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  • WoW Moviewatch: Buddhist 3v3: Ming Must Die!

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    04.03.2009

    Warning: This video is longer than your average, and definitely includes language not suitable for the workplace. It's not all potty-mouth, but it's got some cursing and strange sounds.Do you remember Insane Gouge Crits, by Buddhist? Well, the master of PvP Parody is back with another installment in the ongoing struggle to be Rogue Hokage. Behold Buddhist 3v3: Ming Must Die!The love of Buddhist's life (his soulmate, if you will) has been damaged by a rival rogue, Ming. Now, Buddhist and his 3v3 team must fight through Ming's merciless minions to regain Cel's power, and prove who is the true Rogue Hokage.This video is parody of the PvP genre, and sticks its tongue firmly in cheek at the majority of rogue and PvP culture. It's steeped with references and odd quirks, so it helps to have some knowledge of who's who. Ming, for example, is actually a very well known blogger in "rogue society." Serennia is a prominent Arena fighter, and was once hailed as the "best warrior in the world." And if the dialogue from Ming seems funny after her initial confrontation with Buddhist's crew, check this video out about Swarm.The video made me laugh. The stream could use a little better quality, but overall, I enjoyed this new installment. Mileage is going to vary, of course, but I enjoyed the irreverent, self-aware humor.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: Ulduar

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    04.02.2009

    This has been a week with lots of collaborative videos released. A new collaboration just hit the streets, and it's one that I was excited about the second I got the email from Cranius. Yeah, that Cranius. You know, Cranius of the Big Blue Dress? He's gotten together with Summergale and Legs to issue a new music video, called Ulduar. You should already know Summergale from her work in Hard Like Heroic, and Legs is the machinimator who created Route 440. I couldn't expect anything less than greatness from this crew, and greatness is exactly what they delivered.According to Cranius, the video is about a pair of genre-crossed lovers crossing playstyle boundaries in WoW. Summergale sings the part of a PvE raider who is well-geared, and highly skilled in her arena. Cranius sings as a PvP fighter, who not only enjoys the dark avenues of player combat, but is a little bit of a punk and rebel. They're each trying to draw one another across the fence to try "the other side."The music is excellent. Summergale's voice is gorgeous and compelling, while Cranius nails each lyric with convincing fervor. Legs built an energetic, riveting video for the song, creating a frenzied, hypnotic stage on which the singers perform. This is an incredibly professional piece, and one which I think sets a high standard for WoW music 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: 5 Cap by Abandonation

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    04.01.2009

    If you've been following the emergence of the "Belf Rap" genre, then you're already somewhat familiar with Abandonation. He's done collaborations already with Nyhm, Gigi, and other similarly-inclined artists. While working on other upcoming projects, Abandonation hooked up with a new machinimist who goes by Red Eye Lobine. Red Eye, of course, is the chap who put out the awesome preview for his own work, Frontline. (That song is actually performed by the rock band Pillar, but the gorgeous animation is all done by Red Eye.)This is another preview video, so be warned that it cuts off a little abruptly. That being said, I think the preview provides a very strong feel for what the final video will be like. Abandonation is responsible for the music, and Red Eye for the video itself.The music basically works for me. The soundtrack itself seems to get louder and softer without warning, and can be distracting from the lyrics. I chalk that up to being a preview, and not a finished production. I like the fast paced lyrics and clear skill Abandonation shows in mastering them.I think Red Eye is creating a very clear, distinctive style for his videos. The attention to each character's models, flattering shots, and sort of gritty, inner city backgrounds give the otherwise "fabulous" Blood Elves a more down-to-earth feel. The video's exciting, and I can't wait to see the finished project. As I've said before, I think this collaborative group is doing a lot to bring a new genre to machinima. I'd really like to see them succeed.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: Bending Reality By Lex

