wow-machinima
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WoW Moviewatch: Lowbies: Episode 2
It's been a while, but Slightly Impressive just released the second episode from his series, Lowbies. We left off in the first episode with a bunch of lowbies attempting to kick their healer after not being able to get rid of the overzealous hunter. You know the type. And hey, we've all been there: Kick-happy group members in the Dungeon Finder don't really care who it is. Once they have the itch, it's unstoppable. Poor panda. I'm still not sold on the series quite yet. It's described as a "daytime television series about PUG drama," but there hasn't been any real development. PUGs suck. We know. Although these guys are strangers, will we see future episodes from a character's perspective? Or multiple? That might give us something to really bite into! I liked this episode of Lowbies nonetheless -- can we get that ominous thunder sound effect in game when kicking? Please and thank you, Blizzard, xoxo.
Oveoflod shows old models still have new tricks
I have no idea how the above video managed to escape attention for so long. Originally published on May 4, 2012, the video by Oveoflod -- simply titled Moves -- seems innocent enough at first. It isn't until 26 seconds in that the standard female human model decides to break out of the standard female human model animations and show us her moves, which are nothing like the Macarena. According to the Youtube description, the video took over a year to make, using MotionBuilder, 3ds Max and Wowmodelviewer to pull it all together. Let's be clear, here: Creating new animations is not as easy a task as you'd think. This tiny, 4 minute video took well over a year to create. However, I still find it pretty astonishing that the old character models can still be taught new tricks. And I still hold out hope that one day, we'll see different dances for all of the races in the game. Until then, we can go ahead and watch Oveoflod's video and wonder about the possibilities of what could be done, given enough time.
WoW Moviewatch: Little Red Riding Hood
I'm not super clear on what's happening in Little Red Riding Hood since it's not in English and doesn't have subtitles. But I do know this video is awesome, and I've watched enough that I think I can piece together most of the plot. The story seems to go like this. Little Red Riding Hood is a gnome. The Big Bad Wolf is an orc rogue who ganks her. So Little Red Riding Hood gets some hunter training and recruits a bunny pet. Then the bunny pet kills the orc. With a story like that, you know the video has to be ridiculously fun, so check it out. Insert your own "Run away, little girl!" sounds for authenticity. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Raid Together, Die Alone 4
Raid Together, Die Alone is the good Baron Soosdon's series of hallmark raiding video. With his unmatched eye for machinima design and unutterable sense of humor, Raid Together, Die Alone always feels like a testament to each raiding tier. Kick back with a cuppa tea, and enjoy the fourth installment in the Baron's series. And just in case you're a Soosdon veteran, don't worry. The most epic raider of all time rolls you at the end, exactly as you'd expect. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Anton Pourqoi - No Rerolls, episode 2
We got to see the first episode of Anton Pourqoi last week. True to word, the AFK Players return now with the second episode in the series. The second installment has the same amazing graphics, sense of humor, and incredible flow as the first one. Unfortunately for my time in the august Alliance, this is exactly how I'll picture Anduin from now on. His voice somehow perfectly matches the character's appearance, and this is how I imagine him acting. I doubt this interpretation is what Blizzard had in mind, but I'm stuck with it now. Also, this is exactly how Pet Battles should happen. This is the best Pet Battle video ever. I'm just saying. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Here's what you missed
If you happen to be the kind of player who clicks "Accept" without reading the quest text, you could have missed the whole point of Cataclysm. I don't know exactly how that would have happened, but it's possible, I guess. So, if you're a non-reader who missed the giant flaming dragon, but want a super-fast explanation of Cataclysm, this video is for you. In Five Production presents Here's What You Missed. It helps to "get" this machinima if you've ever seen Glee. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
Mists of Pandaria Contest: Convince the Pandaren to join your faction
Jesse Cox and Ian Beckman are working with Blizzard to run one of the most interesting contest ideas I've seen in a while. Essentially, you create a video to convince the pandaren to join your particular faction. The winner for each faction gets a pretty awesome prize pack. The promotional video above has all the juicy details, so check it out to get a deeper understanding of the contest. I'm pretty excited to see what the entries are like; you've got to love a contest the encourages creativity in the community. Also, they should choose Alliance. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
WoW Moviewatch: The Hunt [NSFW]
