Random thoughts on Machinima Programs and Virtual Worlds

MOVIESTORM – ICLONE – SECOND LIFE – MACHINIMA – OH MY!

Lately I have been trying to swim through the many blogs which ask: “Do films using Moviestorm or iClone qualify as Machinima.”

Hmmm…. What about using a program like “The Movies” – granted it is a game, but it has a sort of sandbox mode which parallels very close to Moviestorm and iClone. “Game” seems to be the operative word for the Machinima definition.

What about Second Life? There are those that speak of it as a game. Since the term game has been used to describe it, then maybe films made in Second Life are ok as Machinima. Then again what about those films made in the Opensim? I don’t hear the term “game” used to describe the Opensim – so maybe those films made in the Opensim should not be allowed.

Hmmm – decisions, decisions.…

That brings me to my newest turn in the computer animation evolution process:

VIRTUAL WORLDS

The more I work with all these programs (and I’ve invested heavily in both Moviestorm and iClone – everything else like Poser, Unreal, Blender are just too dense for my old brain to handle. Plus I’m not a gamer - that is if you don’t count Pong), the more I just want to get the visual storytelling material in my hands and move onto my editing system.

My interest in how I get that visual material has lead me into the realms of Virtual Worlds. In all of these machinima creation methods, you can mirror parts of live action filmmaking. But only in Virtual Worlds you can choose to work in real time with other people. Even if you are working in a solo mode, the variables of live action filmmaking enter into the equation. Unlike Moviestorm and iClone, where the action of the puppets and camera can be repeated with mathematical precision, in a Virtual World most of the elements are sort of free flowing unto themselves. Just like real life. It seems to make the process of filming more interesting, since one never is sure exactly when something wonderful may happen.

My main focus lately has been on not only using Virtual Worlds as a machinima tool, but on how much the Virtual Worlds we build, seem to propel not only the story, but the back stories of the characters and places we are filming. The Virtual Worlds are giant studio back lots, just waiting to be sprung alive. All of this has led me down a very familiar path. What we are creating are Theme Parks in a computer. Virtual Worlds, have taken on certain aspects of Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. Not the thrill rides, but the theming of streets and the detailing of locations. Now this can be an expensive proposition in a place like Second Life, where you have to buy or rent land in order to build your sets. But in the Opensim, especially a Standalone Opensim you can get a huge working space and basically it is free.

So off I go into the Opensim, working with Kate on a rundown street in a dubious neighborhood. This is so much like building a backlot street, but it is more than a façade. The stores and rooms are complete, just like many spots in Disneyland. A quote I heard years ago starts flowing in my mind, “What would Walt do?”

You see, I think that Disneyland for Walt Disney and the Ghost Town for Walter Knott, were more than just money making enterprises. They were in part the next step into immersive entertainment. I wonder, if Walt had access to the computers we have today, would he be building Virtual Worlds?

I also had bouncing around in the back of my mind the game experiences I had with Myst, and more recently The Tale of Tales games “The Path” and “Fatale”. All had mysteries to solve in Virtual Worlds.

Now What would Walt do? Well maybe he would create a Virtual World, captured in time, with a story to tell or a mystery to solve.

This is where I’m headed. I’m feeling that one of the roads to follow in Machinima and Virtual Worlds is into create full worlds, with a stories to tell. Right now a solo experience can be created, not unlike Myst or the Tale of Tales games. But the bonus to the Opensim idea is that once the “game” is solved, you still have the Virtual World standing by as a film location. Also there is the current development in the Hypergrid for the Opensim, allowing access to your Virtual World by more than one Avatar. Bingo! Just like Disneyland (“please keep your hands and legs inside the car while it is moving”)

The possibilities seem endless.

The following are some web sites that show some examples and leads – there are many more a well:

The Tales of Tales: http://tale-of-tales.com/
These games are set in a virtual world.

Heritage Key: http://heritage-key.com/
Heritage Key has used the Opensim to create an immersive visit to King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Diva Distribution: http://www.metaverseink.com/blog/?p=21
Diva Canto has provided her Opensim download which is a Standalone Opensim with Hypergrid capabilities. Not the only one out there, but it may prove to be a little easier to setup.

- Mike

Expo Schedule - *GMT* Version

***Please notes These are UK times***

Sunday 22nd November (this weekend)

5PM Tracy Harwood Keynote Speech
Tracy Harwood is the Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Creative Technologies and is well regarded as a machinima scholar. Her recent article “The Machinima Movement” is required reading for those interested in the current state of machinima and it’s future.

5:15PM Awards Ceremony

-4 Jury Prize awards

-1 Asian Film Prize awards

“Special Achievement in Directing” -presented to individual who has contributed greatly to advancing machinima as an art form.

-Grand Prize Winner award

(Photo op at end)

6PM “Women in Machinima” panel. Headed by Ingrid Moon/Dulci. Featuring Tari Akpokiete, Kerria Seabrooke, afterThought, Sisch, Chantal Harvey, and Kate Fosk.

This was our most popular event last year and it should prove lively this year. Some of our best filmmakers talking about their work.

7PM Special Edition of “The Overcast” live podcast with Ricky and Phil. We will host a special version of our machinima podcast where we will discuss current events in Machinima like the Unreal SDK, iClone 4, Dragon Age toolset, Blender 2.5 update and more. We’ll also have special guests from the Jury Film directors pool. Iain Friar, director of “Clockwork” is confirmed
at the time of this post. Come and watch us make fools of ourselves yet again.

