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WoW Moviewatch: Insane Gouge Crits 7
PvP-oriented videos aren't really the usual fare for WoW Moviewatch. I admit I watch a lot of them myself, though, mostly trying to pick up tips and tricks for the Arena. So, when I came across Insane Gouge Crits: 7 by Buddhist, I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong -- this is a PvP video, with all the action of "I sneak up on a guy and crit him" that you'd expect from that kind of rogue action. But that being said, Buddhist put a lot of work into making this PvP video more interesting that others you might see. It definitely stands out from its fellows in terms of the opening and closing sequences, both of which hint at movie-esque stories happening behind the scenes. I think this shows that it is possible to bring PvP videos up to the thought and art of more full machinima. There's voice acting, framing, and thought put into scenery. It's definitely a step up, and I would encourage Buddhist to keep bringing his PvP exploits to another level. 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: Plight of the Gnomes
You're going to have a little variance in your opinion of this piece, dependent on whether you like or hate gnomes and whether you like old, scored story pieces without dialogue. Plight of the Gnomes by Harmon Productions is a retelling of one of the Alliance's oldest, tragic events (in World of Warcraft). Using music and images, Plight fills us in on not only the Great Betrayal, but the entire story about how the gnomes came to take up residence in Ironforge. This is a movie about the fall of Gnomeregan. The work was beautiful, in my opinion. The music definitely fit the piece perfectly, and the many portrait shots of key gnome personalities really helped get across the historical feel of Plight. I would have enjoyed letting the action move a little faster, but that's probably just me. I especially found the blood-spattered images of the trogg invaders to be powerful and moving. They were an effective tool for portraying the loss of the gnomish homeland. 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: Winter Weapons
Winter Weapons is by Selserene, the same author who created the In for a Penny pieces. The movie is apparently based on an old war story told by Selserene's grandfather. I'm not going to spoil it here, since the story is well-conveyed by the characters in the movie. There's a recap and explanation at the end to help make sense of what's going on, in case you don't entirely get it. The movie was satisfying, like all of Selserene's work. An impatient chap, I could have gone with slightly faster pacing, as it took me a little time to figure out what was going on. I want to draw attention to the amount of emotion Selserene manages to convey via her human soldier's face. We're seeing more manipulation of the face model in machinima nowadays, and Selserene makes strong use of that. Angles, slight distortions, and careful shots really help convey the consternation of the soldier. Thanks to Anastriana for the tip! 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 very Northrend christmas: Out in the cold
The holiday season is behind us, and we're pretty much done with the holiday movie extravaganza. However, I wanted to take one last moment and enjoy a beautiful piece by Legs, titled "A very northrend christmas: Out in the cold." I'm not sure how we missed it before now, but I didn't want to let it be ignored this year. The music is gorgeous, of course. Compared to the more hard rock Christmas videos, Legs's piece really brings out the beauty and elegance of the holiday season. I like the way the young Orc child stares around with wonder, and the serenity displayed by the Blood Elf angel. The music is suitably haunting and harmonious, synching very well with the crystalline imagery of the video. This is the last of the holiday videos for this season. But, like I said, I wanted to make sure Legs got her due, considering the beauty of this piece. Click here to see it yourself! [Via Machinima.com, thanks to Lindi for the tip!] 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: Buff My Warlock
I usually stay away from videos that are centered around topical, timely issues like whether Warlocks need some love or buffs right now. They're just not the kind of thing I dig, personally, and they're usually not incredibly well done. Buff My Warlock, however, kind of got my attention. It's basically a protest video, created by author Illustrious for fun and amusement. She feels she can no longer play her Warlock effectively in PvP, and is hoping for a little love from the developers. The singing isn't the best, and I have to admit the audio made me wince a few times. I'm trying to chalk that up to a bad recording or compression, however, since I think the lyrics are actually okay. The ideas were great, and I have vast appreciation for the fact that the message was relatively personable despite being featured in what some would call a "QQ Video." Hopefully, Illustrious can have fun with her chosen character, and maybe keep advancing her machinima skills going forward. I wouldn't hate seeing the next video be "I love my Warlock." 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: Defias Mightiest
