machinima

Latest

  • WoW Moviewatch: Old Gods Are Everywhere

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    10.25.2014

    I don't think it's a secret that I'm a fan of the Old Gods -- I like writing about them, I like coming up with crazy theories about them, and I just like the whole vibe of terrifying beasts of darkness lurking below the earth. Needless to say, when I ran across this machinima from earlier this year by Mooclucking, I was absolutely delighted. Old Gods Are Everywhere is a pretty self-explanatory title, but the machinima surprised me with its delivery -- several of the jokes had me laughing almost immediately from the visuals. And since we're in full swing of Hallow's End, it seemed only appropriate to share the film's tongue-in-cheek, slightly spooky message during the holiday. After all, you never know where you'll find an Old God next. If you like the video, be sure to check out Mooclucking's channel on Youtube for more machinima. 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: Sylvanas' Legacy

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    10.19.2014

    It's always fun to see different interpretations and visualizations of well-known events in lore. Today's Moviewatch is the story of Sylvanas' fall, put together by Youtuber Jaley Muffinz. The story is pretty straightforward, and one that we've seen told before in a variety of different books, short stories and novels: Sylvanas Windrunner defends the forests of Quel'thelas from Arthas as long as she can, and isn't allowed the mercy of death, instead transformed into the banshee who eventually reclaimed her body and became leader of the Forsaken. Sylvanas' Legacy isn't really covering new content here, it's simply retelling one of Warcraft's classic tales. This seems to be the first large-scale project for Jaley Muffinz, and it's a pretty ambitious hunk of history to tackle, but Jaley does a good job for a fledgling effort. The models are awkward at times, but the film does use the older models, and there's a limit to what those models are capable of doing. Jaley also rounded up a variety of voice actors for the various roles in the film, and they do a decent enough job for people that don't do this on any kind of professional level. It's a little rough around the edges, but for a first effort on something of this scale, it works well enough, and shows plenty of potential for future projects down the road. I'm hoping we'll see more of Jaley Muffinz as time goes on here -- it's going to be fun to watch those skills develop and progress. 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: This is Halloween

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    10.18.2014

    It's that time of year again! With Hallow's End starting today, it only seemed appropriate to pay homage to the holiday with a machinima that was actually a joint effort between two creators -- Drascier and KillerCookie. This is Halloween was actually put together last year, but it still has all the charm and flavor of the holiday, and features an instantly-familiar soundtrack. The visual effects are appealing, the costumes and characters are cool, and it's difficult to see where the two artists switched off in production -- Drascier and KillerCookie work really well together as a team here. I have to admit, though, after a week of looking at all the pretty new models, it's almost jarring to see the old ones again. I kind of want to see an updated version of this now! 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: Top 5 Heroes in World of Warcraft

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.16.2014

    Sure, the World of Warcraft has plenty of villains, but there are plenty of heroes, too. And since without heroes, we probably wouldn't have much of an Azeroth at this point, I'm sure we're all pretty glad that Warcraft's heroic figures have stuck around. So to balance out his earlier video on villains, Doronsmovies has put together a list of the top 5 heroes in World of Warcraft. The list itself is debatable -- we've all got our favorite heroes, and a top 5 list doesn't have room for everyone -- but it does offer a nice look at some of the heroes of Azeroth and their lore. Have favorite heroes that didn't make the cut? Let us know about them in the comments! 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: Pointless Top 10: Shipwrecks in WoW

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.14.2014

    Have you missed Wowcrendor's Pointless Top 10s? Besides a list of the top 10 top 10s, it's been a while since we've seen a new top 10 from Crendor. But wait no more, because we have been graced by a new -- but still completely pointless -- top 10 list. This week, we're talking shipwrecks. Because it's a pointless top 10 and not a super serious top 10 (do those even exist?), there are some liberties taken... like the inclusion of a whale, which is not a ship. (Unless maybe you put a saddle on it.) Still, if you haven't taken the time to explore the myriad coastlines of Azeroth this gives you a look at the surprising number of devastating wrecks along the shorelines. And, while some of these were clearly the work of the cataclysm or attack, with the sheer number of shipwrecks -- the list is a long way from comprehensive -- you've got to wonder whether Azeroth's captains are terrible or Azeroth's ships are terrible. Or maybe both. 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: The Black Prince of Veiled Stair