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.31.2009

    When we first featured Downside Up by Lex a few weeks ago, both myself and commenters were clear. For all that Lex said he didn't really have a point to his music video, the rest of us really liked it. You're allowed to eschew narrative focus in favor of laying down some cool images and great tunes. That's, like, totally art, man.So, when I woke up this morning and hit my trusty Moviewatch ticker tape, I was pretty happy to come across Bending Reality By Lex. It's a fairly short piece, and follows a similar style to Downside Up. The images are pretty cool, but I wouldn't spend too much time trying to find a message or story. I enjoyed the momentary shots of the game's UI interspersed with the more traditional, escapist scenes. True to the video's title, I felt it promoted a surreality to the imagery. You definitely got a sense of "character's point of view" versus the "player's point of view." Then, using some footage of model editing, you even got a third tier -- a "designer's point of view." Not to get too deep, but I definitely got the feeling like we were playing around with a character's reality.It's a pretty neat piece, and I congratulate Lex on another fun 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: Ninja Looter

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.30.2009

    Ninja Looter has actually been floating around "out there" since the beginning of the month. It's one of the music video kind-of-parodies from Gigi, Abandonation, and Decision. Zharkan16 is the animator for this one. It's pretty true-to-form for the "Blood Elf Rap Music Video" genre. (Is that a genre? What should I call this kind of thing? I'm not sure "WoW Rap" video really gets the point across. But since this crew of performers seem to be advancing this genre pretty vigorously, I need to be able to call it something.) A few things about "Ninja Looter" struck me. First, as far as I can tell, there's nothing in the lyrics or video vaguely related to Ninja Looting. That's okay, though. I'm "down" with the art of unrelated names. I can be hip like that. Second, there's a few lyrics about how Holy Paladins have it pretty easy in raids and PvP. I'm not sure if that's the point Decision was really trying to get across, but I think the Colosseum commenters would agree that Holy Paladins have it pretty good right now.What really stood out to me as I researched "Ninja Looter," however, is that the trio of performers are definitely building a fan base. This song already has nearly 500 ratings on YouTube, the majority of which are very, very positive. The comment threads are stringing out toward infinity, with the same flavor discussion you might see from mainstream bands' commenters. So, whether or not you're a fan of Gigi, Abandonation, and Decision, they certainly seem to be creating a very solid following. If they continue to be consistently prolific and communicative, they could have a very real effect on the WoW community over the next several months.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: HAX

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.27.2009

    You might (should?) remember Ian Beckman from Azerothian Supervillains. He's now released a new rap video as part of a Senior Thesis Project at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Ultimately, this video -- titled HAX -- is in competition with a few other musically similar videos. So, if you like it, take a moment to visit the site and vote for it.This is simply one of my favorite music videos I've seen for this genre. Not only is the music awesome, the video itself is a fun and nostalgic romp through games of old. Pac-Man and Mario Brothers are just two great examples. Ian's done a great job making his video's main character Zeldo fit within the games' context. It's obvious Zeldo's a visitor, but affected by his location.The dancing girl is a great nod to the genre of rap music videos. You always have a pretty dancing girl. (I'm sure someone can show me rap videos without a pretty dancing girl, but I'd be hard pressed to find it myself.) However, she's suitably pretty, suitably dancing, and still screams "video gamer" to me. She's also not dressed in a skimpy outfit, which fits my out-of-date, prudish sensibilities. I enjoy the way Ian's blended real world footage to video game graphics. It works great.If you could, take the time to visit the contest site and vote for HAX. If Ian wins, maybe we'll get lucky and another video in this style.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: Frontline Preview

