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WoW Moviewatch:The Avenger trailer
Selserene tipped me off to this really cool little video. This is the Avenger trailer by Dtbn. The full movie is probably going to be released sometime in late summer, and is described by the author as being "action packed."I love to see action-oriented machinima, and if this trailer is any kind of indication, I think Dtbn will be able to deliver. I think it does a great job of setting up quick pathos for the main character, and then conveys stylized, interesting conflict. The use of bullet-time slow-motion and dynamic framing makes the action compelling and interesting, even if we know most of the character movements are based on in-game emotes. While it is a trailer, and not all trailers turn into full movies, I hope Dtbn follows through. It looks promising, and I'm excited for it.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: Inventing Swear Words 5
Inventing Swear Words has been one of my favorite Oxhorn machinima series. Its lighthearted, playful nature won me over early, and the unmistakable pokes at WoW culture frequently made me laugh. It's been a year since the release of Inventing Swear Words 4, when Mortuus and Lacy got married. In this final chapter, the team has an epic plan to finally force their new swear words on the entire World of Warcraft. It's got all of the cameos you'd want out of the final chapter of a saga, a great resolution, and the same fun music you'd expect from Oxhorn. Mr. Horn does assure us the characters will be back in other works, which makes me happy. I love those guys.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 Scytheguard Recruitment Video
It's been a little while since we've had a guild recruitment video on Moviewatch, so I was pretty happy to get a note from Horror. He told us about the Scytheguard Recruitment Video, which he'd built for his Forsaken-only roleplay guild on Sentinels.The video's got a few good ideas behind it, and has a few things that could be improved. First, I liked Horror's idea for a voice-over. Since his guild is exclusively for the undead, starting off with that nightmarish "you can't breathe anymore" idea is a great start to roleplay. That being said, I think the opening went a little longer than needed. Anyone checking out a trailer needs fast-paced action, or they'll wander off.I think showing snippets of Northrend is also a good idea. There's enough random footage of gameplay out there that you want your prospective recruit to know you're progressing, and enjoying current content. Otherwise, they may assume your guild's just a few friends who threw a Fraps up on YouTube. (And while there's nothing wrong with that, it might get in the way of recruitment.)Now, this was Horror's first and only video so far, so I can see why he's using an unregistered Fraps. But if he does more videos, he should go ahead and grab the registered version, and get the watermark off the top of his video. The video looks neat, but the watermark's a little distracting.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: Van Helsing Trailer
Wello posted his Van Helsing Trailer over on Myndflame, with some commentary that I found pretty interesting. First, it's his fourth video, and the one he feels best about. More importantly, Wello said that he'd searched far and wide for anyone else who'd already created a Van Helsing trailer. He found none, so immediately made one himself. He considered it his "time to shine."It's easy to forget that the creation of machinima is usually sourced in an author's passion for the subject. Okay, so while Hugh Jackman rocking a crossbow and funny hat might not be humanity's key pathos, it's something for which Wello has a lot of love. (Hell, maybe Hugh Jackman is a strong enough collective obsession, anyway, given what opened this weekend.) Machinimators don't make a bunch of money off their work, it's entirely a labor or love.The video itself is pretty keen. It's just a stylized recreation of the video, using stand-ins from WoW for the various actors. I was a little surprised to see Kate Beckinsale turned into a Blood Elf, but I guess that makes sense in context. I think Wello did a good job of choosing models and scenery, but the characters themselves could use a little more motion. Ultimately, it was a fun video that I enjoyed watching. I look forward to seeing Wello's skills grow.[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: Best of Myndflame Machinima
I plan to talk more about a recent gathering at Stanford, which was focused on the growth and trends of "machinima law." But for Moviewatch today, I wanted to highlight a small artifact of work that was displayed at Stanford. Specifically, Myndflame created this Best of Myndflame Machinima to help illustrate the power of machinima.Like many nostalgia or memorial reels, "Best of Myndflame Machinima" recaps several different pieces. You might recognize them all, or you might see a preview of something new. I was definitely inspired to go back and re-watch some old favorites, like the Slim Jim commercial or HMS Theramore.This video reminded me of the long history machinima has with WoW. While I know many folks haven't "gotten into" the whole machinima thing, it's hard not to discuss the WoW community without eventually talking about videos like Big Blue Dress or Escape from Orgrimmar. It's all linked together in my mind, and Myndflame's highlight reel brings back warm memories of time we've all spent seeing these movies.Their contribution can't be denied, even if it's not central to our daily gameplay. Machinima brings a rich aspect to the game. Innovators like Myndflame or Baron Soosdon, and even new machinimators just getting started, are part of what makes the World of Warcraft more than "just a game." Their art enriches and adds value to the hobby. I guess that might just be me, but I can't imagine spending so much time with WoW without these guys being part of our collective experience.Check out the Best of Myndflame here!
