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3D-printed vascular systems help doctors practice for your surgery
It's safe to say that you want your doctors to know exactly what they're doing when performing surgery. But how do they train for a vascular operation, which is both extremely tricky and unique to your anatomy? By using 3D printing, that's how. MakerBot's parent company Stratasys is teaming with physicians to create 3D-printed replicas of patients' vascular systems, giving surgeons a way to practice before they poke around your blood vessels. The models use flexible photopolymers (that is, light-sensitive polymers) to recreate the feel of organic tissue, so you don't have to worry that the surgery team is only used to working with hardened plastic.
WoW Moviewatch: Arena promotion by Bloodvein
Bloodvein created this video to promote the full spectator-mode Arena tournament taking place Nov. 10 and 11. This video features some driving music and amazingly inspiring animation. The Arena tournament is intended to benefit the the Fallen Patriot Fund, so it's worth your time to check it out. Bloodvein really has a knack for this kind of video; he's definitely the go-to guy if you want a kicking trailer. Take the time to check out the rest of Bloodvein's channel. He's been doing commentary for other games including Minecraft, Dead Island, and even Warhammer 40K: Space Marine. He's got some pretty awesome videos happening among the other games; if you like his stuff, swing by and check them out. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Questline
This is a trailer for a new project by Bloodvein and Propostris. The video does a pretty good job of summing up what's going on, so take the time to check it out. The trailer itself is smooth and entertaining; we can hope that the Questline project will be just as good. I don't why I'm excited by the idea that Bloodvein and Propostris are both playing Dwarves. I'm a fan of the stout characters myself. (Do you see what I did there?) Dwarves don't get nearly enough play in the community, so that's another reason to hope the new series takes off. First, Bloodvein and Propostris get some play, and Dwarves get another marketing vehicle. Now, if they could just get Magni to return. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Dire Wolves
Work warning: Violence exists in this video. You're as shocked as I am. This video from Bloodvein is a trailer for a rated BG team called Dire Wolves. If you don't recognize the computer's voice, we'll help you out: That's none other than the incredibly talented Sharm. We've seen a lot of guild trailers and inspirational spots for raid teams, but this is the first trailer for a rated battleground group that I can recall. The video eschews plot but is still fairly epic. I can definitely see this video helping to get members psyched and pumped up before some rated BG matches. The Windows joke at the end is also well worth the laugh. The animation and graphics are amazing as always, which is what we've come to expect from Bloodvein. The guy has a heck of an eye for compelling footage. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
Premiering tonight: AFK film offers laughs, epic gaming scenes
Tonight is the premiere of /afk, a short film that tells the story of a single WoW player with a dream to solo Onxyia before he quits the game for good. Earlier this week, WoW Insider spoke with Benjamin Dressler, the director of /afk, and got the scoop on some of the origins of the film. Today, I'll be following up that interview with a review of the film and a few more words from Dressler on the more detailed aspects of the production. /afk is a short comedy that combines live-action footage with in-game animation and machinima. The story follows Piet (Martin Schnuerch), a student whose parents want him to take control of his life and break his gaming habit. He is unwittingly submitted to counseling, where he meets with the brutally honest psychiatrist (Eva Spott.) Piet is cooperative to an extent, telling his in-game friend Nippi (Bill Dean) early on that he intends to quit the game, but as the story progresses, it's apparent that he's very torn on the matter. He questions whether he is addicted and what he wants to do with his life. To make the decision harder on him, Piet has always wanted to solo Onxyia in the game and liken himself to a mythical dragonslayer, like Beowulf or Siegfried, a task he has not yet fulfilled. The film takes place during Piet's final days in the game, when he spends his time with friends and preparing for his face-off with the dragon. Update: /afk is now available for viewing.
15 Minutes of Fame: Film follows fantasy of fighting Onyxia
Work Warning: Brief profanity in the video. From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. Just as Azeroth prepares to explode in all its cataclysmic glory, films on gaming seem to be exploding onto the scene. There's the documentary from LFG Productions (many of you may have seen them filming at BlizzCon and our reader meetup last month) that will be following leading raiding guild <Blood Legion> in a full-court press into Cataclysm. There's The Raid, another take on raiding life that we also saw at BlizzCon, and the "zanier" take on gaming culture of Gamers. In contrast to all those documentaries comes the short narrative film /afk. This live-action film, featuring extensive in-game footage produced by a whole host of well known machinimators -- Gigi, Teagen the Rogue, Baron Soosdon, the list goes on -- tells the tale of a WoW gamer whose psychiatrist informs him that he is gaming-addicted and should delete his character. Game over? Not quite. "The problem is that he always had this dream to solo Onyxia," explains creator Benjamin Dressler, "and he doesn't intend to leave without reaching that goal." /afk debuts on YouTube later this week with a unique, in-game event that literally "unlocks" the premiere. On Nov. 19, Aventhor, the night elf character from the movie, will appear on Alleria (EU-A) at 7 p.m. GMT and Drenden (US-A) at 5 p.m. CST. Find him and unlock "/afk"! Players must find Aventhor on each server and perform his quests to unlock the movie on YouTube. For more details on the premiere event, see the video at the end of the article -- and join us after the break for a peek behind the scenes with creator Benjamin Dressler.
WoW Moviewatch: Gnome Hunter
Work Warning: This video references the running MMO joke, Epeen. Gnome Hunter is a new machinima by Bloodvein. The voice acting was performed by Propostris. Gnome Hunter clearly takes place after the Cataclysm, since the eponymous Gnome Hunter shockingly finds a tribe of gnomes preparing to hunt down Deathwing himself. These gnomes are actually my favorite part of the video. I don't know why I enjoy feral gnomes in tribal clothing so much. There's something about the idea of wild gnomes running rampant across Azeroth that tickles my funny bone. The images and ambience of Gnome Hunter are incredibly strong, and it goes to show how well Bloodvein is growing as a creator. I really look forward to seeing further installments so that we can see what Bloodvein does with the series. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at machinima@wow.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Antec: Epically Crafted Cases For Manly Men
Bloodvein scored tickets to BlizzCon with this video, titled Antec: Epically Crafted Cases For Manly Men. It was his entry into Antec's BlizzCon 2010 contest. Basically, the idea was that contestants had to create an image or a video that would display their love for Antec products. Antec: Epically Crafted Cases is a parody of the popular Old Spice commercials, but comparing the masterful video quality of Antec products versus your old humdrum computers. Bloodvein used the amazing Cataclysm graphics to help get his point across, which I actually think is a pretty clever technique. Congratulations to Bloodvein, and I hope we get to see you at BlizzCon! Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at machinima@wow.com.
WoW Moviewatch: WoW Celestial Steed - Public Service Announcement
Bloodvein is taking a swing at satire and WoW social commentary with WoW Celestial Steed - Public Service Announcement. This video can feel a little frantic as it moves between three different scenes. At first, you have a gnome dutifully begging his mom for the money to buy the star pony. The second scene includes an odd blood elf wearing a gnome mask makes some claims and statements about the steed. Then, lastly, Amazing Horse by Weebls makes a return to machinima, courtesy of Bloodvein. This video is obviously meant to be commentary on the ongoing discussion about whether owning as Celestial Steed qualifies its rider as being a "newb." I'm not sure if Bloodvein is trying to respond to specific other videos, although there have been a few released like Nub Tales episode 1. It's awesome to see machinimators taking part in community dialogue in a way that informs the player base, expressing opinions and feelings about things happening in the game. Hopefully, we'll see more of this kind of thing in the future. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
