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WoW Moviewatch: Crestfallen III
Machinima based on PvP can be tricky. It's very easy to fall into the trap of just stringing together huge crit numbers, ultimate pwnage, and a Linkin Park soundtrack. So, when I first read the summary text for Gazzamah's Crestfallen III trailer, I wasn't expecting much. It's a teaser for an upcoming PvP video. "What's this going to be?" I thought. "Only one or two big crit numbers?" And it's a trailer, after all. Too often, trailers promise a beautiful movie that will ultimately never get made.When I watched the trailer, however, I was pleasantly proven wrong. It's very short, so don't go looking for Shakespearean epic here. The trailer opens with shots of Northrend, with ponderous, thoughtful music haunting in the background. An orc climbs an ice slope, looking over the scenery. A voiceover regrets sins made in the past, and then closes with hope that this new place could be different from what's come before.This is going to be a PvP video? Okay, I'm sold -- I can't wait to see it. If this trailer is indicative of what the full video will be like, I think Gazzamah could really do something special in terms of that limited genre. Actual story in my PvP? I'm all 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 ..Edit: The voice-over is Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto. I still love it in this context, but yeah -- I missed that.
WoW Moviewatch: Boombox
Okay, I admit it. I missed an obvious part of the punchline here until I did my due diligence research after the fact. When I first loaded up Atraira's music video for Boombox, I didn't get it right away. I dug the music, thought the message was great ("Music can bring the world together!"), and then was rightly confused at the end. I did notice that the singers were obsessed with "boiled goose," so I did a bit of Google-fu. Then I got it. The song itself is actually written and performed by The Lonely Island. You probably remember them as the chaps who sang a song about their parts in a box or a good "Lazy Sunday." Suddenly, the song became that much funnier, since I understood it was satire comedy.At any rate, the video itself is actually pretty good. I enjoy the two male Draenei as singers, and thought their costuming was well chosen and quite inspired. The milieus of old stuffy men spontaneously dancing worked very well against the lyrics.And if you're like me, you can probably still enjoy the message of "Music will bring the world together!" I refuse to let go of that.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: How To Paladin XXXI
This has been a rather newsworthy week. We've had Nyhm's final goodbye and the release of No Point: Stretching Time. Now, we see the return of a man Baron Soosdon calls "THE DIVINE ONE." Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you How To Paladin XXXI.Like Moo Money said many moons ago, it's hard to categorize Shepiwot's work. It's pretty firmly in the "WTF" category, and I think it's probably best if we just leave it there. You're probably going to find the How To Paladin series funny, entertaining, or just plain annoying. Maybe all three. I'm in the "it's entertaining" camp, and I can live with that.This edition has everything you might expect from Shepiwot journeying to Northrend. Dancing, dancing, and more dancing. Some fighting. Tanks! Explosions! Over all, it's a crazy, whacky ride. It felt to me like it moved faster than previous editions, which is probably a good thing."How to Paladin" might not be your cup of tea. But, for the fast pace of the film, it won't take you long to drink 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: No Point: Stretching Time
As a note, if you're having trouble viewing this video through the stream, there are many more viewing options at the good Baron's blog. I highly recommend downloading the HD options for best experience.I first got word a few days ago. A small wisp of warning, a whisper that today's big news was coming. Time passes, days go by. Then, yesterday, a heads up sent by Selserene (whom I thank vastly for the message). Then, a promotional message on the front of one of my favorite sites, Myndflame. And, finally, a link! Confirmation! It was true my friends -- the good Baron Soosdon has released his 30 minute masterpiece, No Point: Stretching Time.Now, I feel that me reviewing Baron Soosdon is a little like a college newspaper fantasy columnist trying to review Peter Jackson, but I'll share my thoughts on his new movie.