It might help if you know a bit about the Defias Brotherhood. (Lapdogs! All of you!) Defias Mightiest by Myndflame was originally featured (in part) at the opening of the epic Illegal Danish: Escape for Orgrimmar. This is a pretty neat stand alone music video in its own right, however. I wanted to draw attention to it, especially, because I'm excited about the upcoming release of Death Knights Ride Bikes. It's created by the same folks, and I like their WoW-inspired music. The pacing and music are both pretty awesome, in my humble opinion. I will admit to being a little disturbed by how long I spent looking at Van Cleef's tushie, but that's kind of part and parcel of the joke. I want to note, however, that the final shot of the video's protagonist overlooking the spires of Stormwind is a strong image for anyone who knows the lore. It's funny that the moment captures the essence of the Defias story so strongly even while taking place in a comedy music video. That says something about the strength of both WoW's lore, but also the power of the machinimist responsible. 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: Irdeen's The Power of the Horde
At this rate, it looks like Irdeen may turn into one of machinima's regulars. Today's Moviewatch features not only him, but also another regular in the WoW community: L70ETC. Irdeen has created a music video for one of their most popular songs, "The Power of the Horde." For obvious reasons, Irdeen used the in-game models for the Blizzard rock band. The video features the metal group stomping out their tunes at the gate to Outland, with several mileu shots for chorus and chords. Irdeen also helpfully includes subtitles for those who might have trouble making out the lyrics. (I like metal as much, if not more, than the next guy, but even I have to admit you could be stumbled trying to make out what L70ETC is singing.) At this point, I'd encourage Irdeen to keep developing original material. I think this video shows that he's mastered a lot of tactics and tools to creating machinima, and Go Turbo Go displayed his ability to do some music himself. I'm eager to see him take his skills to another level. 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: Shop Vac
I can't help it. I'm an absolute fangirl when it comes to Jonathan Coulton and Mike "Spiff" Booth. That's why when Michael Gray let the team know he was having Internet problems, I simply had to jump in and share the most recent Spiffworld WoW machinima, Shop Vac.Spiff notes at the end of the video, this song is all about suburban angst, and how people want to live there until they realize the 'burbs are kind of boring. As he says, "This phenomenon is exemplified in the shop vac, a tool found in many suburban garages for sucking up leaves, dirt, nails, or whatever. When you first use a shop vac, it seems like the most awesome thing ever. But then you realize it's just a vaccum cleaner." Another fun aspect of the video is the return of one character from previous videos. See if you can spot who it is causing trouble once again. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for what must be the saddest achievement ever. Now, with all that said, check out Shop Vac for some lunchtime movie fun that doesn't suck. (Pun intended.)
WoW Moviewatch: Tinkle's New Year
Hopefully, we all had a pleasant night last night. X-Cross, the same chap behind Kippos, put this together to wish all of us a happy New Year. It's just a short shout out, with a few jokes along the way. And, of course, a male gnome in goggles and a dress, which can be quite the little humor in and of itself. It'll fit in nicely with some other pieces to help us get our holiday spirit going in the future. The piece only took X-Cross about 5 hours to do, and he's up front about not considering the animation or the soundtrack to be his finest. All that being said, it was still a nice little "Happy New Year!" which makes it perfect for today. Tinkle is already making the rounds among my email list. 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: Go Turbo Go
You may remember when Irdeen was first reported on WoW Moviewatch about five months ago, featured with his opening machinima The Little Gnome. As feel good and uplifting as that piece was, Irdeen's back for this holiday season with Go Turbo Go. I think it is just as endearing as the first. The story is about the same main character from "The Little Gnome." Notably, Irdeen created the soundtrack, in its entirety, for this piece. That's a pretty nice factiod, since I found the audio to be appropriate and satisfying. Irdeen relates on Myndflame that this was his first effort at creating music, so the results are even that more impressive. Also, the pet skunk seems to be showing up a lot this year, which is interesting from a meta-analysis standpoint. Kind of makes me wonder what next years machinima star is going to be -- so far, it's the skunk this year. 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 Lamp