Having exhausted all the newer machinima that I cared to post, I decided to go digging deep into the WoW Insider archives for something really ancient that hadn't seen the light of day in a while. Serendipitously, the first thing I found ended up leading me to something we've never actually posted on the site before. Convenient, huh? It would seem that back in 2008, we posted a trailer for a feature-length machinima called The Hunt, but when the final version was released in August 2011, it was off our radar and never got published. Three and a half years will do that, I suppose! Before we get started, please note that the video has some cursing, graphic violence, and a very short sex scene (less than 2 seconds) that you may not want your small children or boss to see or hear. That said, the whole thing runs 60 minutes long, so you'll probably want to sit down to this like a movie when you're at home anyway. So overall, I have to say I was really pleasantly surprised by The Hunt. It's very different from the other narrative story machinima I've seen, using modern storytelling techniques, music, and even modern dialogue. The result is a simultaneously epic and ridiculous movie that's a whole lot of fun to watch, provided you're able to let yourself go with it. I say that last bit because I do expect some of you to hate this machinima. Some of you will hate it for its unpolished voice acting, while others will hate it for the liberties it takes with the Warcraft lore. Now, I can't really help you if you're a lore buff, but concerning the voice acting, I've got a thing or two to say. First, yes, I'll admit that it's not the best -- but personally, I do think it works. The whole movie is a sort of genre parody, mixing serious fantasy story elements with comedy (think The Princess Bride), and within that world, goofy, over-the-top voices aren't out of place. The real complaint to be had with the voice acting is simply that there are only three voice actors for all the characters, and at times, some of the characters just sound too similar.
WoW Moviewatch: The Quiet Hope
The Quiet Hope is an older machinima, though it is not one we've featured before. It's an interesting piece, especially since it's one of Malamenz's first forays into machinima. I think the strength of the video is the poetry. I felt like I recognized the piece but opted not to Google it; the poem works so well inside the framework of The Quiet Hope that I didn't want to blow up the mystique. While The Quiet Hope isn't going to change the face of machinima, it's not a bad video. Take the time to check it out. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Dragon Be Gone
I was reminded of Dragon Be Gone while chatting it up with friends. While the subject came up because of rocks ( ... yeah, just rocks), the whole video is absolutely fun. Dragon Be Gone was created by Erunno and Frozen Death Knight. Videos like Dragon Be Gone are one of the strongest recommendations for WoW. The game has grown a rich community over its seven years. It's just kind of cool. The community has infinitely more depth that you'd suspect from simple television ads, which is a shame, since that community is probably one of its best parts. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Beautiful Stranger
Romirevids has come a long way with his skills. You can see that plainly in Beautiful Sister, Romire's newest release. While the video won't be to everyone's liking, it's definitely a huge step from some of his previous work. The story is a fairly straightforward "Dude, where's my Draenei/mount/sister?" gag, but I think that's a strength. The voice acting is a huge improvement for Beautiful Sister, and the plot actually steps forward with an even, good pace. My hat's off to Romire for good 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 email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Stupid Hair
Happy Monday, everyone! For a special treat today, we have some brand new Greyfoo! How can you not be excited? Greyfoo conceptualized Stupid Hair back in December 2011. While he's been working on the idea for months, general distractions and a busted hand kept him from releasing the video until now. The video comes in two parts. The first half is a subtle cautionary tale about going up against Deathwing. While you might think a coterie of Azeroth's strongest heroes would be immune to stupid traps, Thrall discovers to his horror that his raid members embrace amazing gullibility. The last half is Greyfoo's trademark funky beats and smooth singing. Greyfoo has crafted an amazing homage to the silly haircuts you can get in game. Remember, stupid hair is just a barber shop visit away. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: How to Win at Guilds 2
Billy got kicked from his guild, which means he needs to find another guild. And so it was that Billy went on another tour through the various frustrating guild stereotypes. If you think about the baggage being carried by a single person, consider then the collective baggage hauled around by an entire guild! How to Win at Guilds 2 is probably one of Wowcrendor's best videos in a while. It's a longer video and contains a deeper, more detailed criticism of the game. It's also a good example of that nice, painfully funny analysis for which Wowcrendor is known. I think we all know guilds or people like those in this video. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Raining Frost -- Stormwind Assault
