This week, we continue our discussion, reflecting on Season 5 and our predictions for 2026.... yep, sure is a lot going on in the world of #machinima! Do add your own thoughts into the comments (on our show notes).

1:01 Our predictions for 2026
1:10 Tracy’s thoughts!
4:26 A quick interjection on the Minecraft short we reviewed
6:47 Damien’s views and perspective on tools being used
7:38 Ricky’s prediction on genAI and it’s layering out and ethical approaches
10:27 Who is the world’s smartest dumb person?! Phil tees up some fab analogies – who is going to keep golfing?
22:30 The joy of machinima!
27:31 Killing off the golden goose
28:17 Creators we look forward to seeing: ⁨@Dominzki⁩ ⁨@thebizthebiz⁩ ⁨@biggstrek⁩ among others
30:00 Celebrating ⁨@DarthAngelus⁩ achievements with Heir to the Empire – a ‘big’ production project completed in machinima is a rare thing!
36:08 Ricky’s final wishes for 2026: ⁨@NeuralViz⁩ figures out how to bring Prag Snarbo back!
36:38 Exciting new CM episodes introduced – The Wonderful World of Sound by ⁨@RickyGrove⁩ and ⁨@zsOverman⁩

Credits -
Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy Harwood
Producer: Tracy Harwood
Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Phil Rice & SunoAI

In this first part of our 200th episode of Completely Machinima Podcast, Ricky highlights ⁨@NeuralViz⁩ AI-driven films as a significant advancement, while Phil praised the fast-paced, subtle social commentary. We discuss legal developments affecting AI use, such as Warner Brothers suing Midjourney. The success of Blender's "Flow" at the Oscars is noted, emphasizing the growing capabilities of open-source tools. The conversation also touches on the breadth of aesthetic approaches to machinima projects, the rise of big-budget projects like "Predator: Killer of Killers," and the evolving role of generative AI in storytelling. Tune into next week's part B to hear about our predictions for next year!

Credits -
Speakers: Phil Rice, Ricky Grove, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer: Tracy Harwood
Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Phil Rice and SunoAI

This is our final film pick for Season 5, and it stimulates quite a discussion. The film is a concept test of tools and techniques, but the story and aesthetic is less inspiring. Check out our thoughts and do add your own comments below.

1:47 Introduction to Reflekt by @derunique
4:00 Anachronistically broken
10:25 Gelling the story?
11:54 The aesthetic of Unreal
13:19 Who is the apocalyptic soldier Unreal tutor?
14:00 The attraction of Unreal – its all about the technology, and little about the story
15:02 Comparison to Project Zomboid movie (S5 ep 193)
15:40 Camera work in Unreal is uninspiring!
18:12 Prazinburke Ridge remains the outstanding Unreal film we’ve seen
18:22 Lighting is a standout, ambiguity and some suggestions
25:31 Speaking vs talking to self, and quality and use of the sound library
33:11 Surrealism and uncanny are some of the most creative ideas
37:35 Why is the Unreal creator community just not hit the high notes just yet
39:29 Final words

Credits -
Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer: Phil Rice
Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Phil Rice & SunoAI