machinima podcast

S4 E141 Machinima News Omnibus (Aug 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes August 7, 2024 Leave a reply

Another packed episode of news items we found for machinima creators everywhere. We take a look at some games news including several that have released music albums recently and discuss why we think that is. We go through some of the latest AI matters, including Vimeo’s new AI content guidelines. We found one of the best Unreal master classes we ever seen, more like a work of art than a ‘how to’, but since its by the amazing Luis Andrade, we’d expect nothing less. We also found some partciularly juicy tidbits we think you’ll enjoy.



YouTube Version of This Episode

https://youtu.be/iQgqKU3O1eM

Show Notes & Links

Games, games, games…

PLEASE, if anyone has any great WoW machinima, share them with us!!! We are desperate to celebrate WoW achieving 20 years, but we just can’t find anything worth sharing…

Game developers releasing music albums, Runescape, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and Deep Rock Galactic… a sideswipe at machinima, another way to make money from content creators or a quick way to get their IP onto YouTube?

Game destruction and consumer rights… what are the unintended consequences of Accursed Farms and others attempts to clear up this mess on machinima creators? See video discussion here –

No Man’s Sky Worlds, update trailer –

Flight Simulator cities update –

AI news

Epic AI gymnastics –

ReplAI Film Festival challenges, link here

Runway Gen-3 out, link here

ElevenLabs voice cleaner, link here

Vimeo’s AI policy, link here

Suno’s creator contest results, and the winner is… Maybe!

Unreal!

Luis Andrade’s stunning ‘how to‘ video for the Firefly music video, a work of art as well as a tutorial –

Andy Davis released 5 sets of dynamic lenses now available on the Unreal Marketplace. No blueprints, only lens objects that apply to any CineCamera. When pulled from focusMin to INF, they distort dynamically. Sourced from VFX assets to work interactively within game engine, link here. This is an example of what they do, Vimeo link here

Tidbits

Lip sync tutorial for ComfUI –

Making the case for alternative content creator distribution channels, comments by Harmony Korine here

Video game actors are officially on strike (SAG AFTRA)… but those working on GTA6 are not permitted to, link here

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.



YouTube Version of This Episode

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.



YouTube Version of This Episode

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