WoW Moviewatch: Pwnage Like Us
Nyhm says to call it an encore. One last card up his sleeve as his way of saying "Goodbye" to the fans of his videos and World of Warcraft. A final masterpiece bearing his name, as he shuffles off this Azerothian coil and goes on to other pastures. Pwnage Like Us is not only Nyhm's final appearance in WoW machinima, but also a strong sendup for a trio of three friends to whom Nyhm would like us to pay attention.The video itself is a great farewell piece. It's an ensemble, and definitely feels like an homage to the work Nyhm's done over the years. I certainly feel like it's among the best featuring Nyhm -- it's got good lyrics, a solid beat, and the vocal performance is among the best. The animation is awesome, and I like the "book" transitions. I definitely love seeing the addition of a Tauren performing. It might just me, but I've worn thin on the Blood Elf as Star thing. I know they're probably the "hottest" models in game, but it's just kind of fatigued in my mind. Nyhm will obviously be missed. I'll be watching for more from Gigi, Demineonz, Abandonation, and Quixotica in the future, as I really did love 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: Riot by Sylverbkwolf
Warning: There's a tiny bit of cussing in this music video, listen with care.Zeb, otherwise known as Sylverbkwolf, created this music video because he was feeling a little bored of the game itself. It's his first video longer than 20 seconds or so, representing his first attempt at editing, framing, and other similar concepts. It took him about a week or two to finish it, and thus was born Sylverbkwolf's WoW music video for Three Days Grace - Riot.In terms of music videos, it didn't reach out and grab me. That being said, considering it's Zeb's first time out, he did a good job of creating smooth animation and a logical follow-through in the video. It made sense, and nothing really struck me as being out of place. The scenes, the requisite use of musical models, and the "story" worked together just fine for a rock and roll video.What I did particularly like, however, is the use of Wintergrasp footage. I've not seen a lot of videos -- music videos or story films -- using this new gameplay feature, and I thought it was keen Zeb included it. I think all the siege engines, in particular, fit a good metal music theme, so it was a good call to include 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: Cloud 9 by Zimtower
Tipster Dread Raven dropped us a note about Zimtower's music video Cloud 9. The tip labled the video as amazing. I admit, I was nervous about that word at first. The last time I got a tip labled that way was for BLIND, and that can be a hard one to measure up to. Also, just as importantly, we did a gnome-based video yesterday, and sometimes our readers have a low gnome-to-nongnome tolerance.But when I fired up the video and started watching, I was enthralled. Zimtower's work to animate the singer was astounding. Face and body movements are well-tuned and expressive. You can see her eyes behind her gnomish goggles. The soft glow of scenery and motion-capture are all beautifully done, giving the video an overall ephemeral quality.The song itself fits perfectly. While it's not my genre of music by preference, the strong bond between visual and audio has cemented "Cloud 9" as something to live in my iPod. Zimtower said the video was about joy. I was skeptical, but the sense of serenity and peace during the movie really did bring that across. I admit, I thought the music video was, in fact, amazing.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: Demachic: Lonely Valentine
Demachic posted Demachic: Lonely Valentine on Warcraftmovies.com yesterday. I would have loved to see it during the Love is in the Air in-game event, but hey -- I'll take what I can get. It is a short, dialogue-less story about a gnome seeking true love, and the artillery she builds to obtain that love.I have to admit that I actually thought to myself, in actual words, "Oh my god, so cute!" This video really is cute. It captures all the bittersweet and totally-saccharin flavors of Valentine's Day. It's got a little hopefulness, a little despair to counter, and a whole lot of wistful, wishful romance. And, it's got a totally adorable gnome to drive home the cute-puppy-love angle.The movie is created without any spoken or subtitled words. I actually really like that, since it encourages the audience to create and interpret their own story for on-screen events. It works great, and the musical selection matches the overall mood of the video. Great job, Demachic!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: Leeroy 4 - The Wailing Caverns
Some movies are created using machinima -- finely honed in-game graphics, tuned to tell the author's story with sizzling detail. Others are creating using more traditional media, like hand-drawn art. And some, like Leeroy 4 - The Wailing Caverns, are created in Live Action, using nothing more than a pure sense of fun and obvious love of the game. It's the creation of Herculean Productions, and I've rarely had so much fun with a fan film.The acting is over-the-top, scene chewing goodness. I like to think that even William Shatner would be proud of these boys. The story is simple enough to support this kind of shenanigan performance. In a quick summary, Leeroy is putting together a group to go to the Wailing Caverns. This is the LFG phase of that endeavour.The costumes hit the right tone, in my opinion. If the clothes had been much fancier, then they'd be calling into the question the genre of the piece. This isn't meant to be high, Shakespearean art. It's supposed to be funny and tongue-in-cheek. You're not supposed to be gauging things like production values; you're supposed to be having the same kind of fun the actors are having.My hat's off to Leeroy. This was great. Click here to go check it out 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: What have you done?