“Which Machinima Engine is for You? presentations:

Each director will present their machinima engine of choice; giving an overview of the engine, workflow, advantages/disadvantages, with Q&A at the end.

8PM -Iclone 4 with “Wolf and Dulci” & added help from John Martin

830PM -Open Sim/Second Life with Kate Fosk and Russell Boyd – (Parallel Event: IClone 4 Follow up in Reallusion Pavillion)

9PM -Half Life 2/Gary’s Mod with Ian Chisholm -(Parallel Event: SL Follow up in Dr. Who Tardis)

930PM -Moviestorm with Phil Rice -(Parallel Event: Open Sim Follow up in Dr. Who Tardis)

9:50PM -The Movies, Sims2 and CJ’s GTA with Phil Rice. Q&A afterwards

10:30PM (approximate) Closing street party with DJ to be announced.

***Please notes These are UK times***

Film screenings are running from this Friday onwards, Ricky will post a timetable for those.

Thanks to Russell Boyd for the time translation, and thanks to the Expo team for making this year's event so Euro time friendly

Fallopian Issue 2 - Now Live!

Read it here.

Don't forget to click on the magazine to view full screen for most comfortable reading.
This quarter's issue concentrates on bridging the digital divide by bringing accessible and affordable technology to youngsters who would otherwise see film making as a distant and unreachable form of self-expression.
These experiences are complemented by a delve into the increasing use of machinima within university media courses.
We hope you enjoy the magazine, and hope you will pass the link on to any friends or colleagues who may be interested.

Kate and Trace

Moviestorm Furries

Moviestorm furries, or should that be shinies?
Chris Ollis again (remember the skipping pylons?) Moviestorm staff member, mucking about to great effect.
Not sure if they are planning to sell these or not.

This is such a different look, it makes me wonder what *could* be done with the movistorm engine by modders to completely change the look.
I'm particularly impressed with the elbows. Seem to bend like claymation..ie not like prims overlapping for second life tinies.

ICEAXE interviews...

Johnnie Ingram
Hugh Hancock
Roger Strange Burlong
and
David Lloyd

I am working my way through Iain's interviews recorded at the Cambridge film festival. I found his interview style to be friendly, focused and very easy on the ear.
I hope Iain continues to do these, maybe over the net if live opportunities don't crop up?

Kate

Unity

Haven't read through everything, just wanted to give Fraps a whirl. Looks pretty cool. Base version free.
High FPS on web browser version.
See here


Thanks to David Beukes for pointing out this new engine.

Voovees (formerly known as Zencub3d)

Just in case you missed it last year,

MachinExpo from Pineapple Pictures on Vimeo.

Like our previous 'big' collaborative film Voices, Mike and I used Zencub3d to create some of the characters in this Anymation mix for Machinexpo 2008
The small creative team from New Zealand were happy to help us with custom animations and props, and we loved the results..which other program has a suckotronic device, or a 'stir with chainsaw' animation?
We started to believe these three guys could do anything..except make money.

When the world recession hit hard the team seemed to realise they couldn't keep going the way they had..a wonderful easy to use free program, great animation set and a unique look but things didn't seem to take off.
The user group remained small, and the team confessed that they were 'no good at marketing'.

Time for a rethink. Billy, Tony and Indy came back with Voovees, a site where users could parody movie scenes, using premade animations. This wasn't aimed at machinimators, but an attempted move out into the mass market. The artwork was edgier, and the characters' body shapes changed to give a more adult look.

Now beta sign-ups are available for Voovees phase 2. We have no inside information about where this is going, only that more customisation will be possible and that phase 2 will be more suitable for those who like to mix it up.

Sign up here if you would like to keep on the inside track, and keep up the pressure for these guys to develop the machinima side of their project.

I certainly want to keep an eye on what these guys do. Most of you probably didn't try the system at the Zencub3d stage, you may have been put off by the cartoony look.

What did you miss?

Elegant simplicity, ease of use and surprisingly advanced features for a beta product, and the possibility for the created films to appeal to mainstream viewers, remember this?

Sweet Nothingness from Phil Rice on Vimeo.

Made by Phil Rice, won the machinima award in this year's animatu festival. Did you also know that the zencub3d creators had their own promotional film nominated for the same festival last year?

This program was a real contender for machinimators who wanted to go down the animation route, rather than creating game or live film style pieces.

Will the new style appeal to a broader film-making audience?


I certainly hope so. I have my fingers crossed that enough people will want to make movies for it to be an economically sound proposition to develop that side of the business further.

I remember my days as an Avon rep, getting the customer to try a new product was half the battle, marketing IS tough. Consumers get locked in to something which just about works for them and fear trying something new. How much harder is that when the learning curve is unknown?

All I know is, that it took me 15 minutes to make a short movie in zencub3d, timed from opening the zip file. I loved the artwork (not everyone liked the look I know, but the quality was wonderful).

Ok, guys find a product which you can sell to the masses to prop up the film-making side of things, but make the machinima engine, it NEEDS to be done.

If Billy, Indy and Tony don't make a machnima engine out the Voovees program I fear that a revisit from Violet Elizabeth Bott may be in order. -Kate