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.26.2009

    Red Eye Lobine posted the preview for Frontline on YouTube. Smartersnipe of Bladefist dropped us a tip about the video, and I'm really glad he did. I'm usually a little nervous about previews and trailers, because they often don't see fruition. But after checking this out in both normal quailty and HD, I was totally convinced that I had to display it.Okay, so the basic story of the video so far is a trope. Two badarses beat up a bunch of people, pose impressively, and generally look heavy metal awesome. But, as I've said before, some tropes are tropes because they're awesome. And you don't fix what ain't broke, right? I loved the opening shot of an eagle soaring over the countryside. Again, granted, it's a bit of a cliche, but it's one that wonderfully sets the scene for upcoming action. After the eagle screeches, the camera zooms in on our badarse orc warriors. They proceed to lay some smackdown on people.If you're looking for deep, meaningful, pretty prose, this might not be your video. But, if you'd like an inspirational piece to fire your blood before Wintergrasp, especially if you're Horde, Frontline's going to be your pick. I look forward to Red Eye finishing it. His graphics are amazing, and I can't wait to see what he's got up his sleeve.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: Rise of The Forsaken - Chapter I: Myth or Legend?

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.24.2009

    Pixelborn Studios looks to be a relatively fresh machinima effort. It's a group of seven friends who are working to create and publish more and more complex machinima and animation films. The first piece by Pixelborn has been released on WarcraftMovies.com with the author Petter Thowsen. The title of this machinima is Rise of The Forsaken - Chapter I: Myth or Legend?The plot of "Rise of the Forsaken" centers around a group of undead who are on a search for an elixir on behalf of Sylvanas. There are some humans doing stuff, but I wasn't as clear how they'd relate to the ultimate plot. Sylvanas is about as kick-butt as you'd want her to be, though I was a little disappointed that she was voiced by a male. Still, she's tough, right? So maybe a bit of husk in the voice isn't out of the question. The author has already said they're looking to get a female to play the role in Chapter II, though, so I wouldn't lose sleep worrying about that.The story of Rise is obviously going to be fairly epic. Most of the footage seems to come directly from gameplay, and is pretty good use of graphics in that sense. There's not a lot of BLIND-stylized action, but I think that's just as well in this case. The movie is focused on the story instead of the animation. The voice acting is pretty good for a first-out effort, even if all the female voices are clearly guys-in-falsetto. (Paging Axel Rose, paging Axel Rose, white courtesy phone please.) All in all, I was pretty satisfied with Rise. I'd like to see Chapter II go to the next level, but Pixelborn obviously seems to be thinking along those line. Some refinement in voice cast, maybe a few cleanups on graphics. Check it out and let us know what you think.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: A.D.I.D.A.W.

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.23.2009

    Some days, it's a little slow in the world of WoW machinima. Other days, I log in to my email and find out we're starting the week with a Baron Soosdon machinima. Which is, frankly, awesome. The good Baron got a tip about this song from his YouTube activity. He was drawn, motivated, and compelled to create a signature machinima for it. Thus was A.D.I.D.A.W. born. After hearing the music, how could you not empathize with the frenzied, holy compulsion to put gnome-to-screen for this song?The song in A.D.I.D.A.W. is a take-off from Korn's A.D.I.D.A.S.. This musical re-creation is the brainchild of the band Electric Sex Pants. And, man, they really do hit the sweet spot for lyrics. All day I do, in fact, dream about WoW. I admit I've not been into scream metal for a while, but these guys just "did it" for me.The video story itself is pretty awesome. I don't want to give it away, because the action is totally worth the watch. I'll summarize as best I can. Some horde are mistreating gnomes, in a wide variety of ways. But at the end, the song ends, and the abuse stops. Then, a little revenge comes their way. (No pun intended.) The graphics and animation are all clean and sharp. The action is easy to follow, and instilled with enough "whoah, cool" to make you want to reroll a Gnome. As always, I'm thankful to the Baron for continuing the people's revolution, making gnomes cooler and cooler every day.You can find multiple options for a video stream at the good Baron's blog.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: World of Warcraft: Lost Within