"What have you done?" is originally a song by the Dutch gothic-rock band Within Temptation. For whatever reason, every time I look at the title I can't help but think "What did you do, Ray?" Keyra created a music video for the song, also titled What have you done?Keyra is totally up-front about the fact that, having used an older machine, the video's framerates suffer in a few places. So, that being said, let's pretend that's not the case for the sake of the review. At first glance, Hot-Blood-Elf and Rocker-Night-Elf sing to each other and walk around a lot. Also, there's angst. Okay, so not ground breaking choices there. But when the models for L70ETC kick in on the chorus, I start feeling like the video really comes together.I really liked the elements for this video. They're all appropriate to the genre of the song, well-paced, and creative, even while operating in the confines of the genre's memes. (It's a rock video. Guitars, for example, are mandatory. Without them, it's not a rock video. Just ask Slash.) I liked the way Keyra framed the orc singer, and even the Blood Elf guitar player. (Usually, I just want to slap that guy, and this might be the first time I felt someone's made him look cool.)Overall, I think it worked great. I hope Keyra keeps creating, and gets the chance to rock out on a computer without framerate issues.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: Tradition of the Sith
This movie -- or one like it -- was inevitable. I am, in fact, shocked that it hadn't come about before now. This was a hole in the world of WoW machinima, one which Bullshitmaster has stepped forward to fill. He has created this short, wonderful piece revealing a simple thing. It is the Tradition of the Sith.If you're looking for deep story or meaningful prose, this ain't the movie for you. If, however, you're interested in seeing a pair of Undead Sith undergo the ancient rite of passage, this is totally the way to go. To sum up, in every Sith's lifetime, the student must slay the master. That's how you become the master, you see. You kill the old master. That makes you the top dog.Most of the music and soundtrack come from somewhere else, but it's all brought together very well for the "Tradition of the Sith." I'm especially impressed with how well BSM blended the lightsabers into the scenery. I didn't feel like it was some weird mash-up. The visual portions all actually worked very well together.Check it out, and enjoy a little bit of Star Wars in your Azeroth.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: Fun to be a Hunter
Jaja1 over at Machinima.com posted this WoW music video, titled Fun to be a Hunter. It's a brief kind of R&B video, featuring a lot of snippets of in-game footage. The words are wildly captioned in a variety of ways on the screen, which is handy because sometimes it can be hard to keep up with what's being spoken.I don't know what to think about this piece. I totally dig WoW-themed music. I think I could be missing some coolness of the video due to my ignorance of this music's genre. In general, though, I liked the cadence and pop of the lyrics, and the way it generally sounded. Trying to make sense of the words in terms of actual gameplay, though, was sometimes a struggle to me.The singer's voice was perfect for it, though I did feel like she was a little quiet at times. I'm a minimalist when it comes to music videos, so I found the montages and text-overs to be perfectly adequate. I don't know, maybe it could have used some more in the way of dancing Blood Elves, but we generally get enough of those. I definitely hope to see more from Jaja1, though, because I'd like to see what the next steps will be.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 Paladin's Way of William
We're getting this week off to a great start with something unusual. William Wallace created The Paladin's Way of William. He has some language barriers, being originally from the Chinese servers. However, the simple and beautiful images he's created easily transcend language, and I think has something to appeal to everyone. The first half of the movie is hand illustrated, and that's the part that really knocked my socks off. The simple and elegant drawings, painting, and purity of movement does a great job of telling a hopeful and melancholy tale. At it's heart, the story of a cheese vendor who dreams of being a Paladin. I'm not sure I would have gotten that without being told, but the story of common-man-dreaming-to-be-more is clear and obvious. The last half of the movie involves in-game graphics. I can understand why that happens, and how it portrays important pieces of the story. (Not to mention, qualifies the "Paladin's Way" as being machinima.) Still, the manual art was so beautiful, I found the transition a little jarring. Overall, this was a great piece, and a wonderful way to start the week. 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 Adventures of Thaddius Gallina - Part 1
