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WoW Moviewatch: Dalaran's Costume Contest
Oxhorn's seasonal shorts always seem to bring a little something extra to the holidays. He's hit Halloween just in time by releasing Dalaran's Costume Contest. If you can't see the YouTube for some reason, you can also pick it up over at Oxhorn's official web site. As the story goes, Oxhorn's usual cast of characters are competing in the Hallow's End costume contest. They spend a little time discussing the event, when Hat (the singing turtle) comes up and reveals his own clever disguise. I can't go deeper into the story here, or I'll ruin the punchline. And while it may make me a pop-culture junkie, I admit that I laughed out loud at the joke. An odd bit about this video, though, is that Oxhorn included almost a minute and a half of outtakes. I actually kind of love that stuff, since it gives a lot of personality and "humanity" to the actors in his machinima. I think it lets the audience get to know them a little better, which is almost always a good thing. 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 e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Thunk Leaves Home
Oxhorn's newest machinima is Thunk Leaves Home. It's an interesting tale about the ogre Thunk who is forced to leave Dire Maul after being mocked and outcast by his peers. As he wanders the world, he encounters a Night Elf. Thunk saves the elf's life, only to be scorned for food choices. After yet another encounter in which Thunk is spurned by a gnome, our ogre protagonist heads to Orgrimmar to get a little help from the Horde, only to be considered not monster enough. Lastly, Thunk finds a home with some unlikely trolls.I think Oxhorn definitely had parables in mind as he created Thunk Leaves Home, but the morals are far enough below the surface not to distract the audience. The voice acting by Oxhorn and Jesse Cox are awesome as always, and Oxhorn's trademark musical ending rounds out the entire piece. Thunk Leaves Home is definitely the longest Oxhorn piece we've had for a little while, and I think he took the time to make sure it was viewing time well spent.The closing credits are almost a separate piece of work. In it, Oxhorn philosophizes a bit about J-Pop, and then performs a parody piece in that style. If you like the closing credits, you can pick them up on Amazon.com. I'm not sure it's my speed, but I'm always happy to help a machinimator out by supporting their work. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Cranius music available on Amazon
Cranius has built one heck of a reputation as a World of Warcraft fan songwriter. His music and video credits include Big Blue Dress and the incredibly moving Darrowshire. This year, he (and machinimator partner Legs) achieved the first place prize at the BlizzCon 2009 machinima contest for their every-man video, Don't Make Me Get My Main.All this background makes it awesome to point out that Cranius has released his music through Amazon, all collected on an album titled Big Blue Dress. The album is pretty cheap, coming in under $5.00. It includes downloads of Big Blue Dress, Darrowshire, and The Lament of Captain Placeholder, as well as his new pieces, Happy Place and Don't Make Me Get My Main. The only piece I felt was missing was Ulduar, but I can think of a few reasons it didn't appear.At the cheap price, it's nice to be able to throw a little support at an artist who's brought so much music to the community. He's not been alone in this, of course, as both Oxhorn and Myndflame have released their music in one form or another. I think it's a wonderful opportunity, and something I support wholeheartedly. I obviously have purchased it, and am playing it on my computer even now.
WoW Moviewatch: Gnome Overboard
Hot on the heels of Steak Sandwiches, Oxhorn also released Gnome Overboard. This new installment in the series of Oxhorn's Short Shorts actually reminds me of the older, pre-Inventing Swear Words work done by the Tauren Maestro.The story is not complicated. Three men decide to go hunting whales. (A perfectly reasonable thing to do in Northrend, mind you, as the whales there aggro from about a hundred miles away.) Despite their better judgement, the three men are convinced to let a gnome go with them. This proves to be a complete and total disaster, as gnomes are, apparently, filled with curses and spite. They all die.Gnome Overboard is the resurgence of another favorite aspect of Oxhorn Brand Machinima. His music is creative, fun, and interesting. While I admit the voice in this song seemed to struggle a bit, his lyrics were amusing and cleverly written. On that subject, Oxhorn has also made his music available for purchase on Amazon.com, so if you like his work, you can pick it up fairly easily. 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 e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch special: 7 movies you should know
Machinima's a pretty big topic. Depending on who you talk to, "machinima" could include story-based movies, PvP footage, boss kills, music videos, and even videography of altered in-game landscapes. There are uncounted thousands of videos about World of Warcraft roaming the internet, so it can be very difficult to know where to start.In honor of the ticket queue for BlizzCon 2009, Moviewatch presents seven machinima movies and machinimators you should know. Certainly, these aren't the only 7 movies or authors you should know, but they do include some of the most popular staples of the art. If you find yourself chatting it up with a machinima enthusiast around the BlizzCon water cooler, you can probably be certain they've seen these shows.We went for variety in this selection, choosing videos with different styles and subjects. They certainly aren't listed in "countdown to the best" format, since trying to rate these videos like that would be dang near impossible. Instead, they are simply listed alphabetically, according to the creator of the movie.Check out the selection behind the cut.