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    10.12.2014

    I have absolutely no idea how this slipped under my nose for so long, but the above video is in fact exactly what you think it should be, and it's amazing. The Black Prince of Veiled Stair was put together by Nan the Mistweaver and features vocals deftly delivered by Youtube parody artist Kavo. As always, Nan's video work is excellent here, capturing the story being told with appropriately flashy cuts and special effects that complement without being too overwhelming. The vocals are amazing -- the lyrics were apparently the combined effort of Kavo and Pennygearaxe, and match the original song syllable for syllable. I don't remember the first time I heard this particular idea for a parody being bandied about, but I'm beyond happy to see it come to life like this. Check out the video and while you're at it, head to both Nan the Mistweaver's channel for more machnima, or Kavo's channel for more excellent parody work. 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: Top 10 Pointless Top 10s

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.11.2014

    Holy meta, Batman! Wowcrendor has been making "pointless top 10s" for a while now, and we've been enjoying them. But the most recent list is the very definition of meta, because it's a top 10 list of his own pointless top 10s. If you can wrap your brain around that, it is a fun watch, especially if you've enjoyed other videos in the series, bringing back fond memories of top 10 lists past as well as pointing out oversights in previous lists. Sure, it's not forging bold new territory, but with "pointless" right in the title that's hopefully not what you were expecting in the first place. 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: Vigil

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.10.2014

    The Scourge ruin everything. That's just Warcraft fact. Take Andorhal as an example: we've all leveled through Western Plaguelands and dutifully picked up quests around the Scourge-ridden city... but once it (and Loaderon next door) were prosperous cities... but not, unfortunately, anymore, as our protagonists are once again stymied by the onslaught of the Scourge. This video by PallyPowerXIX forms a loose continuity -- or at least features the same characters -- as previous videos Southshore, Epilogue, Those Winter Veil Blues, and Aftermath. But while most of these are set to songs with lyrics that suit their stories, this one only has instrumental accompaniment, and it feels all the more mournful for it. 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: The Lost Opera

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.09.2014

    Why does Karazhan's Opera Hall only have three shows? With a castle full of ghosts apparently stuck inside forever/until we kill them/until the next raid reset, it seems like the lack of variety would get old quickly, and maybe cause some ghostly rioting. (Perhaps that's why every show seems to end with the death of the performers?) PallyPowerXIX has discovered a fourth show at the Opera Hall... but unfortunately it's a musical. Well, in life and un-life you just can't have everything. 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: Top 5 Villains in World of Warcraft

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.07.2014

    There are a lot of villains in World of Warcraft, so many that Azeroth could start its own megalomaniacal villain academy. (Or has it already?) But just who are the worst of the worst? Doronsmovies tries to narrow down WoW's collection of bad guys into a list of the top five villains in this video, alongside the lore and stories behind each villain. Whether you're familiar with them or not, it's an interesting look into Warcraft's most villainous characters. But are these really the worst of Azeroth, or do you think Warcraft has worse to offer? Love to hate or just plain hate, WoW has plenty of bad guys to encounter throughout the game world, which makes it tough to narrow down. 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: How to Win at Transportation

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    10.06.2014

    If you're lost and wondering just how to get from point a to point b in World of Warcraft, this video by Wowcrendor probably won't help you. However, it does offer a look at the many annoyances and oddities associated with WoW's transportation system. Why can't flightmasters send you places until you've gotten the flight path? Don't they know where that place is? And what about those boats and zeppelins that run 24 hours a day -- when do their poor crews get a break? No, it won't improve your game (or "win" in any conceivable way), but this video probably will make you laugh. 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: How to Make Easy Money in World of Warcraft