Today's Moviewatch is The Lamp, by Innovatif. Here's a tip that will help you from the beginning. The two characters are credited as "Blue Idiot" and "Red Idiot." They're not stand-ins for kids or anything, they're just a pair of idiots. That being said, I'm shocked and aghast that Alliance was used for token idiots! The Lamp is pretty amusing. I'm not sure I laughed out loud, but I was definitely grinning at watching the clods go through their Christmas morning. It doesn't hurt that their excitement over a found lamp reminds me of my favorite phrase - I love lamp! (Or, for me, I love Tank!) And is often the case when a pair of idiots find a shiny object, the story progresses and hijinks ensue. "The Lamp" is decent to watch, but I think it struggles a little bit against the recent rash of astounding films. I hope to see more from Innovatif, as I think this shows a lot of promise. If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Percula reveals future of BLIND
If you didn't catch the Craft of War: BLIND when we featured it on Friday, now's a good time to check it out above. The release of this machinima has hit several WoW news and comment sites like a storm, even being featured on the front page of MMOChampion. But the real news is that Percula, the creator and animator of the movie, has issued a little more information about who he is, and where he comes from. According to Percula, the future of BLIND is somewhat uncertain. This is because he did work for a game studio, but was laid off a few months ago. The high praise he's received makes it more likely that he's going to do a sequel, probably called something along the lines of Execute or Counterspell. Percula does say that he's thankful for both the positive feedback and constructive criticism he's seen since the release of BLIND. Although, as you might expect, he's having trouble keeping up with sheer volume of emails. It's heartening to see a newcomer to the machinima scene make such a big breakthrough. I'd like to thank all the folks who commented on Friday's post, since Percula definitely saw that feedback. Here's hoping that we'll see a new release soon!
WoW Moviewatch: All I Want for Christmas is a Blue
I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again. I have a soft spot for good WoW music, and really enjoy the idea that I can put together a great holiday album of WoW themed Christmas music. theavatards have posted a great submission to that album on YouTube with All I Want for Christmas is a Blue. It is a simple story of a woman who always gets greens, and never gets a blue. The video itself is fairly easy on the eyes. It's got the singer, of course, and some nice use of surreality when she inspects real-life items for WoW-like quality. There's a little bit of in-game animation to make sure we know what game we're talking about here. The music is really where the piece shines, however. The music is simple and uncomplex, lending all of the song's focus on the singer. The singer does a great job of vocals, performing in a traditional holiday tone and method. This is totally worth checking out, and is already now living on my iPod. 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 Craft of War: BLIND
Let's take a small break from the holiday festivities for something absolutely spectacular. Percula posted The Craft of War: BLIND on Vimeo, claiming that it's only the second creative work he's ever publically shared. I can't imagine what reams of work he must have privately, because I found this movie to be incredibly astounding. There's no dialogue, but BLIND didn't need it. You can imagine a storyline, filling in the holes from the tropes and memes as you watch an expert assassin working her way through Stormwind. This is some of the best action footage I've seen from WoW graphics. The movements are believable and complex, the fights are well paced. Percula says if the response is postiive enough, he'll follow-up with more. I can't imagine anything but postive response to this movie. Even the soundtrack was spot-on, expertly pacing the aerobatics and ninja skills. Definitely take the time to check out BLIND, and let Percula know what you think. We'd really like to see more. 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: Kippos X-Mas
Hopefully, everyone's having fun with the presents brought by Grandfather Winter this morning. Today's Moviewatch is X-Cross's submission to the Wegame.com Christmas contest, called Kippos X-Mas. A gnome named Tinkle invites friends to visit to celebrate Christmas morning. But, like all good Christmas stories, there's a problem to be overcome.The first half of the movie is filled with great Christmas cheer. The last half is filled with great Christmas adventure. These are the kind of cute hijinks I can't wait to show my nephews and nieces, much to the consternation of my brothers. It's a good movie to revel in the Christmas season, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This will be a fun add to festive movies to haul out on Christmas day each year.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: Northrend Wonderland
