machinma maturing?

http://newteevee.com/2009/04/28/how-to-make-machinima-without-getting-sued-blind/

video and some general but well considered advice

"there’s been little legal precedent set around machinima, and as such, numerous questions remain unanswered. For example, does machinima really qualify as “non-commercial” if it’s uploaded by a channel owner on a commercial service like YouTube?"


http://newteevee.com/2009/05/07/sony-adds-machinima-kit-to-playstation-3/


Living Room Stage Set” and selling for $4.99 in the PlayStation Home Mall starting today, it’s basically a virtual studio in a box
Stage Set doesn’t come with internal recording tools or an editor.

...so you have to capture it yourself, and do the edits somewhere else.

reminds me that there is an unopened dummies book somewhere around here waiting for some fun filled hours of low quality slapstick and jerky edits to be made.


-
...and the sun ...

So says who?

While waiting for the next BSG season to hit the local dvd window, I'm spending some thoughtful time with the essay collection "So say we all"- with the highlight so far being a piece by Charlie W. Starr ('personal' site seems to be either down or moved) on Galacticas Gods and their "real world" potential reflections. Adds another layer or two to the show, so I guess it's time to start over once more. So many angels and connection to reconsider or discover. Long-form storytelling at its best.

T or dvd?

The latest issue of Wired [16.12] has another good read by Clive Thomspson - on the t-shirt economy, how niche sites and creators can support themselves by selling basic merchandise like t-shirts to their fans.
One of the main cases is RvB - and I have a minor gripe considering that they also have a subscription/sponsor model, and do a brisk trade in dvds of the show - thereby actually also getting income on the "product" as such. So while it might be correct that the t-shirt put them in business, as a case it is more suited for their versatility both in terms of productions, distribution and income.

So how does this compare to the discussion of "free" [C.Anderson] - or 1000 true fans [K.Kelly with follow-up]?
There is a way for people to make (enough) money doing what they love. The web makes it possible to gather enough dedicated fans or followers to cover costs and then some. BUT - it is a way out for a few, just like there are quite a few "would-be Britneys" out there.

Just because it is feasible and might be gaining traction doesn't make it a sure thing. PBS has been doing it for years. And here in Norway it is 'down by law' - as everyone who owns a television gets to contribute a bit to the NRK (public broadcaster). At just over 2 million homes we are a niche unto ourselves. (and it might be more akin to the ransom model :D)


For two more pieces from Clive T - head over to OTM - from february (on conncetors and Gladwell) and november (reccomendations and Netflix)


Wipeout when the fat lady sings?
Also in the [16.12] was a spread on the new Opera house in Oslo. It is a stunning piece of architecture, and a bit of a gamble considering the threat of increased sea-levels. But the urban angle tying it into skating and cross-use is good branding.

...and the sun is sneaking away, but I'm caught up with Wired - just a bit of backlog to clear out...

Betray | Seduce | Persuade

- are three of the tech names used for the indie game "Love"- which was mentioned in Wired 16.08, and got a little extra love on the site. But putting up 10 screenshots from something where you are gushing about algorithms and generative computing seems oddly misplaced. What I wanted was to see a bit of the "machine as God" in action.

Oh well, there was at least a link, so I spent some time digging a bit more - and here are some direct links;
"Some of it is yours, and some is your friends. Some just happens by itself. Sometimes it disappears and makes you sad." [more on love]

And a nice blog with the news and updates - "Do you have time to read this? What if this update turns out to be a waist of time?" [25]

Biggest game?

"Halo 3, the third and final episode in the hugely popular franchise, netted $170 million in sales in the U.S. in its first day" (CNet)

That is a pretty amazing number for a single day (at $60 each it's close to 3 million copies), considering that a large part of the "mass market" will probably begin picking it up from now and closer to the holidays passing 10 million copies in circulation seems likely, thereby outpacing Halo 2.
(Final Fantasy X hit around 5 million, while GTA III and both of the two first sequels topped 10 million each - also interesting to note that while the original Xbox only has seven million+ sellers, the 360 had already passed ten games before Halo 3)

Personally, I won't be getting a 360 for Halo 3, but if (when) I get around to getting one, I'll certainly pick it up as well. As a Bioware fanboy, it is no surprise that the big decider for my most likely near future purchase is Mass Effect. The latest hype-build up is an article on MTV about the use of Machinima, or more to the point people with a machinima background working on the team

"In their effort to create the most cinematic title gamers have ever seen, the "Mass Effect" development studio, BioWare, has hired people who make movies out of video games" (MTV !)

There is also another installment (in three parts) of the so-called podcast out - and for those wanting to get their toes wet the Dummies guide for machinima might be a nice starting point. It is written by some of the Bloodspell creators, and also gives you a dvd packed with tools and video to get you started playing. Or, to take this full circle; grab Halo 3 and try out the new tools included there for capturing gameplay as well as the editor

...and the sun is creating some screen glare here down south, and it is a wonderful feeling of warmth and relaxation...

Update (4.10): week-one sales have clocked in at a rather reasonable $300 million worldwide - Forty million hours of online games, which adds up to 4,500 years, have been played in the first week [Cnet]

Online Filmmaking

Top Ten Online Filmmaking Techniques article on NewTeeWee worth reading, one of the points (improvisation) goes as follows:
"the cheapest part of film making, writing a script, is the one least employed by amateurs"

- which is probably the other way around for machinima as opposed to "vlog" or video journals, since the script (and the recorded lines) form the basis for shooting scenes and hence you get a better feel for the story up front

Which might be why "rule" number ten is simply Animation - online being a fertile ground for mixing and mashing technologies without having access to a major server park to do the cgi

Moving beyond games and movies?

Another thought-initialising piece from Gamasutra - "Beyond Machinima" delves into the impact of games on cinema and the other way around. In terms of using game-related tech to test and develop ideas for movies, and in terms of how we as viewers and players are affected by both media in terms of our expectations for each experience.

It tangents of into the perfect home environment (including oxygen systems...) and how driving games influence car chases and our need for speed. Same as how the Matrix lifted expectations for visual effects, and LOTR for epic storytelling and sweeping battles - games influence our cultural frame of reference. And collaborative environments like the NWN community fostering the need for fan / user participation to make something more than "just" a finished product.


And for a more lighthearted piece of entertainment, the new Aardman film - Flushed Away, has some goodies and info up at the site


...and the sun shines on the brightly colored trees in their fall habit...

Machinima last year

A short interview with Paul Marion, as well as his great "Still Being Breen" music video made in Half Life 2 - over on YouTube. Currently you get 2150 results if you search for Machinima over there, with the most-watched racking up over 2 million views since September 13th ("Male restroom" - psa style with Sims2 and edited in 'special effects') while the rest of the top five have 100 - 250 thousand.

So, not quite LonelyGirl style fascination - but then again most series have their own sites, such as RvB from Roostertheeth with 1/2 million registered users, or put their clips up at machinima.com (2317 shows, total of 4,7 million views)

The next big thing? Well, at least it is a great channel and tool for aspiring filmmakers to test their skills at writing scripts, editing dialogue and cutting scenes into a cohesive story. Maybe the next George Lucas is picking up Sims2 or HalfLife2 today.



...and the sun is slowly setting behind the clouds...