The Adventures of Thaddius Gallina - Part 1 had me at "Hello." Or, rather, it had me at its production swipe, emblazoned with the logo for "Drunken Dwarf Productions." You can't go wrong with that kind of production title. The six-minute movie is a teaser/introduction to sterivers's machinima film, "The Adventures of Thaddius Gallina." The nominal hero barely shows up in this bit, since this is a prologue piece. It's setting the tone for Thaddius's world and genre, prepping us for the comedic film. In summary, the Horde were doing pretty well and in charge of things. Then, the Alliance got together, and through rigorous "Questing," have been driving back the Horde. This prologue really sets up the Alliance to be a bunch of silly, jingoistic dorks. They show up to an Undead's cave to retrieve a stolen artifact. The Undead apologizes immediately, claiming he'd just bought the porch light from a Goblin. He even offered to give it back with no hard feelings. The Alliance completely ignore him, and hijinks ensue. I look forward to seeing the Gnome get punted after this behavior. The next part should be out fairly soon, and hopefully it can continue the good work. 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: Dude, Where's My Mount? Episode 8 -- Awww Nuts
Some of the language in this movie may not be appropriate for work.Apt-T Productions is back with the well-anticipated Dude, Where's My Mount? Episode 8 -- Awww Nuts. In terms of ongoing, serial machinima, the DWMM legacy has really been growing. Between DWMM and the Chronicle of the Annoying Quest, fan-film viewers are truly starting to get meaningful, full seasons of entertainment.In this episode, our bewildered heroes return from the really real world (man), and land back in Azeroth. After a bit of confusion, they get chased around by dragons. And that's when they find the Elf Girl. Interestingly, the credits to this episode thank Felicia Day. (You might have heard of her.) Was the Elf Girl voice-acted by Felicia? I wasn't sure, and couldn't pick out the voice to be certain. Anyway, hijinks continue, and the pair of heroes find themselves in the midst of a squirrel army.I really feel like DWMM is getting better and better. Like so many serial novels and fiction, the longer the characters exist to gain life and depth, the more interesting they become. The comedic stride is also clearly evolving, as I find myself smiling and laughing a little more with each episode.Edit: Voice credits at the end conifrm Chelsea Sprauer performed the Elf Girl. Thanks Kincaid!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: Warden of Eternity
I'm not sure whether to call Warden of Eternity by Karash "high concept." It certainly fits some of the hallmarks of that idea, but I feel like the pacing might slightly miss the mark. However, in the very least, his epic machinima is firmly rooted in some of the most noble and recognizable lore offered by World of Warcraft. You should recognize Illidan and the dragon Aspects, in the very last. The movie was first created in Karash's native German, and it took him about a year to get subtitles created in English.In my opinion, the "Warden of Eternity" is pretty dang well made. Its panning shots, use of characters, and chosen models are all strong. The voice actors did a good job. I actually really enjoyed the fact that it was in German, because that language really sounds right coming from dragons and epic characters. (Maybe it's the old Rammstein fan in me.)I do, however, wish the pacing were a little faster. It drags on a tad. This gives you plenty of time to soak in the happenings and the scenery, but I don't need quite that much time. Overall, a very solid movie, and I hope Karash continues to make more.[Via Warcraft Movies]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: It's a Hard Gnome Life
