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WoW Moviewatch: Gnometheus -- Fire Of The Gods
Okay, what we have here seems to be a gnome lore heavy machinima involving the curse of flesh, it's up to four episodes. I'm in love with this thing on a purely conceptual level. It's interesting in that it's not really a machinima at all, for the most part - it's told through narrative over still images from the game. It kind of ends up feeling strangely like a documentary as a result of this, some strange Ken Burns presents Gnomes feel that I'm not sure if I like or not. However, anything that encourages people to do things with gnomes is a-okay in my book, and the first episode also talks about tauren, so I'm pretty much forced to endorse it. Gnomes and tauren. Throw a draenei in there and I'm down for the whole series.
WoW Moviewatch: If Fans Created Filler Content
Honestly, this particular machinima (If Fans Create Filler Content by Wowcrendor)... honestly, some of the ideas don't sound that bad to me. I mean, random world cities with worldwide treasure hunts? How is that a bad idea? Tell me you wouldn't go on a worldwide treasure hunt. And while I don't think zombie dragons are particularly interesting, just imagine if they took that basic idea and broadened it out so that you could fight on any mount you have. That's right, I'm suggesting a PvP battle league where you fight on your mounts, collect more mounts to use in the league, and yes it's battle pets, but with mounts and with you on the mount. Seriously how is this a bad idea? Heck, the Farmer John's farm bit sounds good as long as you don't actually burn it down with a zombie dragon at the end. That dude needs help. 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: 7 Steps to a Safer Azeroth
If you've ever fallen from the elevators in Shattrath, then you know how desperately important it is that we all follow Slightly Impressive's thoughtful 7 Steps to a Safer Azeroth. It can be a little tough sorting out what's true versus what's simply political rumor, but handrails in Thunder Bluff will probably save more lives this year than healers. This video represents some of the SI team's best ideas yet. It's hilarious and the animation perfectly suits the tongue-in-cheek subject matter. I love these guys. 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: A Gnomish Winter Veil
I suppose I wasn't expecting a holiday video about Winter's Veil in the middle of spring, but who am I to turn down an original video? The dialogue in this video is exceedingly difficult to hear. Especially compared to all the other crisp, clear portions of soundtrack, making out what anyone is saying is extremely difficult. That's a shame, too, because the story is fairly obvious from video (a gnome is rebuked and chooses to save Christmas), and the animation promises some pretty good future work. The "suiting up" sequence is especially fun; you can't go wrong with Ozzy. So, while A Gnomish Winter Veil could have used a little extra vocal work, it's all in all a good piece. 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: Maureen
Maureen is clearly inspired by the song of same name, by Jim Newell. The video itself is about as straightforward as you can get. It's basically a human character riding around Azeroth while the song plays in the background. I nearly didn't feature this video at all, except I can see where the creator was coming from. He was aiming for a moody, introspective piece. Adding a second character and some sense of story would have greatly enhanced the video. This machinima, as is, feels empty. There's not much content here. The animation itself is fine, as it's all just in game footage, but there's simply nothing for a viewer to watch. That sense of story is critical; the video itself has to stand under its own weight. 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: Lighthouses
Pointless Top 10: Lighthouses in World of Warcraft is the newest pointless list of things in WoW by Wowcrendor. Welcome to a silly list, where the points are made up and it doesn't matter anyway. Although, I suppose, if you're secretly a lighthouse-ophile, this might be a video custom-made for you. Can you guess which lighthouse is number one? There's something unique about it, and it involves laser beams. I think we can all agree that if it comes down to laser beams, then the tower with one deserves to win. 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: Waiting for Warlords
The Lazy Peon is back with one of the first new filk songs I've heard in a long time. (Not familiar with filk? It's folk music about fiction. I'd still be careful using the word on the streeth, though. Filk just sounds naughty.) Waiting for Warlords probably won't show up on any pop music lists, but it's a nice way to kill a few minutes during a load screen. And while I hope everyone is actually pretty patient while waiting for the expansion, maybe this song will help soothe those who are feeling anxious. 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 Noobish Death Knight
I nearly didn't run The Noobish Death Knight because it was created by a brand new machinimator. Unfortunately, the novice-ness shows in the video. The voice acting is kind of rough, the story drags on, and the animation is crude. That being said, The Noobish Death Knight is clearly a labor of love. Burkendah obviously worked to make the video as good as he could. It features jokes and an actual plot, which is a lot more than can be said for plenty of machinima. Frankly, I'm positive that if Burkendah keeps with it, we'll clearly see some outstanding videos from him. The potential shines clearly through the newb roughness, and I can't wait to see what comes. 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: Walking Dead Parody
Chris created this video as a parody of Walking Dead, sticking mostly to shots that resemble the style of the show. It's an interesting attempt at homage, and I applaud the effort. The animation and visuals work fairly well, but the video is over pretty quickly. It needed much more narrative meat to effective satirize or even translate Walking Dead into WoW. While it might have been short since it was a first effort, I think the technical skills put on display are capable of a larger story. Besides, who doesn't love the occasional zombie? 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: Heroes of the Storm Developer Diary: Arthas
Creating a game presents no small task. Programming, design, dialogue, and game balance represent only small portions of the work. You also have to deal with licensing, actors, and egomaniacal undead rulers. That's probably why Ian Beckman released Heroes of the Storm Developer Diary: Arthas. With this video, we get an unedited look behind the curtain to see what it took to get Arthas into the arena. I think the revelation about his role in Frozen is the most important. After all, of all the WoW characters, I think Arthas could fit the Disney heroic arc the best. 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.