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    10.05.2014

    This might sound like the title to a gold-making scheme designed to dupe you out of your hard-earned wealth, but How to Make Easy Money in World of Warcraft is actually the latest project from Nixxiom Machinima. Featuring the guest vocal stylings of Crendor, Nixxom's latest work is a thoroughly tongue-in-cheek look into one of the oldest tropes in WoW. But hey, we all want gold, right? The question here isn't so much how to get it, as what you would do for it. As always, the animation and models in the short are flawless as ever, and that last visual sequence of Stormwind is pretty amazing. I also like the use of the Gnomeregan theme worked into the mix -- it's a piece that doesn't get a whole lot of play in Warcraft, and I'm a fan of enthusiastic kazoo noises in general. The joke here might be a little old, but the larger moral of the story is still the same -- don't give your gold to strange night elves. You never know where they've been, who they really are, and whether they're going to buy something nice for themselves, or just something nice to bring about your inevitable incineration. If you liked the short, make sure you check out the YouTube channel for Nixxiom Machinima to see more. 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: MoP in Reverse

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    10.04.2014

    Slightly Impressive is back with a new machinima featuring the heartwarming tale of an orc named Garrosh Hellscream who saves the world and makes a huge, long-lasting impression on Azeroth. Or rather, this is the story of Mists of Pandaria told in reverse. Oddly enough, it's a much more uplifting experience than the actual expansion, which kind of ended on a melancholy note, although everything was wrapped up, taken care of, and generally put in some semblance of order. I'm not quite sure what I love best about this particular piece, because there were several stand out moments that made me laugh. As always, I'm a fan of his twisted view of Jaina Proudmoore, who makes another appearance here. But I think it's probably the unlikely singing that really got me, along with the slow realization that telling the story in reverse actually sounds more like a Thrall-style story than a Garrosh story. It's almost as if Thrall is Hellscream backwards. Who knew? If you liked this, don't forget to pop over and check out the rest of Slightly Impressive's work on his YouTube channel. 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: Beta is beta

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    09.27.2014

    It's awfully hard to explain the process of being in beta to someone that has never been in a beta before, but Mooclucking managed to put together something that approximates the experience. Beta is Beta does include some footage from the Warlords of Draenor beta, but there are no spoilers to be had here. Instead, there's a small and maybe slightly exaggerated smattering of the typical kinds of things you'll see when you're on a beta server, where the game isn't quite finished and the levels don't really matter. Warlords of Draenor is the sixth beta I've been in, and Mooclucking's video isn't exactly that far off the mark in terms of what you see while you're in there. Needless to say, this video had me cracking up, especially the bit with the mages and their unfortunate spell gone wrong. Take a look at the video above, and if you enjoyed it, pay a visit to Mooclucking's Youtube channel while you're at it. 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: Warcraft 3 in World of Warcraft

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    09.26.2014

    There's a lot of old Warcraft lore in World of Warcraft, but if you don't know where to look for it you might not even realize it's there. Fortunately, Wowcrendor is here to help with a video that points out all of the Warcraft 3 scenes and settings that you can find inside World of Warcraft. It's a long video, running over 10 minutes, but it covers a lot of Warcraft history and, if you're interested in learning the story behind the locales, it's worth the watch. While loremasters may already know about these places, this Arthas-focused tour of Azeroth might just leave you to look at game locations you've wandered through a hundred times a little differently. Note to self: Never idle in the Lordaeron throne room. That stuff's creepy. 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: The Warlock: Episode 2 - LFG