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.20.2009

    Warning: Mild cursing at the end.Do you remember BroncoTV? They're the same guys who created Who's the Tank? Michael Schroeder dropped your intrepid Moviewatch team a note to let us know they've released a new video -- World of Warcraft: Lost Within. To sum up the plot, a WoW player finds himself transported inside the game. He must quest, grow, and ding, all en route to rescue his princess. It's definitely a WoW vs. reality theme. The gags are suitably funny, and I found the acting to be over-the-top in the right places. (The gag at the end worked for me, I think in part because I knew it was coming. C'mon, who hasn't tried to whack someone with a plastic sword, only to be sorely disappointed with the effect?) I really liked the WoW interface laying over top of Live Action acting. It gave a neat surreality to the comedy, and kept me firmly rooted in the escapist joke. Of course, if there's a part two, it'd be neat to see some UI Mods and such start making appearance. (Maybe an Omen Kiss meter or something.)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: Max Payne Noir Undercity - Chapter 1.

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.18.2009

    Warning: Long movie is long!While I'm clearly a WoW junkie nowadays, I wasn't always that way. On the list of games which defined my life as a geek, the classic "Max Payne" was top among them. That detective-noir feel and epic "Bullet Time" just went a long, long way to blazing a permanent fondness across my skull. So, you might be able to imagine my excitement when Varath released Max Payne Noir Undercity - Chapter 1: The darkness inside.Varath has basically taken the premise and some sound from Max Payne 2, and laid it overtop World of Warcraft-style animations. This piece isn't based of in-game footage. Instead, since the middle of 2008, Varath has used custom editing and 3D models to completely reanimate the movie. The effects are astounding. The film style captures the gritty, noir feel of Max Payne, and his action is convincing and fun. Stylized freeze-frames and comic-book effects are clear homages to Varath's original material, but work well in the context of the brooding, ponderous script.Any review of Varath's story would simply be a review of Max Payne 2's story, which isn't something I'm trying to do here. While I'm not normally a huge fan of genre mashups, I look at Noir Undercity in context of WoW-Noir. In that light, it works. The imagery is strong and effective, even if the overall viewing time is longer than your average effort.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: I'm no good

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.17.2009

    I am, in general, a pretty big fan of Legs's body of work. This WoW music video take on Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" is one of my favorites, even though it was first released a while back. The video is titled I'm no good, as it's very much a direct carry-over of Winehouse's song. As the video's story goes, it's about a couple who are having some "faithfulness" issues. The scenery and action does a good job of mirroring the song's lyrics. Legs's costume work is, of course, very strong. And while I've long admitted I'm a little burned out on the Blood Elf thing, the singing belf chosen by Legs is actually a pretty good fit for Winehouse's persona. I think this is some of the best "band" footage I've seen in videos. L70ETC lends itself to "Hard rock montage!" Legs, however, has managed to create a soulful and almost "fun" vista in which the boys can operate. I think some of that might be the music soundtrack, but I could almost expect to see these guys in my local coffeehouse. If you haven't seen this one before, here's hoping you enjoy 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: Downside Up by Lex

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.16.2009

    Lex only says about fifty times that his video, Downside Up, does not make sense. I have to disagree. Wookies on Endor? That doesn't make sense. This video makes sense. It's a music video, with various and meaningless scenes of an orc running. It's a showcase for music, with imagery meant to provide some kind of context to the sounds. It doesn't really have a story or a theme, but that doesn't mean it's sense-less. Lex created this entire piece within four hours, so it's a quick one-off. But there are still some things to say about it. Lex did a good job of choosing scenery for his orc to run through. I like quick vistas like this. It shows off some of the beautiful landscapes and images that are present in the game. It's kind of nice. Really, I can picture this video playing on a monitor above a club's dance floor. The action taking place in the video isn't the point, it's just setting up ambiance. I think Lex should explore this kind of thing, setting up a kind of YouTube play list of music videos. For all that he said "This makes no sense," I was able to appreciate the video as a showcase for the music.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: Guildy Conscience