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
Ten 2008 machinima worth checking out
IGN has put together a top ten 2008 machinima movie list that's most definitely great for killing some time, should you have any in need of slaying. The list is surprisingly diverse, with movies created in Age of Conan, City of Heroes, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Guild Wars and of course World of Warcraft.We're not too surprised to see an Oxhorn Christmas Tree and a Snacky's Journal 4 take the top two slots, as both series are always incredibly worth-while -- Snacky's Journal 4 won the 2008 Blizzcon Movie Contest. Although we highly recommend checking out The Return of The Revenge of Dr. Mechanico, as it's an amazingly wonderful use of City of Heroes as a storytelling device. Also, if you've really got some time to pass, take a look at Election Duel if you're in any way a politically-minded type with a sense of humor. Good stuff!
WoW Moviewatch: Oxhorn's Christmas Tree
I hate the long, drawn out build-up to Christmas you see these days. Christmas is a holiday, not a season that lasts from late September to early March, alright? I think my love of the holiday as a season died when I worked at a retail store that spent the entire year assembling Christmas trees back in the warehouse. A necessary evil considering how many they sold each year, but impaling yourself on little green needles year 'round sort of crushes the soul a little.With that said, if anything can get me back into a celebrating mood, it's Oxhorn. Especially when those celebrations include beating Elves brutally until Christmas spews forth from their broken frames. I even like Elves! Okay, saying something like that could put me in a sticky spot. I like most Elves. Is that better?
WoW Moviewatch: Mighty Morphin' Midget Gnomes UNITE
Many moons ago, a little skit called Hat vs. Barnaby introduced us to the Mighty Morphin' Midget Gnomes, a powerful quintet of ... little people gnomes? Oxhorn has brought them back in their very own machinima, Mighty Morphin' Midget Gnomes UNITE. While I would have much rather seen a video devoted to my not-so-secret crush, Hat the Singing Turtle, it's good to have the old Oxhorn back.When Lt. Col. Virtue's vigilante justice gets out of hand, the Mighty Morphin' Midget Gnomes are called in to save the day. However, they begin to question their orders when they realize that the Lt. is actually doing the world a favor. Will they be able to carry out their mission?Not only did Nathan Allen Pinard do his usual sound design for Oxhorn, he voiced a couple of roles! Be sure to stick around for the credits, which aren't a Rickroll this time. I promise![Thanks, Nathan!]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 Robber Baron of Warsong Gulch
Now that the submission deadline for the WeGame machinima contest has passed, things can really start heating up. Ending with a total of 120 entries, word on the street is that there are at least six serious contenders for the top prize. Yesterday, I featured Martin Falch's split personality drama, Divided Soul. Today we're going to revisit the nastiest guy in Warsong Gulch.It's been eight months since we were first introduced to B.Z. Caddington, the profiteer and PvP twink, in A Warsong Carol. Pinkhair has brought him back in silent movie-style as he tries to stop the alliance sneaking around his base. This is a machinima that you'll have to pay special attention to. All of the dialogue is on text cards on the screen in order to give it that authentic feel. You can also expect custom models, little inside jokes here and there, excellent editing, and all-around evil. Now that's what I call a good time!If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Machinima: The basics
(Dell is holding a machinima contest, which we'll discuss shortly. They asked me to write a tutorial to help new machinimators get their start.)Every day, I feature a video by some brave soul that dived in head first into the world of machinima. For those that aren't familiar with the term, it stands for machine and cinema. The literal definition is movies made in a 3D gaming platform. Using this basic guide, as well as the other tutorials and resources available to you, you'll be creating your first project in no time!Here is what you'll need if you want to make a machinima for free: WeGame camera - A free capturing program GIMP - A free image editing program Audacity - A free audio editing program Windows Movie Maker/iMovie - Free video editing programs that should have come with your appropriate system [Thanks for originally suggesting this, Bryan!] Read on for optional and advanced tools, plus additional resources ...
WoW Moviewatch: We Eat Flesh!
Oxhorn must be totally out of ideas for movies. While well produced, We Eat Flesh! is yet another mockery of all things that he doesn't approve of, which we now know includes Satan, the scientific community, and vegetarians. At least before he was (mostly) able to keep his personal views out of his machinima and focus on an enjoyable show.We Eat Flesh! is about a man, Francis Baconmeister, Jr., that vows to his father that he will continue the legacy of serving juicy meat to his patrons. When a group of hippies elves protest his eatery, will he give up? The real life images of meat look out of place for a movie from WoW. Otherwise, despite the mockery, the movie is amusing in a different way. When can we get the old Oxhorn back?If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WeGame announces machinima contest to win an Alienware desktop
WeGame.com recently announced a machinima contest with $5000 USD in prizes. To participate, you must make a movie from any game during the month of August, upload it, and submit it to the contest group. Oxhorn, as well as other WeGame staff, will be judging the submissions based on a number of factors including creativity, story, humor, and execution.Some of the prizes include: Grand Prize: Area-51 Alienware desktop Second, Third, and Fourth place winners choose from a varying amount of the following: Sennheiser HD-280 headphones, a 500GB external hard drive, a professional microphone, a GeForce 8600GT 512mb video card, speakers, an AMD processor, a gaming mouse, and some other really cool items Eight Honorable Mentions get WeGame schwag and a $25 USD gift certificate to ThinkGeek [Via WeGame.com]Read on for a list of the basic rules ...
