July 2024 - Completely Machinima

S4 E140 This is one of the craziest videos I have ever made… (GTA5) (Aug 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes July 31, 2024 Leave a reply

Crazy, it is certainly that – and more. If you enjoy slasher horror, we think you’ll love this – and its definitely not for U18s! The film is by Toaster and is a music video for Code Mistake, a deathcore metal spectacular by CORPSE and Bring Me the Horizon. We examine Toaster’s GTA5 machinima, reflect on its anime qualities, and conclude its significantly better than the official music video: Ricky discusses it in the context of Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man, but Phil, Tracy & Damien feel the inspiration is much closer to home.

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Show Notes & Links

This is one of the craziest videos I have ever made in my life (gta5 machinima) by Toaster, released 5 July –

Official video directed and animated by Tristan Zammit, and released 8 July 2023 –

Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man –

S4 E139 Star Citizen | Sims 4: Wonderful World | Plumbob Princess (July 2024

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes July 24, 2024 1 Comment

This week we cover two shorts, a love letter to Star Citizen and and an everyman’s fair-ytale of the life of a princess. First up, @neisannnn‘s ‘What a Wonderful World’, a love letter to Star Citizen, where we focus on its surreal nature, use of backwards music, and ability to capture the game’s vast universe. Our second film is ‘Plumbob Princess’ by @lReMi07l – one of the all time best machinimas we’ve seen in Sims 4. We discuss the visual quality and storytelling of machinima videos for The Sims 4 and Star Citizen, highlighting the creative use of animation, music, and language. Check out the films, info below.

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Show Notes & Links

Star Citizen – What a Wonderful World by neisannnn, released 16 April 2024

Official multiplayer trailer –

Official music cover trailer

Plumbob Princess | Sims 4 Machinima by Remi Marcelli, released 20 June 2019

about how the film was made –

S4 E138 Cyberpunk+Found Footage: Inner Migration (July 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes July 17, 2024 1 Comment

This week’s film is a machinima that deals with pollution in the most overt way it can. Andy Hughes’ Inner Migration juxtaposes Cyberpunk 2077 against some ‘found footage’ taken from early 40s/60s films and General Motors corporate ‘forecast’ of the future of technology. We discuss how machinima is an interesting way to explore social commentary and analyze the use of video games as a medium for artistic expression and engaging young people in social responsibility. We also reflect on the potential of media and science fiction to inspire change and address social ills. Our conversation concludes with insights on how viewers can make sense of complex films and draw inspiration from multiple perspectives.

YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

Inner Migration 720 by Andy Hughes, released 18 March 2024

Prelinger archive, accessible here

S4 E137 Machinima News Omnibus (July 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes July 10, 2024 Leave a reply

This month’s news omnibus covers our usual breadth of topics – from Reallusion’s Character Creator contest; to a ‘how to create in SL’, available only in SL; to Project Odyssey’s contest for genAIers; to the winners of the second AIFF; to some fabulous projects such as @EpicSpaceman latest film, an Elden Ring band, Jennifer McKnew’s Sydney and Socket project, and one dedicated to sharing with us the ‘speed of animals’; to the fallout from the Prince Charles Cinema debate about showcasing an genAI film; launch of the Starfield Creation Kit; Homefield 3; and a must have tool for creating great quality 3D backbounds called Distopica. Its a must watch for anyone working in #machinima!

YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

Reallusion’s Character Creator contest, link here

SL marketplace, Stem Van Helsinki’s virtual book on ‘how to be a video artist in Second Life’, link here

Skibidi toilet meme and Roblox game link here

Project Odyssey contest for genAI films, link here

Stable Diffusion’s Stable Audio Open, link here

OpenAI’s Sora and screening at the Tribeca Film Festival, links here and here

Epic Spaceman’s latest science jaunt – this time to the nano scale –

An Elden Ring band, not the usual kind of thing you will run into inside the game for sure –

A curious short about a swan and a robot, made in Unreal, entitled Sydney and Socket directed by Jennifer McKnew –

and Jennifer’s reflections on the creative process here

Red Side’s speed comparison of 3D animals –

Prince Charles Cinema debate, link here

Starfield Creation Kit, available here

Homeworld 3 mod tools and editor, available here

Dystopika, sandbox for futuristic cities, available on Steam here

S4 E136 GTA5: Los Santos police throw themselves into offering box (July 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes July 3, 2024 Leave a reply

This week’s film review is of [GTA5] 賽銭箱に身を投げるロスサントス市警察, made by @mzanku – its absurdist humor but also deeply disturbing, which hits us all in different ways around half way through watching the film. Following our discussions, we conclude the creator probably didn’t intend for the work to be culturally appropriated as an interpretation of US police brutality, but that interpretation was nonetheless possible. In closing out the ep, Ricky discusses the new DLC for Elden Ring and the role cheese plays in enjoying it.

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