WoW Moviewatch: FI5VE - Deleted Opening
X-Cross has been building a new machinima series, titled FI5VE. As an author works on this kind of thing, there are myriads of outtakes. These aren't always mistakes. Some of the scenes they build, film, make all pretty, and then simply decide that the final product doesn't work our for them. This deleted opening is exactly such an out take. X-Cross ultimately decided that it was too long to open each episode.But it's still an awesome piece of video. FI5VE is about five gnomes with unique, special powers. Well, unique and special to gnomes. The five superheroes have managed to become the five classes gnomes cannot be in game. (Those five classes are Priest, Paladin, Druid, Shaman, and Hunter.) This sounds like a really cool project, so I was excited about this deleted opening. The animation and character work looks really great. X-Cross has managed to squeeze a lot of personality into these few seconds. And, of course, getting to see a gnome turn into a druid cat has long been a wish of mine. Click here to check out FI5VE's deleted opening!
WoW Moviewatch: World of Warcraft Instructional Video
You might remember Wowcrendor from It's a Hard Gnome Life. That piece was a comedy satire about many of WoW's most interesting little quirks. Well, Wowcrendor's back, with a new piece that will help us cynics have a cold chuckle at our own folly. The World of Warcraft Instructional Video actually had me laughing out loud.This simple instructional video involves brief cuts from gameplay, but also features two very important voiceovers. The first voice is "Billy," a complete and total newb to the game. Billy's not even sure what the difference between melee and ranged DPS. The instructor, by comparison, shares a deeply voiced "insider's view" of the game. The instructor's helping Billy with everything from how to name his character ("Orcosaurus") to how to avoid grouping with PUGs.The video is satire, and insightful satire at that. Almost every joke and instructional portion made me chuckle, thinking of some of the more hostile and unhelpful responses I've seen in Barrens chat. Part of the reason I find it so funny isn't that it's unreasonably over the top, but that it really seems, sometimes, like there's someone teaching players to act this way. It's like this video could be real, and that frightens me.
WoW Moviewatch: Sisqo + WoW = The Gnome song
And now, for something completely different, check out Yumfries's Sisqo + WoW = The Gnome song. I was tipped off to this video by Selserene, and I'm really quite glad for it. This video is a lot of fun, and it has more than a few "laugh out loud" moments.The lyrics to the song are hilarious. I think the poetry touches an inner gnome in all of us. Who hasn't watched a Shetland Rogue get their groove on, and thought, "I like it when the gnomes go boing boing boing"? Yumfries was clearly aiming at comedy with his parody, and he did so in a light-hearted, harm-free way. I prefer parody that isn't mocking or belittling, and Yumfries isn't out to make fun of anyone in particular. He's just poking fun at the whole too-seriousness in all of us.The video itself is pretty funny, too. Behold the glorious battle between Gnome and Draenei. I have it on good authority from D.E.H.T.A. that no actual stags were hurt in the filming of this video. Like the lyrics, I'm pretty sure Yumfries was just out to have a good time with his animation. It held my attention and made me giggle. The movie has a couple cut scenes with additional jokes and skits, so it's got a little something extra for those of us with short attention spans.My hat's off to you, Yumfries. You have joined the Gnome Hall of Fame for a great parody video. I have to admit, when I saw this video for the first time, all I could think was "Brilliant!"