Some of the (many) great things about the holidays are the wonderful movies created by machinimists. Some are serious, some are heart-tugging, some are just plain hilarious. Northrend Wonderland by Firebolt Productions falls into that last category. It's such a strong holiday comedy piece (for WoW players) that I'm sure I'm going to be playing it repeatedly tomorrow. The premise is simple. It's Winter's Veil in Northrend, and Arthas has the blues. One of his loyal minions offers the Lich King a stroll through the torture chamber to help perk up. Song and comedy ensue. The production values are good. I enjoyed the scenes, models, and camera work. But the soundtrack is really where Northrend Wonderland takes the cake. The music is awesome and hilarious. I guess the only criticism would be that the Darth-sounding voices of Arthas and minions can be tough to understand without subtitles, but that's why the subtitles are there. Click here to see it for 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: Dragonball Z: Trouble on Arlia, pt I
Tryton created Dragonball Z: Trouble on Arlia, pt I by putting Dragonball Z's soundtrack on top of World of Warcraft graphics. This isn't the first time Tryton's created Dragonball Z WoW machinima, as we've featured his work before. I guess he must be a pretty big fan. The animation is actually really well done. I like the character models he chose, and I thought the settings, effects, and mis en scene all came together very well. That being said, without the character context or background story information, I didn't feel like I had much clue what was going on. That's probably just my lack of familiarity with Dragonball Z, though, and I can totally cop to that. I was, however, somewhat disappointed not to see anyone shouting "It's over 9000!" Hopefully, the second part will actually happen, and we'll be able to see where the story goes. I'd encourage Tryton to try and create his own script, eventually. His moviemaking skills are definitely there, and I'd like to see what original content he may create. 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 Bells of Northrend
I have to agree with Kamuraki who said, when speaking about the song used in the Bells of Northrend, "Trans-Siberian Orchestra did the most AWESOME version of Carol of the Bells that will ever be done in the history of mankind. Maybe some alien race will do a better cover some day, but I doubt it.""The Bells of Northrend" is Baka Savant's submission to A Very Northrend Christmas contest. It's a music video set to the sights of Northrend, obviously. The music playing is "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. (I've had the good fortune to see them in concert twice, and they do in fact rock.) I think the Northrend imagery lines up incredibly well, which is probably a no-brainer given the winter weather. But the landscape of white-forests, vast stone architecture, and crystal landscapes works well with screaming guitars shredding their power chords. I mean, it is all very metal when you get down to it, and isn't that the point?[Via Myndflame]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Apparently not capable of love
The Spiritwolf created Apparently not capable of love a while ago for a Machinima.com contest. The movie was created by capturing still images from Model Viewer. Then, Spiritwolf animated the images in Flash. Add music from an unknown artist, and this music video is created. Spiritwolf warns in his Myndflame page that this video isn't premiere resolution, but I actually didn't find the quality bothersome at all. I wasn't sure at first how I would feel about the animation style. Ultimately, I'm glad I took the risk. While I wouldn't want to see this animation style become a mainstay of production, I think it works very well for a one-off music video. The images provide a sort of artistic feel, and coupled with the kind of angsty lyrics to the song, gives the whole piece an overall funky kind of groove. Everything's fun to look at, and it has a kind of awesome, silly feel to 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: Raid Together, Die Alone 2
Baron Soosdon is one of the biggest names in WoW machinima out there, and is an author we've featured on WoW Insider any number of times. He's been involved in just about every style machinima, from music-video to story-based films. Today we feature his work Raid Together, Die Alone 2. The good Baron's created this homage of Burning Crusade raid bosses. All the footage was created between May 2008 and November 2008 and the raids themselves were conducted by the guilds Beastro and Beyond Oblivion. You can find them on the Twilight Hammer (EU) server. And while it is basically a retrospective of the raid boss fights, the Baron obviously covers it with the same style and panache he brings to all his work. As the Baron himself warns, though, be sure to watch through the end. There's an easter egg at the end of the film that you won't want to miss. Click here to see the movie! If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