Live-action Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist debuts on May 23
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, a live-action web series that focuses on Ryu and Ken's studying of the Ansatsuken fighting style, will arrive in its entirety on May 23 on Machinima's main YouTube channel. Aside from picking up their iconic move set, the duo learn about dark past events involving Ansatsuken and their master, Goken. The series was written by Joey Ansah, who reprises his roll as Akuma from Street Fighter: Legacy, and Christian Howard, who also returns to play the fiery-shoyruken-savvy Ken. Assassin's Fist Limited produced the series in association with Lonely Rock Productions, Gloucester Place films, Capcom USA and Evropa Film. [Image: Machinima]
WoW Moviewatch: Hearthstone: This Means War
That master of comedy, Ian Beckman, returns with a sarcastic take on everyone's favorite online card game. In Hearthstone: This Means War, we take a moment to contemplate exactly how fierce doing battle via collectible virtual cards really is. I mean, come on. It's just a card game, right? This is the kind of video Beckman excels at. A few moments of metaphorical introspective humor and then a quick jab to the gut of our collective zeitgeist. Also, funny voices. What's not to love? 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 Types of WoW Player
Doing a video that talks about the different generalization of WoW players -- the noob, the aggravated raid leader, etc. -- is somewhat a right of passage for machinima creators. I'm pretty sure everyone has created one, at some point or another, and the equivalent of your first death by murloc. It's rarely pretty but the experience is universal. The Lazy Peon's version of this ephemeral video is actually pretty decent. And while it's no way the center of the video, I was especially impressed by the use of font in The Types of WoW Players. Font's important, and nary a comic cans could be found. Check out the video and share your comments below; I'm sure the Peon would like to know your thoughts! 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: 6 Ways to Make WoW More Realistic
Sometimes, folks like to say that WoW needs to be more realistic. To that end, Slightly Impressive opted to tackle what could happen if Blizzard went totally off the rails and made WoW even more true to life. Take the time to check out 6 Ways to Make WoW More Realistic and ask yourself: is this really what you want? I think I like the idea of characters effectively being newborns until they reach level 18. Unfortunately, that might mean they can't attend Brewfest until they've reached level 21. I mean, the ironic uses of this kind of system could go on forever. My own suggestion is that characters need more pouches. As I've learned from comic books, nothing screams realism like pouches. 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: 32
32 is a WoW music video by a relatively new machinimist, Minnimus7. The song is by the Danish electronic band, Carpark North. I was very quickly won over by their sound. While they probably aren't the deepest lyrics to ever be penned, the song is pretty catchy when taken as a whole. Like I said, Minnimus7 is a fairly new machinima creator. The video suffers a bit from some usual flaws. The trademark fraps stuttering hangs out in a few shots and some of the transitions feel a bit forced. That being said, Minnimus7 is showing a lot of passion and I'm really excited to see what happens in the future. 32's narrative was plain and convincing. There's a lot of talent here, and some further practice will yield great results. 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 Lake
The Lake by Stone Falcon Productions is one of the creepiest, most succinct horror machinima in the history of WoW fan films. Featuring an appropriately irreverent and annoying chief of staff, an intrepid reporter, and plenty of anxious local villagers, The Lake is well worth the watch. We've featured The Lake before now, but the video remains one of our favorites. The animation is good, of course, but it's real selling point is the strong story and convincing voice acting. All in all, The Lake is one of those videos that everyone really should know. 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: Looking up
Much like dogs, WoW characters are perfectly capable of looking up. And what you see when you look up in WoW might just blow your mind. Or, just as likely, you'll wonder why you're watching a video about the top 10 ceilings in Azeroth. That's kind of the point of Pointless Top 10: Best Ceilings in World of Warcraft. This video was originally going to be titled, "Wowcrendor looked up and you won't believe what happened next," but he passed on it because he doesn't work for a blog with buzz, viral, or worthy in the title. 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 Cursed Ones
Nan the Mistweaver created The Cursed Ones as a pride movie for the Gilnean werewolves of WoW. Worgen were in tons of machinima when they were first released, but steadily declined in coverage ever since. This video is decent, as far as such things go, and it does a decent job of grabbing a WoW community and getting them some screen time. But I felt like it moved a little slow, and could have had more to say. The song is so melancholy and angst ridden it's ready to become an English major and write poetry on real paper. The contrast felt a bit out of control to me. It's odd to say "the lighting needed work," but it did. Still, I liked the video, and I'm pretty sure it's not just my addiction to top hats. It's always nice to see a new release from Nan, and The Cursed Ones still brings plenty of fun. 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: ANN: Noblegarden Special
It's been a little while since we've seen a new edition of Slightly Impressive's incredible news coverage, but there's not time like the present. In Azeroth News Network: Noblegarden Special, Griff and team tackle the incredible mysteries around all these eggs, bunnies, and zipping about characters. I want to take a moment and reflect on how far Slightly Impressive has come. This team is somewhat of a parable, in my opinion. Their original videos were a bit rough, and the jokes were admittedly sometimes flat. But you could see two things: they cared about what they were doing and they were passionate about it. Now, a hundred videos later, I think Slightly Impressive has grown into a staple of our community. I look forward to their stuff, they're worth more than a few laughs, and they've grown into their style. This is a team that should be proud, and many of us could learn from. 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.
Live-action Street Fighter web series enters the ring in May
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, the live-action web series adaptation of Capcom's Street Fighter games, will be punching up your computer, tablet, smartphone and anything else that can connect to Machinima's YouTube channel next month. Two new trailers for the series popped up this month, highlighting fighters Ken and Ryu. If you're unfamiliar with Assassin's Fist, this is the fan-made, Kickstarter-funded follow-up to the viral Street Fighter: Legacy short that made its way around the Internet four years ago. The series, while not produced by Capcom, has been given the company's official blessing. We believe the conversation may have gone like this: "Hey, can we make a live-action series based on Street Fighter?" "SUUURE-YOU-CAN!" [Image: Machinima]