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.12.2009

    The language in this video isn't entirely safe for work. They curse a bit.You probably remember last month when Nyhm teamed up with a trio of creative types as a final farewell to WoW videos. Their video, Pwnage Like Us, showcased three talents who I wouldn't exactly call new to the scene, but who are probably still relatively fresh to casual machinima viewers. Well, Gigi, Decision, Quixotica, and Abandonation are already back with a new music parody piece -- Guildy Conscience.This music video is a take-off from Eminem and Dr. Dre's "Guilty Conscience." I admit, I'm not incredibly familiar with the original song, and I prefer it that way. It lets me enjoy the work on its own, though I will say that vocal styles are definitely spawned from Eminem's distinctive sound. The song is a quick series of three parables about decisions everyone faces in World of Warcraft. Well, maybe not everyone, but they're common themes on Mr. Schramm's Guildwatch. First, an undead rogue encounters a gnome and has to decide whether to gank him. Second, a troll's got to resist the temptation to ninja gear from Malygos. And, lastly, a tauren wrestles with complexities of buying gold.It's meant as comedy, but I actually greatly enjoy their commentary about these ethical issues in WoW. That being said, I'm really wearing out on the "I'm a bad ass Belf!" gig, and hope that Abandonation and Gigi explore other personality facets. Quixotica's work on the video is remarkable, and I really do believe these three could create some astounding work in the coming months.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: Unbroken trailer

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.11.2009

    I've been looking forward to this one for quite some time. Firebolt Productions has released the promotional trailer for their upcoming film, Unbroken. It is a movie about a group of Draenei refugees hiding from the barbarous Orc invaders. While I know the Orcs were the original inhabitants of Draenor, I can't wait to see how the rich tapestry of lore is going to play out in the movie.It's nothing short of legendary to see the cast of folks involved in "Unbroken." Selserene, the Hackleman brothers, and Matt Greenberg, just to name a few. With this kind of talent all operating under one roof, I have to expect greatness from the movie. The preview trailer is gorgeous. The opening lines in the voiceover promise a heartrending story. The animation is just beautiful. The landscapes of Outland reveal an alien but thriving world. The brief character shots and profiles all look like Firebolt spent an immense effort to choose the best models possible for their actors.It's a trailer, so it's hard to say how compelling the final dialogue will be. But everything about this trailer tells me Unbroken is going to be awesome.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: Forrest GumpDK

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.10.2009

    I didn't originally think I'd feature Forrest GumpDK. Mojorising created the video to help celebrate the four year anniversary of his guild, The Enigma Order. While I like seeing these videos, it's usually not the kind of thing that appeals to an audience-at-large. After watching it through, however, the warm-hearted nostalgia grew on me. I actually found "Forrest GumpDK" to not only be a "happy anniversary!" card, but also a fond retrospective of raiding since Vanilla WoW.The video is based off a certain Robert Zemeckis film from the mid-90s. At the end of GumpDK, the main actor is credited as "Tom Tanks." Hey, it's the little jokes that make things work. Basically, the movie starts off following a feather as it drifts down to a tuxedo-wearing Death Knight, sitting on a bench in Stormwind. The DK then begins telling the tale (in subtitles) of how The Enigma Order has been raiding over the past years.While Forrest GumpDK is talking about his Guild, I think we all remember the days of fighting that big guy who's made of fire, then a dragon, then another dragon. And then, shooting off into "space!" That sense of wonder might have worn thin for some of us veterans, but Mojorising's Forrest gave me a gentle, rosy-glass view of the old times. For that, I thank Forrest GumpDK for a job well done.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: R.A.M - Episode 1

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.06.2009

    M??xans! presented R.A.M - Episode 1 over on Machinima.com. He listed it as a comedy, but I'm forced to wonder if it wouldn't be better as "Surrealist" or something. The movie is shot in most black and white, but at the end, it spontaneously bursts into color. The plot seems simple. A gnome is out adventuring in Tanaris, when a undead rogue decides to grief him. (I know, the possibility of such an event is inconceivable to most of us.) After a bit of trial and tribulation, the gnome swaps out for his draenei. The draenei kills the rogue, and proceeds to camp his corpse.The whole video is very odd. The pacing is slow, and most of its framing shots are reminsicent of old, silent movies. For example, there are several face-frames given to the gnome while the rogue is creeping up. These imply the gnome is unaware of his pending disaster, and paying the creeping Undead no attention. This kind of technique was key to silent films, to help portray a better understanding of the events to its audience. I felt the technique was valuable to "R.A.M," but still felt slow and clunky over the duration of a long movie.I can't say whether I liked or disliked "R.A.M." It mostly confused me, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. If it's Episode 1, however, I look forward to Episode 2. Sometimes, these things make more sense as they play out.Click here to see it yourself!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: Britney Spears - Piece of Me

