In this episode of Now For Something Completely Machinima, we dive into a fascinating review of The Egg — a thought-provoking short story by Andy Weir, brought to life through machinima animation by Anima Technica.
With Project Hail Mary dominating conversations, we explore how this earlier work connects to Weir’s storytelling style — blending philosophy, theology, and surprising humour.
🎙️ Featuring Damien Valentine, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, and voice acting insights from Ricky Grove, this episode unpacks themes of reincarnation, cosmic identity, and the deeper meaning of existence — all through the lens of machinima filmmaking.
🔑 Topics Covered
The philosophy behind The Egg
Machinima production techniques (iClone, minimalism, animation style)
Voice acting performance and character dynamics
Connections to Project Hail Mary and Weir’s broader work
Theology, reincarnation, and cosmic responsibility explained
Audio Only Version of this Episode
YouTube Version of this Episode
Show Notes & Links
The Egg by Anima Technica based on a story by Andy Weir starring Ricky Grove and Jorge Campos, with music composed by Jesse Pringle, originally released 15 Feb 2011
In this episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, and Damien Valentine dive into the latest news in machinima, virtual production, AI creative tools, game cinematics, and real-time animation.
They discuss the explosive hype around Kane Parsons’ The Backrooms movie, new Starfield expansions and what they could mean for Starfield machinima, the release of Fortnite Star Wars assets for fan-made experiences, and useful production updates including DaVinci Resolve optimisation, Headshot 3, free mocap tools, and local AI voice cloning.
The conversation also takes a deeper turn with a thoughtful debate on AI video generation, Sora, creative AI fatigue, public sentiment toward AI tools, and where AI in filmmaking and digital storytelling may be heading next.
If you’re interested in machinima filmmaking, AI tools for creators, virtual production workflows, Star Wars fan creation, The Backrooms, Starfield, Fortnite UEFN, or digital storytelling, this episode is packed with insights.
Topics covered:
Kane Parsons and The Backrooms trailer reaction
Starfield Free Lanes and Terra Nomada
Fortnite Star Wars creator tools
DaVinci Resolve performance tips
Headshot 3 for Character Creator
Free motion capture and text-to-mocap tools
Local AI voice cloning
Sora shutdown and shifting attitudes toward AI
Project Hail Mary and practical effects vs AI hype
Audio Only Version of this Episode
YouTube Version of this Episode
Show Notes & Links
Backrooms cinema release, and trailer –
Starfield Announcement
Free Lanes and Terran Armada official trailer –
Developer deep dive –
Fortnite / Star Wars – create your galaxy
New tools now available in Fortnite for developers looking to create Star Wars content –
This is HUGE for Star Wars Games! Check out this commentary –
Fortnite / GTA inspired sandbox game
Grand Heist City game launching, check out the story here.
DaVinci Resolve for Machinima
How to optimise the settings, great tutorial video here by Andrew Farmer –
Reallusion’s Character Creator Update
Headshot 3 for CC5 pre-launch offer here –
CC5 & Headshot & Blender – example of a process for creating your own character –
CC and Houdini workflow –
AI Tools
Freemocap – a Github project, does what it says on the box (video to mocap). Check out the link to the files here.
Nvidia announces Kimodo, a text-to-mocap which is free to use –
end result is a BVH file, which can be brought into iClone and convert into an animation file (Phil will provide an interesting video to show how it works)
AI voice, not Eleven Labs, but this is free! Check out Voicebox here. This does voice cloning and text to speech and runs locally.
Dive into one of the most unsettling and artistically ambitious machinima films we’ve ever reviewed. In this episode of Now For Something Completely Machinima, we explore “The Murderer” by Yago Muriel — a haunting black-and-white psychological horror created in Garry’s Mod that blends surrealism, classic cinema, and existential dread.
With clear influences from David Lynch, The Outer Limits, and Hitchcock-era filmmaking, this film transforms a humble game engine into something deeply disturbing, poetic, and unforgettable. Expect eerie bird motifs, ambiguous storytelling, and a shocking twist that lingers long after the credits.
If you love psychological horror, surreal films, experimental storytelling, or indie filmmaking, this is a must-watch discussion.
🎥 What We Discuss in This Review
How The Murderer pushes machinima storytelling to new heights
The influence of classic black-and-white horror & surreal cinema
Why limitations of game engines can enhance creativity
The film’s disturbing emotional tone and psychological depth
Multiple interpretations of its ambiguous, haunting ending
🔥 Why This Film Matters
This isn’t just another machinima experiment — it’s a masterclass in mood, editing, and storytelling under constraints. By embracing the quirks of Garry’s Mod, Yago Muriel creates something that feels closer to arthouse cinema than gaming content.
If you’re a filmmaker, creator, or horror fan, there’s a lot to learn here.
In this episode of Completely Machinima Reviews, Damien Valentine, Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, and Tracy Harwood discuss Eater, a character vignette of a larger work (Hate Speech). The film is a provocative experimental short by M (formerly M dot Strange), created using Nightmare Puppeteer. The conversation explores machinima, AI-generated voices, Unreal/indie animation tools, absurd humor, avant-garde filmmaking, and the film’s sharp social commentary on junk food, global warming, and corporate culture.
This is a deep dive into one of the most unusual works in experimental digital cinema—touching on ragdoll physics, AI animation workflows, satire in machinima, and the artistic philosophy behind Nightmare Puppeteer, the low-cost indie animation tool that embraces chaos, randomness, and creativity.
Whether you’re into machinima reviews, experimental film analysis, M dot Strange, indie animation software, or digital art and AI storytelling, this episode offers a fascinating discussion on style, meaning, and outsider creativity.
Topics covered in this episode:
Eater film review
M / M dot Strange’s artistic style
Nightmare Puppeteer on Steam
AI voice performance in animation
Satire, absurdism, and social critique
Global warming and food culture in experimental film
Ragdoll physics and improvisational animation
Avant-garde machinima and internet-native storytelling
Audio only version of this episode
Youtube version of this episode
Show notes & links
“Eater” from “HATE SPEECH: THE MOVIE (Coming soon to our Telegram) by (-M-), released 11 October 2023
If you want to know more about M Dot Strange’s most iconic work, his most well known film is called We Are the Strange, which was shown at Sundance Film Festival in 2007 –
In this episode of Completely Machinima, Phil, Tracy, and Damien dive into “Wallace Breen’s Day Off” — a chaotic, meme-filled Garry’s Mod machinima that embraces absurdity, cartoon violence, and old-school Source Engine humor.
From immature internet antics to Robot Chicken-style sketch comedy, the team explores how this short transforms one of Half-Life’s most sinister villains into a hilariously pathetic bureaucrat just trying to enjoy his day off.
Along the way, they unpack its Sopranos-inspired ending, hidden easter eggs, and how it reflects both the roots and evolution of machinima as a creative medium.
💡 Key Topics
Machinima & virtual production
Gary’s Mod and Source Engine creativity
Meme culture and absurdist humor
The Sopranos parody & ambiguous endings
Easter eggs, cameos, and hidden details
Old-school vs modern machinima styles
Audio Only Version of this Episode
YouTube Version of this Episode
Show Notes & Links
Wallace Breen’s Day Off, by Michael is Very Vintage, released 13 December 2025
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