't care who stole the beer, or why the door was left open a crack when you swore that you shut it. You'll be too busy oohing and aahing at how adorable the WoW avatars looked in every scene.Stamp used quite a lot of programs to achieve this effect, including WoW model viewer, Sony Vegas, Windows Movie Maker, Virtual Dub, and Particle Illusion. However, in this Machinima, they blend really well together. My only complaint is that those little jailbirds didn't invite me to the party![Via Warcraftmovies.com]
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.