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.05.2009

    If you'd told me two days ago that I'd be featuring a WoW music video based on a Britney Spears song, I'd have called you a bloody liar. But. Well. Here I am, featuring a WoW music video based on a Britney Spears song. Real life is stranger than fiction, I guess. Check out Britney Spears - Piece of Me.This video was posted anonymously on Machinima.com. I didn't really expect a lot from the video. First, it was anonymous. Usually, that means the author is expecting to get flamed and burned for their efforts, and don't want to associate his or her identity with the piece. Second, the anonymous author also said it's a first-time-out piece, and that he or she is learning the ropes. Lastly, it's a Britney Spears song. I mean, c'mon.I was pleasantly surprised. No, shocked! While I can't say that I loved the song and that it's going to change the world, the quality of the video absolutely astounded me. The Blood Elf singer is an obvious choice to represent Spears, but the screen glows, white-outs, and effects are perfectly suited to the persona. The graphics and settings are well chosen and cleverly pieced together, exactly as I'd expect a Spears video to go.So, while this might not be your schtick, exactly, you've got to applaud the incredible first effort from this Anonymous author. Well done, and here's hoping for more. My only real note to the author is that you should go ahead and reveal your identity with this -- you've got some growing skills, and should be proud of what you've done.Click here to see it yourself!If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ..EDIT: As commenter Stalwart has pointed out, this is a video first created by Demachic, and reviewed by Moo Money. Still, the video's worth another watch.

  • WoW Moviewatch: The Achiever - The Duelist

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.04.2009

    We saw Origano's first machinima offering back in February, when he debuted with The Achiever - Rapid Defense. The video was interesting, but plagued with some soundtrack issues. However, it looks like he took that criticism to heart and is now back with the second installment, The Achiever - The Duelist.The premise is the same. The main character (self-titled as Origano) is competing in a gameshow called the Achiever. This time, however, the Tauren protagonist has to win a duel. He starts out demanding equal opponents, and proceeds to have trouble with the arrangement. I don't want to give the story away, but it's a pretty nice progression of events. I think Origano is really showing promise with his story arrangements, though it could probably move at a little faster pace.Origano's got some really good gags in here. The whole turtle lineup is pretty funny, and I love the shout out to those annoying toy trains. I think Origano's really starting to get his legs under him, and we should watch him closely to see how he grows as an artist.Previously on Moviewatch ..

  • WoW Moviewatch: Northrend Newsflash

    by 
    Michael Gray
    Michael Gray
    03.03.2009

    Northrend Newsflash, by Ninth Batter, is a really great idea. It's a video in the style of old American propaganda videos, but told from the perspective of the Scourge. The Lich King wants you!I liked the shifting camera perspectives, since that really mimics the WWII style the author was aiming for. The voiceover's accent was close enough to get the job done. I appreciate that he wasn't quite as tinny or nasally as most of those old commenters tended to be, since that also tends to drive me up the wall. The only segments during which the video lost me a bit were the interviews. They felt slow to me, and dragged down the pace of the rest of the video. While I understand what he was getting at, I could have skipped them in favor of a little faster tempo. This kind of video relies on the stylization in short bursts, and the longer interviews interrupt the flow of that, in my opinion. I'm not saying the interviews were bad, just that they seemed off-pace to me.If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ..At any rate, it's great work, and I'm hopeful to see more from Ninth Batter.