WoW Moviewatch: Honor Killz by A6
I'll admit that I got to preview some of this new video, courtesy of Gigi. Long story short, the Hall of Fame of Belf Rap have come together to form a machinima rap supergroup called A6. (That's for Azerothian 6, you see.) Backed up by the awesome machinimator Red Eye Lobine, A6 has now released their first video -- Honor Killz.The video itself is amazing. Red Eye has really put together a gorgeous video here. His attention to detail, his sense of setting and framing, and his detailed character work have created an incredible music video. I've never seen the blood elf models look so dynamic and interesting. His animation of the video's skit-within-a-movie was astounding, with a great sense of space and flow. (He also wisely executed an editorial bikini during the shower scene.)The music itself was pretty good. I'm not a rap guru, so I can't evaluate it in terms of skill. However, I find the conglomerate of six people working the lyrics and tune to be very interesting. The way the song "talks" to itself made it something more than just a parody song.As I mentioned, there was a skit within the video. I think the skit has a lot of personality, and was pretty amusing. It was definitely a good call to add some narrative content in the video, which helps provide its audience a sense of A6's relationship. They're not just a one time team-up, but people who know one another in some capacity.Ultimately, "Honor Killz" is a worthy opening for the group. Let's see what they do next.Check out Honor Killz by A6 for yourself on Myndflame.
WoW Moviewatch: Major League Azeroth
In a world where the battle between the Horde and the Alliance is fought out in grueling games of Capture the Flag and King of the Hill, the AFKPlayers are back with a believable and entertaining new battleground. Check out their new machinima, Major League Azeroth.This new video by the Taiwanese AFKPlayers manages to tie in both tongue-in-cheek comedy and some fun shots of the mysterious new raid instance, Ulduar. Brann Bronzebeard makes a guest appearance during the film, and ultimately is responsible for the game's outcome.Part of what I love so much about MLA is the firm understanding AFKPlayers show about the WoW community zeitgeist. Cracks and references about King Wrynn mirror things I've said in my own Guild chat. When a Death Knight steps up to bat, the authors issue subtle nods to things we all think about the new class.Even without subtitles, though, "Major League Azeroth" is fun to watch. It's got a clean, crisp animation style which makes the action easy to understand. The scenery is very well composed, and the character models are built without distracting elements. The AFKPlayers have stuck to their basic storytelling roots here, and let us enjoy their dialogue, plot, and raw comedy.Be sure to check out Major League Azeroth on the Myndflame site.
WoW Moviewatch: Surfing with the Alien
Today's Moviewatch is another music video. Surfing with the Alien is a song performed by guitarist Joe Satriani, who's about as well-qualified a musician as you could hope to hear. Kakashisan built this video as a backdrop to the instrumental, giving action to Satriani's song.This video is going to be one of my long-term favorites. In my opinion, it's damned near perfect. Satriani's music is astoundingly good, and Kakashisan didn't try and overwhelm that music by over-producing his video. The imagery is basic, streamlined, and not complex. The action doesn't distract the audience from what we're hearing.While Kakashisan does use the same L70ETC models that every other music video uses, he made a very key change in the lead guitarist. The blood elf is bald, like Joe Satriani himself. It's a subtle touch that lends a lot of credibility to the video, backing up Kakashisan's homage to the original artist. The carpet chase mirrors Surfing's sense of motion, without trying to add false narrative. Sometimes, "simple" works best. I would not say Kakashisan's work is "simple," of course, but I will say that he kept his context appropriate to the work. I look forward to seeing more like this.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: Breaking
X Cross says that he created Breaking as a way to overcome his fear of Blood Elves. It's his first music video, which makes this solid, satisfying movie an impressive feat. ("Music" is the operative word there, since X Cross has obviously done other work.) I'm not sure I understand what he means by fear of blood elves. Maybe that's why his first video, Kippo's X-Mas, didn't feature that waifish mainstay of modern machinima. (I think gnomes would have been a wiser choice anyway, even if the model selection was based on some secret belfophobia.)Like I said, the video for "Breaking" is solid and satisfying. I'm not sure it vastly redefines anything about the way WoW rock videos work, but it definitely exemplifies the genre. The hardcore band members writhe appropriately on stage, and there's enough elements of "metal" to make me want to throw the horns. I like the lighting, the blur effects, and the prominent machismo of the characters.The backdrop "action" of the video features of blood elf woman seducing and killing several different men. She shape-changes from "fleshy belf" to "undead belf" several times. I think X Cross was wise to avoid completely explaining that action inside the video, as it lets the audience play with its meaning against the song's lyrics.Overall, this is a pretty good piece. I look forward to the next X Cross video.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: Circus
At this rate, Demachic's gonna give me a complex. I now know far too much about the current happenings of Britney Spears. My knowledge of Britney music has quickly become my dark, secret shame. The kind of shame you keep quiet, tied up and gagged under the bed, where polite company needn't see it as they come by to visit. Which is a roundabout way of saying Demachic is back with another Britney Belf music video -- Circus.This video is as astoundingly well done as Demachic's other Britney offernings. I suggest watching the WoW version first, before going back to see the Britney version. I have to admit that I think Demachic did a better job of characterizing the music. I do think that the blood elf model chosen by Demachic is a great representation for Britney, and operates in the confine of the video very, very well.I particularly like the glamorous circus Demachic built for this video. It would have been an easy cop-out to simply use the Darkmoon Faire as a setting for the "Circus" video. Instead, she built the entire set piece by piece, to emulate the actual circus environment from the Britney original. It must have been a painstaking effort, and one that paid off for her.