You need to give this video a little bit of time to get started. The opening is a little slow, in my opinion, but the video picks up pace considerably after a short time. I'm actually kind of excited to meet WazopVids, as I'm looking forward to what he might do in the future. Not much plot rears its head in Raining Frost -- Stormwind Assault, but the video shows a lot of promise in terms of pacing, tension, and graphics. I loved the diver's HUD graphics. While it doesn't feel very WoW-like, admittedly, it was an effective technique for getting some anticipation and action in the plot. After all, otherwise you could simply sum the action up as "undead falls from sky"; in this version, you get "undead falls from sky with a cool HUD." WazopVids is working on the next video already. You can see the teaser for it at the end of Raining Frost -- Stormwind Assault, so stick around to get that preview. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Celebrating Valentine's Day
This is the last of our Valentine's Day videos, since the big holiday was yesterday. I saved this one for last because it's a little odd. Essentially, Celebrating Valentine's Day is a decent video. I mean, it's not mind-blowingly amazing or anything, but the video had a good idea driving it and the animation is done pretty well. The oddity is the voice acting. All the dialogue is performed by AT&T's Natural Voices. On one hand, that's weird and it sounds really creepy. It's totally distracting from the rest of the video. On the other hand, it's a novel use of the technology, and I could see this kind of automated voice making its way into machinima. But for now, mostly weird. The dialogue itself is just fine, but the robo-voice just makes me feel like someone's selling me something. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: The Transmog Run
Work Warning: Some cursing. We've all been there. You're totally in love with this incredibly awesome dude or dudette. Your own little fantasy world builds up around the object of your obsession. You run through the dialogue in your mind, slowly building up the perfect date. This is Quixotica's version of those events, but I can't spoil the ending. Quixotica made this video to help celebrate Valentine's Day. While The Transmog Run probably won't be an ideal video to share with your loved one, it's a great way to look at the holiday with a bit of irony. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: All's Fair in Love and Warcraft
Work Warning: A bit of cursing and a little raciness here. 'Tis the season when gamers' hearts turn to their significant others and we ponder how lucky we are to have them in our lives. Valentine's Day usually doesn't get a lot of extra press from the machinima crowd, but Miss Septula decided to make something a little special for her boyfriend Ray. All's Fair in Love and Warcraft is short, which makes sense since it's really a holiday card for the boyfriend. It's a really cute idea, and I wish I had thought of it myself. I even liked the kid-like singing in the video; it reminded me of homemade Valentine's Day cards (which are, for the record, the best kind). Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: How to Tell if Your Warsong Gulch Will Fail
Warsong Gulch is a frustrating map. It's a great game (one of my favorite), but it doesn't take much for a team to run right off the rails. One or two people determined to live in the field, one person who just doesn't have the juice to win, or even a bad flag carrier are all things that can wreck your game -- not even to bring up the dreaded turtle match. Wowcrendor sums it all up in this movie about failing Warsong Gulch. It's not a complex video, sure, but it doesn't take a complex video to explain what can go wrong. If you find yourself saying anything that takes place here, take some time to reevaluate your strategy. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Sentinel Hill
It's been a little while since we've kicked back with good friends EmberIsolte and the GreyFoo. I think it's time to remember one of the most beautiful, chill, and melancholy movies to grace this column: Sentinel Hill. Think I'm waxing poetic? Maybe a touch. But Sentinel Hill is such a bittersweet movie that it's stuck with me more than a year later. I originally took the song to be a lot sadder than the creators had intended; they were aiming for something hopeful. Of course, to have hope, you have to be in a bad place, so I'm sticking to my gosh-darn melancholy guns. Really, this is just a beautiful piece. Take the time to check it out. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Beauty of WoW Part IV
Cruising around a newly released game like Star Wars: The Old Republic, it's easy to be impressed by the graphics. After all, the brand new techniques and fresh cinematics are all very bright, shiny, and unknown. It's so easy to be impressed that we might forget some of the lovely scenery in World of Warcraft. Working with a game that's been in place for years, the designers of WoW create city after city of breathtaking, gorgeous landscapes. It's not just the technology, it's the art. Beauty of WoW Part IV is one player's attempt to hold onto the sense of awe and wonder she felt while cruising Dalaran. The floating city remains one of my favorite places in game, so I can empathize with her feelings. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