Wowcrendor put It's a Hard Gnome Life up over at WarcraftMovies. To sum up, it's a comedy piece about the long, trouble-filled life of a gnome named Gnomeosaurus. The protagonist is the child of Mamagnome and Papagnome, and later goes on to himself parent Gnomejr. Your mileage on this video is going to vary widely. This is not a movie for dazzling special effects or high end sountracks. All of the graphics are fairly straightforward gameplay footage, including a view of the user's mouse zipping about the screen. But you know what? That's cool for this. Nothing about this movie is intended as anything except an exceedingly tongue-in-cheek joke. The whole thing is obviously not meant for anything but sarcastic fun. C'mon. It's about a character named Gnomeosaurus. The best joke in it, in my opinion, is the gag about Devilsaur-shaped cookies with a gnome head on top. The MS-Paint jokes, the sloppy cut-overs. . .the whole thing is just about goofy puns and giggles. My only complaint about it, though, is that the piece runs a little long for its style. Clocking in a little over six minutes, I'm not sure its humor can be sustained for the whole length. [Via Warcraft Movies] 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: Wrath Shorts 11 - Rather Be Playing DS
And now for something completely different, a comedic short titled Wrath Shorts 11 - Rather Be Playing DS by Apt-T Productions. You might remember them from a short time ago as the same guys who did Frank and Beans and Dude, Where's My Mount? Or, maybe not. These guys are doing a lot of neat short-and-sweet joke reels, and their style is really growing on me.I can't really talk a lot about the plot of "Rather Be Playing DS," because the movie is really short. ("Wrath Shorts" isn't just a clever title, you see.) To sum up, Healer and Tank argue about stepping into an instance. Tank's nervous because of the healer's past performance. There's a punchline, and comedic justice is served.Okay, the graphics aren't fancy. The soundtrack isn't rocketing rolling metal. But, this is a perfect example of "all things come together." Whether you find the jokes funny or not, I think everything in the mis en scene comes together just right for short's formula. Anything more involved than its current graphics would probably distract from the jokes. I did happen to laugh, and I look forward to the next installments.[Via Machinima.com]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: Trident of Naz'jan
Gnomechewer's Trident of Naz'jan has actually been floating around for about a month, which makes it a shame we haven't picked it up before now. I'm actually very happy to see it, as I'd worried we'd lost the music video superstar to Age of Conan. This is one of my favorite pieces by him, and totally worth the watch. I'll fess up at the beginning that the music isn't entirely my style, but within the context of the movie it works wonderfully.As the story of the video goes, those dastardly mist-men called Vrykul are (or have been) summoning That Which Devours from Below, Naz'jan. This is related to the opening Tuskarr quests in the Borean Tundra, so if you like the video, take the time to go check those out.Overall, though, I really like that Cthulu-esque "deep one" kind of feel. The strident heavy metal captures the mood of the Vrykul (c'mon, no instance is as "metal" as Utgarde Keep). Even the opening soundtrack voiceovers give you a good sense of impending doom. The video has several shots of the viking-like Vrykul cruising around on longships, which enhances a definite sense of movement.Here's hoping we see more from the maestro Gnomechewer soon.[Via Machinima.com]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: Warsong Defensive Event Trailer
This isn't the first one we've seen, but I love it when we get trailers for roleplay groups or roleplay events. The Warsong Defensive on Shatar (EU) is holding a roleplay event from February 8th until February 15th. As the story goes, a disgruntled Scourge fellow named Paggorn is stepping up to the plate at Wrathgate, and ready to lay some smackdown on the Scourge. You can find more about the event on the official forums. This is the trailer for that event, cunningly titled Warsong Defensive Event Trailer. The author apologizes for letting the music drown out some of the narration, which I have to admit is probably the most distracting part of the trailer. Other than that, the whole thing was pretty good, when viewed from the lens of something to get you roleplaying. The movie has equal parts effects-stylization and raw in-game graphics. I think when you're putting together a roleplaying trailer, you can't stray too far away from in-game graphics, because then you're distancing yourself from the immersion you want to feel in game. The music is pretty solid and motivating. I think the only criticism I'd really have is that the trailer should do more to promote what's happening at the event. It's a pretty awesome video, but it does leave me wondering what will happen at the event itself. Still, it does make guess about whether I can get a character ready in time for the event, which probably means the movie succeeded. If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ..
