Not for the first time do we discuss the gorgeous cinematic qualities of GTA5, and this week we share a beaut by @Salva.Padilla. This one has a distinct vibe to it, but it is its general ambiguity that we especially love about the machinima. We each see something a little different in it! What do you see in it?

Credits -
Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy Harwood
Producer: Damien Valentine
Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

Our May update on machinima and virtual production related news highlights some of the latest generative AI tools, warts and all, and brings to attention several of the latest machinima potential games, including Jaws, Jurassic World Evolution, Rise of the Hydra and Harold Halibut. We discuss the challenges filmmakers face when developing games from their IP, why Kickstarter isn't a good strategy for raising funding for smaller studios, the [almost] final instalment of the RoosterTeeth saga and Second Life's latest film festival, Fantasy Faire. All with our usual discursive aplomb (despite Ricky being mia, reportedly on a skinny dipping retreat) and a few non machinima related asides!

Credits -
Speakers: Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Editor/Producer: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

This week we celebrate Star Wars with a fabulous short portraying the infamous AT-AT death walkers as 'nature-creatures' in their natural habitat - this is a beautifully observed work, made in Unreal Engine by Jeremy Cummins. Cummins is an experienced character creator, now working for Tippett Studio, with an impressive list of credits including Ant-Man and the Wasp, Spider-Man and Avengers, among others. We discuss the transition pros are making in the development of an Unreal pipeline and the impact this has on the creative machinima community.

0:44 Intro to the film

3:18 About Jeremy Cummins

4:33 Developing the pipeline

5:36 PhantomFX takes over Tippett Studios, what are the implications?

7:01 Migration – in the film, and metaphorically

8:59 Stunning lighting effects

9:18 Characterisation of AT-ATs – itchy and goofy!

10:27 Sound effects inconsistent? Cows vs dino vs croc = buff… nah

12:14 Who’s got a sub to Galactic Geographic?

13:50 Humour and the portrayal of death dealing machines

15:00 The ambient sound needed a bit more work to achieve verisimilitude

16:06 Check out Pie in the Sky too – and why it’s a better film

17:47 Tapping into a ‘magical movie moment’ in time, anthropomorphism and our fascination with machines as animals in the Star Wars universe

20:00 Communicating size with sound

22:34 Length of the film

24:00 Excitement: AT-ATs were only ever seen for such a short length of time in the original canon, so how cool to see them again!

26:30 A perfect example of contemporary realtime cinema

Credits -
Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy Harwood
Producer: Damien Valentine
Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

This week, we cover three outstanding music videos, demonstrating different genres of music and different game engines - a re-imagined Simon and Garfunkel classic, a pop-tacular and a rap. We discuss the perfect match between the lyrics, the game and the images our three selected creators have demonstrated in these shorts. We suggest comparing and contrasting, but really we just mean enjoy them all for what they are.

1:41 Harry101UK’s Sound of Science, Source Filmmaker/Portal, music by Stupendium

4:49 Who I am, Blender/Minecraft/Portal by Cubical, music by CG5

6:16 Portal is darker than expected, and these beautifully illustrate it?

9:26 Why recreate Portal in Minecraft aesthetic; why?!

11:57 Why Portal and why now?

14:09 Both videos capture the creepiness in Portal well

15:57 Helldivers 2 – JT Music’s video is a mindblowing overview of this new game

17:59 No AI used in the making of by JT?

18:35 What is Helldivers 2 about: the galaxy’s last line offence!

21:11 An homage to Starship Troopers… and politics of our time

30:49 Our show: what do you think to the new format?

Credits -
Speakers: Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer/Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

This week, we discuss one of the most outstanding presentations of space science, by @EpicSpaceman , called I put 4M Suns in a Blackhole. Made in Blender, we discuss the creative workflow adopted, from zero to hero - and why the @BlenderOfficial Foundation should take note. We make a few suggestions for enhancing the work even more and discuss the primary audiences for this type of conrtent. Quite simply, the narrative style and animation makes hard science relatable!

1:50 Intro to film and its creator: low output, high quality
6:47 Choosing the role of a narrator and making a connection with the audience
10:15 Carl Sagan reincarnated!
13:37 Just-in-time learning and visual storytelling
17:53 Citizen scientist, but not as we know it!
20:00 Outstanding presentation, beyond lockdown
21:30 A relatable way to make content
22:24 How is this a real-time production?
25:59 Could this be screened in a cinema theatre?
28:00 Going pro. The challenge of managing your values
30:15 Why Blender? Blender Foundation take note!
32:15 Playing a scientist vs being a scientist
35:10 One of the greatest #machinima films we’ve seen

Credits -
Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer: Ricky Grove
Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

A packed review this month, with some sad :( better :| and happy news :)

1:42 Demise of Rooster Teeth and yet RVB will outlive the corporate brand! We reminisce about the early days of machinima and the influence Rooster Teeth had on the emerging creator community

26:30 Drax Files: World Makers comes to a close

33:37 Awards! Sam Crane’s continuing success with GTA5 Hamlet at SXSW and UE5’s use in War is Over, the Oscar winning animated short

39:00 AI updates: YouTube’s T&Cs – we discuss the notion of ‘realistic’ in the context of the guidelines – does the sound of a Wookie farting sound real to you… Phil really gets on a roll with this topic! Other AI updates include ConvAI, Hume, Runway and Stability AI’s 3D generator

1:09:00 Godzilla Minus One model release, celebrating the creator’s Oscar achievement – and a side discussion about rigging a cat in iClone

1:16:32 Blockbuster Inc release date announced!

1:19:00 Dune: Denis Villeneuve discusses the use of UE5 in the making of the film – not the typical machinima approach!

Credits -
Speakers: Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer/Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

The Dog Days is an unusual machinima that combines the glitchiness of AI generated content composited with a Second Life avatar. Whilst not realtime, the performative aspect of this work is evident and we reflect on the fit of the current state of generative AI with the Fluxus art movement. We discuss what The Dog Days means, metaphorically and literally, and how we interpret this film concluding it is not a happy outcome for the focal character. The Dog Days evokes memories of a long-ago childhood spent with a much loved pet but the non-sense words and images are of something far more sinister, contextualized by the current general media coverage of wars in Eastern Europe, Middle East and elsewhere. We also discuss our interpretations of the fragility represented in the avatar, including the role of generative AI in becoming cyborg.

0:20 Introduction to the film, created by Fau Ferdinand

6:00 Performance art context

7:23 Dog days… in other media

11:00 The significance of AI glitch in this film and generally in artwork

27:26 More about Fau Ferdinand and the Second Front movement

30:00 Fluxus and the role of chance

32:30 Interpreting the dreamscape

36:40 How we are becoming cyborg

39:30 The images plus me!

42:56 Performance art and female empowerment

Credits -
Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer/Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats

In this ep, we discuss two machinima films dealing with thematically similar issues, albeit presented with different treatments: Vigilante is made in GTA5 and tells the shocking story of how the lead character became cyberpunk. The second is a futuristic yet somehow more traditional gender-based story made in UE5. It is presented as a proof of concept for a proprietary tool made by its creator, who is none other than the VFX Oscar-winner Tim Webber in his directorial debut.

1:36 Vigilante discussion
19:39 Flite discussion - its so good, how do we talk Phil out of quitting machinima filmmaking?!

Credits -
Speakers: Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine
Producer/Editor: Phil Rice
Music: Animo Domini Beats