++Machinima++

U cud say machinima is a new kind of media. It’s not entirely new; it’s been on the scene much lately. So what is machinima? Machinima is the art of making movies using game engines. Such game engines are Quake (Quake), Lithtech (No One Lives Forever) and CryEngine (Farcry) to name a few. Imagine a movie using the game engine/the 3d graphics of a game you’ve played; complete with a story, dialog and cinematic angles. It’s just dat!

There are a bunch of machinima’s out there. Check these out for a taste of what’s a machinima:

Red vs Blue
This is a machinima based on the xbox/pc game Halo. This one is quite popular; it’s got witty dialog and stupid jokes. It’s created by the Rooster Teeth Productions. They also did a machinima based on the Sims2 game called The Strangerhood. They’re all there on the site. Go see it, it’s hilarious!

Larry and Lenny on the Campaign Trail
This is the first machinima that I’ve seen out of the lot. And I was quite impressed by it as it used the original Quake engine. This one's done by the Ill Clan. pretty ol' skool if u ask me but dead funny!

A Great and Majestic Empire
Created using the Jedi Knight 2 game engine, this one pays homages to George Lucas' masterwork. Chekitout here.

ATI-Crytek demo
Using the fabulous CryEngine that powers the game, this machinima is somewhat a prelude to the game Far Cry. Hollywood-style machinima!

The best thing about machinima is dat u don’t need actors like in a movie. U don’t have to worry about sets, special effects and all those big budget stuff. U could just grab a copy of a software and you’re off! For entry level requirements are a copy of a suitable game and some video editing software. The more ambitious directors can plunge into the world of coding. At the very least you can start off taking some shots of your games with FRAPS, the real-time video capture utility for games.

Dubbing sound over your clips is a little more tricky but help is at hand. Check out www.strangecompany.org for a machinima toolkit, with lots of hints and tips on how to get started. Take a look at www.machinima.com as well.This excellent site has all the latest news and films, and even includes the basic steps that will enable you to make your first film. Hoorah!