WoW Moviewatch: The Little Gnome
Oxhorn may have just found his #1 fan. Irdeen, a 13-year old Swedish kid, came out of nowhere with his latest project, The Little Gnome. Clearly influenced by Oxhorn, you can definitely tell when you see the stairs, the credits, and the fact that the score is composed by Nathan Allen Pinard. However, the story itself isn't even in the same genre as WeGame's funnyman.The Little Gnome is one of those "feel good" machinimas that adds a little extra spring in your step after watching. It's about a gnome that sees a bird pass by and is inspired to take flight himself. When he faces some setbacks, will he give up?[Thanks, #machinima on Quakenet IRC!]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 Invisible Pink Unicorn
Oxhorn is back, and he wants the world to know that there is a higher power ... in the form of an invisible pink unicorn. For ages, people simply believed in the pink unicorn because it was written in the cookbook. However, when several scientists question one man's beliefs, will he be proven wrong?Oxhorn decided to mix machinima and religion in his latest piece, mocking the scientific community and their beliefs. For those not offended by that, check out the script! Now who's up for a trip to Candy Mountain?If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
New Atlantica trailer shows off turn-based battles
Between Concerto Gate and Atlantica, we may just have to start using a new acronym: MMOTBS or massively multiplayer turn-based strategy game. Don't get us wrong though, the thought of more turn-based MMOs makes us all tingly inside. In fact, we're very happy to see MMOs that dabble in the world of turn-based battles and it really is underutilized mechanic these days. Obviously because of our love for them you can count on us to report on anything related to these types of games, like this brand new trailer for Atlantica!We get to see lots of turns being taken in this trailer, which truly warms our heart. However, we also see plenty of epic battles being waged. It all looks so grandiose and dramatic. In fact, we're not really sure if we've seen a game trailer with that many quick-cuts in it before. It may not be as good cinematically as say, an Oxhorn Brand Melody, but it certainly could be a lot worse: It could be set to some overused movie theme.
WoW Moviewatch: Epic Raids
While I'm aware that anything I blog today will be dwarfed by the vast amount of WWI news that our amazing team of bloggers are posting, I still want to give it a shot! That's why I saved a new video by Oxhorn just for today. While he usually has tidbits and audio from his machinima productions up on his blog and website, he's been unusually silent with this one. However, you can find the lyrics on the video page.Epic Raids is a parody of the intro to a television show that aired before a lot of us were born, Happy Days. However, its age never made it any less fantastic. The entire gang of bosses made it into the intro, as well as some campy goodness from raiding adventures. As an aside, am I the only one that wants to see Oxhorn occasionally use other singers for his songs?If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Cinemassively: Epic Raids
Oxhorn has always produced a steady flow of machinima, but ever since he took on his job at WeGame, he's been on fire! This time, he created a parody of the old TV show, Happy Days, called Epic Raids. While noticably shorter than most of his body of work, it definitely has the comedy factor going as it spoofs the opening credits of the show. He even shows the extensive cast of bosses, including Illidan Stormrage, Kael'thas Sunstrider, and Kil'Jaeden. If only raiding were actually this festive!If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
WoW Moviewatch: World of Workcraft
When a group of dragon slayers spend all day killing and saving villages, how could they possibly unwind? They log in to World of Workcraft, of course. Whether the assignment is making sales calls, reading reports, or dealing with the epic boss, these guys are prepared, but will the new guy fail them?Lagspikefilm, creator of the hilarious Thrall's Crib parody, has made another film that is both funny and genius at the same time. However, the film has multiple branding from WeGame, is not available on any other site, and Oxhorn voice acted in it. It looks like Oxhorn may not be the only one on the WeGame payroll.[Thanks, Tumnus!]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: Associate Professor Evil Kills All Ninja Looters
Oxhorn is back with another quality movie, Associate Professor Evil Kills All Ninja Looters. This machinima comes in at a whopping 18 minutes, with four of that spent on an amusing skit during the credits. The story centers around APE and his tenure meeting. When the unexpected happens, he sets off on a mission to regain his power.In addition to the skit, there is a song and dance number, "Tank Tank Heal Tank," but no complete script release for the movie yet. For music, videos, and lyrics to the machinima, be sure to check out his blog.If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