WoW Moviewatch: Theory of a Death Knight
Warning: Not safe for work! While it's all in a good fun, there's definitely cursing and loud, riotous music.This is the new short video from Myndflame, titled Theory of a Death Knight. Rumor has it that the creator went to herculean effort to get the video published. While I hate to see someone go to that kind of pain, I do have to say that it was worth it. "Theory" is one of those rare unique pieces that show why Clint is a stand-apart machinimator.The premise of the video is pretty simple. The scene opens to a Death Knight rocking out in a music studio. A Belf stops the performance, demanding to know why they always have to sing such harsh stuff. In the ensuing conflict, the Death Knight shortly finds himself fired. He then has to go out and make his own way in the big wide world.The first thing that struck me about this video was, ironically, the colors. While I've been exposed to vibrant imagery before, this whole thing felt like someone made it out of a paint bucket. They're bright, gorgeous, and vivid. The strong colors emphasized the frenetic pace of the Death Knight's music. The final gag in the movie had me laughing out loud. I wasn't expecting it, and it seemed like a perfect finale to the video.If you have trouble seeing the player above, you can catch the movie here.
WoW Moviewatch: In For A Penny: Part Two "The Thorne of Rose Street"
Selserene actually released In For A Penny: Part Two "The Thorne of Rose Streeet" this past Friday. Since Moviewatch runs only during the week, we were faced with a dilemma. Do we feature this work immediately, to get the good news out to everyone as soon as possible? Or, wait until Monday, when the most readers would be available to see Selserene's movie? After enjoying the twenty minute installment, your intrepid Moviewatch team had their answer. We wanted to get it in front of as many people as possible. Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- should have the opportunity to see this series.If you haven't seen In For A Penny's prologue or first chapter, you might want to take the time to do so. I'm not sure it's necessary, since there's enough thematic information in this episode that you get the gist of what's happening. The beauty of Selserene's noir piece is that the genre really informs the story. Selserene displays a love of the film noir genre, but not because of the black-and-white composition. A significant factor of the noir genre is the lack of "good guys." Relatively few of the protagonists are completely noble in their motivation, and Selserene's characters seem similarly complex.And the mysterious Draenei woman? Totally for the win. I enjoy a lot of Selserene's imagery in this, even if I'm not a big blood elf fan. I think the luxury and decadence inherent in the scenery helps underscore some of IFAP's themes. (Corruption, evil, desperation -- yanno, noir stuff.) [Via Myndflame.com]
WoW Moviewatch: Nobody LIke You, ep1
Remember Ninth Batter? Not only is he the man responsible for the Northrend Newsflash, but he's the genius who put song to video for the WoW Insider Song. He's clearly a man of taste, right? Well, the maestro's come along to drop another moment of comedy down on you with "Nobody Like You, ep1.""Nobody Like You" is just a quick, fun little comedy sketch. I'll sum up. Someone's rolled a new Death Knight. Arthas begins his long, emo speech about how Arthas has bestowed on the newbie rage, anger, angst, and all the other associated dark and spooky things. The Death Knight is nonplussed, quickly accepts the quest, and moves on. Arthas, of course, gets more emo than a Blood Elf writing in Livejournal. The comedy, in my opinion, is mostly about the absurd nature of the game when you start breaking the fourth wall.The video has lots of little fun shout outs. The "meaningless Gargoyle," cute little jokes, and even a shout out to the WoW Insider song. I think Ninth Batter's really doing well in terms of his dialogue, eye for plot, comedy and pacing. I'm not sure if his animation skills have leapt forward yet, but I've never had any complaints about the appearance of his videos in the first place. All in all, I think "Nobody Like You" was a fun time, and I hope there's an episode 2 out there.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: Beyond Godlike Trailer