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    09.21.2014

    I've always been one of those people that enjoys solo questing. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy being in a guild and enjoy being social, but I just prefer to read quest text at my leisure, which isn't exactly conducive to group play. That, and I kind of like the challenge of trying to beat things solo -- sure, a quest might say it's intended for a group, but I like trying to figure out how to complete it on my own. Today's Moviewatch is the second episode in a series by Nixxiom simply called The Warlock, and it deals with one of the other sides of group questing -- a slightly more unpleasant one. Generally speaking, if I'm out questing in the wilds of Azeroth, a random invite from a stranger isn't something I look forward to dealing with. I have to say though, after watching the second episode of this series, I'm kind of a fan of Antos, the new character and self professed best mage on Azeroth. I wasn't sure about him at first, but seven minutes in there was a moment in which I was completely, utterly sold. I don't know where this series is going to go from here, but I'm looking forward to seeing it. If you missed episode one, be sure to check that one out as well. 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: Mortal Kombat

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    09.17.2014

    If you're looking to get more war into Warcraft, this machinima parody may be for you. Presenting a WoW arena match in the classic Mortal Kombat style, this video doesn't quite match the play style of either game, though it does manage to mimic both. WoW combat doesn't quite lend itself to something as fast-paced as Mortal Kombat, while Mortal Kombat lacks WoW's depth of abilities (things like polymorph and ice block would simply be gamebreaking). The end result of combining these two systems definitely bends the game rules of both WoW and Mortal Kombat to create something that will be familiar (at least familiar-ish) to players of either game. So would you play a Warcraft-ized version of Mortal Kombat -- or are the originals good enough for your game? 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: Five Nights at UBRS

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    09.16.2014

    I haven't personally played Five Nights at Freddy's -- partially due to time constraints, partially because I'm not the world's biggest fan of hunkering down in front of the computer for a pleasant evening of deliberately scaring the heck out of myself. But I've watched enough streams of people playing the game that Ian Beckman's latest machinima, Five Nights at UBRS, immediately had me laughing right off the bat. Sure, it was just a short clip, and in comparison to his other works the editing and video were pretty simplistic, but he nailed the parody, and that's really all that counts here. This also seems like it's going to be the first in a string of game parody videos, and Ian's taking suggestions for what people would like to see next. Personally, I think if he's going to shoot for the horror genre, I'd love to see what he could do with Silent Hill. But then I wouldn't mind seeing some non-horror games in the mix, either -- a parody of Animal Crossing featuring garrisons, anyone? What do you guys want to see? Be sure to visit Ian's Youtube channel and leave your suggestions. 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: Pointless Top 10: Skies in World of Warcraft

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    09.14.2014

    Today we have another of Wowcrendor's Pointless Top 10 lists -- this time, doing some more looking up at skies, almost a companion piece of sorts to his earlier top 10 list of ceilings. I'm a big fan of looking up and taking in all the sights when I'm running around Azeroth, but Crendor's managed to point out a couple of skyboxes I really just hadn't taken note of before. For some reason, it appears as though I spent the majority of Wrath of the Lich King doing anything but checking out the sky. While I don't necessarily agree with his number one choice, I've visited the location mentioned quite a few times and admired the sky. I am pretty happy that Winterspring made it on the list, though. Winterspring is one of those kind of underrated zones that people don't really spend a lot of time in, but the skies above all the snowy landscape are honestly some of the prettiest vistas in the game. What do you guys think? Any skies out there that you think should have made the list? 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: Work, Work

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    09.12.2014

    Working for a living is rough, even if you're an orc. You've still got to deal with alarm clocks, public transportation, and dodging traffic to get to your office door, even if you happen to work for Blizzard Entertainment. The latest from Ian Beckman is a nice mix of machinima and live footage showing an orc facing all of the life challenges we unfortunate humans have to deal with (plus the trouble of finding an apartment with orc-sized doors). Though the video is short and to the point, the combination works beautifully and reminds me of the scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit where Eddie wanders off-set at the studio to find cartoon characters bustling about to work done alongside their human co-workers. Now that I've seen this video, I'm convinced the actual Blizzard Entertainment offices are the same. You can't convince me they aren't! 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.