Guild promos can be tricky things. They serve a few different purposes. Some, like yesterday's Das Strafgericht, celebrate things that a guild has already done together. Others, however, like today's Beyond Godlike, is a teaser for the future. It's meant to inspire the guild, and help prepare them for what they will be doing together.The author, Draix, dropped me a note about the Beyond Godlike trailer, asking if I had some tips. That's a little tough, because a good movie review has to be focused on the purpose of the movie. If the purpose of this piece was to be a music video, I'd be forced to say it fails. But, if I guess correctly that the trailer is meant to rile up his Guild for what's coming when 3.1 drops, I'd say the video is outstanding already.I love the character tableaus. While they're not riddled with character depth, they clearly indicate a sense of purpose and action. The way Draix frames each model sets up a sense of purpose and action. The sweeping score he chose builds a sense of excitement. The hints of Ulduar shown in the architecture he displays warms us to the subject. He's done a good job building a feeling of adventure. If there were an area I'd like to see Draix develop, I guess it would have to be in providing his trailer a narrative focus. His character shots, like I said, definitely hint at purpose and action, but I'd like to see some context. Is the paladin fighting undead for personal reasons (angst? tragedy?), or is he just knocking out a daily? A little more information about what's going on would be nice, but I still like the feeling that this is a "gathering of heroes."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: Das Strafgericht in Naxxramas
Warning: Subtitles are in German. My amateur attempts at Google translation revealed no naughty words, but I could be wrong. The soundtrack is music only, but there are words that flash on the screen. If a coworker happens by your screen, and happens to read German, and the words happen to be innuendo, then this might not be completely work safe.Das Strafgericht in Naxxramas was posted on Myndflame by Petunia. It is, in essence, a quick romp through Naxxramas, involving a bunch of cool scenes and kill shots. In that sense, this video isn't groundbreaking. However, it's a got a couple stylistic things going for it that I wanted to point out.First, the opening scene is pretty neat. Members of a guild are hanging out on the beach and having fun. Their day in the sun is interrupted by visitors. The guild jog into a nearby shack for a Superman moment, dressing up in their finest tier gear and weaponry to do battle. I found this opening lighthearted and amusing. It's also notable in that it provides in-character motivation for the guild to go do battle in Naxxramas. Many of these highlight videos lack that kind of thing, and I think the inclusion makes Petunia's work stand out.More importantly, the video itself is clean and concise. There aren't five minute stretches of people mashing their DPS buttons, or of a tank standing in front of the boss analyzing the boss's hygiene. It's just a few quick shots from each fight, before moving on to the next. It's fast, precise, and the video itself is pretty. What else could you want?If you have trouble with the video player, you can check out the video here.[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: 28 Patches Later
Voodooray, the Boss of Boomkin, the Maestro of Moonfire, the OPest of Owls is back with his new feathered fury piece 28 Patches Later. The video is pretty brief, and absolutely fun to watch. The author says the video is the first part in a series, which makes this an awesome first hint.To sum up, a white light chamber is used to create or summon the Moonkin horde. They slowly move across the country, tearing down planes, infiltrating boats, and even taking over the White House. Of course, the ineffable nature of the Moonkin makes it difficult to read what's happening. Are the invading druids benevolent? Maybe they're protecting us from something. Are they mindless, or are they operating on an agenda?Okay, so you may or may not find great literature in "28 Patches Later." But the video is fun, and I think that's the point. I always love Voodooray's quirky obsession with his signature critter, and I think the surreality of Moonkin lends a lot of strength to this video.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 Womanizer Song
Warning: This song has a few very mild sexual references but definitely some scantily clad character models.We've not covered Sharm much before, who goes by the user name taintedlore over on YouTube. She's a UK artist, and has been racking up an impressive body of work. She does mostly parody videos, and seems to be expanding on the machinima quality in her songs. Her early work was mostly about the music, but the video aspects have been getting much stronger as she goes along.The Womanizer Song isn't about what you might think at first. The song is focused on those chaps who choose to play female characters. The video is light fare, and Sharm's singing is catchy and convincing. I don't have any opinions on the subject, but I don't think Sharm is necessarily looking to haul out the pitchforks and torches on the "womanizers" as much as she's just looking to make a joke about it.The video itself is great for the genre, though. The fast scenes, quick cutting, and overall lighthearted tableau make for easy smiles. I don't think stylizing the models any further would have been helpful. I do like the occasional still photo behind a moving actor, though, since it sets up a nice surreality to the video.If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ..
