RDR2

S5 E187 Machinima News Omnibus (June 2025)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes June 25, 2025 Leave a reply

Another packed month of updates – lots of projects, a few games releases, the usual genAI avalanche and Predator, the world’s first BIG BUDGET machinima! Click the links, check out our comments and do add your own.


https://dashboard.transistor.fm/shows/and-now-for-something-completely-machinima/episodes/s5-e187-machinima-news-omnibus-june-2025/edit

YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

Machinima projects –

I spent 30 days in a dead game by Globert –

The GTA6 trailer but made in GTA5 by Gu1maz –

I Modded Fast Traffic Into RDR2. Now It’s a Horror Game by Blurbs –

Cyberpunk 2077: POV Hyper-Realistic Motorbike Ride on RTX 5090 with DreamPunk 3.1.1 Graphics in 8K by NextGen Dreams –

Haruki made in UE5 by Bad Decisions Studio –

IMicky Mouse by Mickey Mouse, made by J C Thornton –

Not machinima

Solstice 5: Forgotten archives by Paul Chadeisson –

generative AI projects

Corporation War by Solo Films –

Purely artistic using an aesthetic of origami by Kelly Boesch AI Art –

Where’s Alice by Aaron Sims Creative –

On genAI developments

Eleven Labs launched v3, check out the video update –

v3: 70+ languages from 33 with coverage from 60% to 90% of the world’s population; Dialogue Mode: Handles natural interruptions, tone shifts, and emotional flow across multiple speakers; Audio tags: Guide delivery with tags like [whispers], [angry], [laughs], or [door creaks]—controlling performance in fine detail. Its impressive stuff!

Veo3 about here and demo vid here –

A bit of Game News

The Elden Ring Nightreign DLC came out in the last month and was downloaded a record 3.5M times in 5 days… I wonder how many of those were Ricky? And, what’s the verdict on it?

007 First Light put out a first trailer –

A big budget machinima?

Predator: Killer of Killers, released June 2025 –

and discussion at State of Unreal 2025 –

S5 E164 Machinima News Omnibus (Jan 2025)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes January 9, 2025 Leave a reply

Whilst January’s news begins with more of the same ole genAIs doing their thang, because they can, there’s now evidence of more concerted effort to control the efforts of creators… because the corporates and policymakers can at least try to do that, right? Well, maybe, but all this has achieved in the past is even more creative energy invested in jumping through the hoops, clambering over the walls and crashing through the hedges – so Happy New Year, we’re looking forward to seeing what the amazing machinima creative communities of all engine persuasions around the World can achieve in 2025! Plus, we discuss iClone’s new update, a couple of interesting creative projects celebrating content creators in their own ways, as well as interesting milestones.



YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

SORA‘s launch trailer (although the AI is still not available in EU apparently) –

Runway’s Act One is as good as SORA, here’s the promo –

Face Depth Frame Mancer is similar to Act One – a $20 plug-in for UE5 – here’s the trailer and here’s the link to the download

Riot Games issuing penalties for ‘off platform’ conduct violations – here’s the notice

Epic’s Fortnite hits a new milestone of 14M concurrent players participating in Snoop Dogg/Eminem’s concert (er, well, its slightly less than the last milestone but apparently more if you add in some other metrics too…) –

RDR2‘s how to involving its horses and mocap – what could be more fun than this?!

JT Music‘s tribute to Halo, includes a nice mention of RVB, as anything that celebrates the achievements of Halo should –

Bullet Time Agent – a new VRchat combat/puzzler game by Lakuza has released. Here’s the trailer –

Reallusion‘s iClone update, overview here –

Whatever happened to Syama Pedersen, the creator of that stunning Warhammer 40K film, Astartes? Find out in this episode! And here’s the Secret Level trailer for a quick overview –

Our review episode all about the Astartes film –

S5 E161 Classic vs Contemporary Xmas Sillies (Dec 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes December 19, 2024 Leave a reply

Not an actual comparison but a review of two shorts: The Internet is for Porn by Evilhoof & Flayed, originally released way back in 2005 and The Marstons Celebrate Christmas, But Things Get Out of Hand, by Paradise385 released 22 Dec 2023. Lots of lampoonery in both our reviews, but we especially hope you enjoy watching them. Happy Christmas from the crew here at Completely Machinima.



YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

Internet is for Porn by Evilhoof & Flayed, originally released in 2005, available on Jobbejoe’s channel –

and Internet Archive here

All-time top 20 World of Warcraft machinimas on the Warcraft Movies forum, listing here

Argent Dawn (EU) role-play server link here

The Marstons Celebrate Christmas, But Things Get Out of Hand | RDR2 by Paradise385, released 22 Dec 2023 –

S5 E157 Olde West: The Loss (Nov 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes November 21, 2024 Leave a reply

Who doesn’t love a good olde Western? This week we delve into a great short by avidredeadenjoyer, released 21 Sept 2024, called The Loss. It has been made in the only engine a Western machinima can be, RDR2. We all especially liked one particular shot, which really goes to the heart of why machinima has added so much to movie-making. This week, we also talk about a second pick, a Frontier: Elite 2 short by The Mystic Mushroom accompanied by the Blue Danube: The second best space sim ever made… Enjoy!



YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

The Loss – A Red Dead Redemption 2 Machinima by avidredeadenjoyer, released 21 Sept 2024

The second best space sim ever made… Frontier: Elite 2, by The Mystic Mushroom – accompanied by Strauss’s the Blue Danube

S4 E111 Machinima News + GTA5 Cinematic (Jan 2024)

Tracy Harwood Podcast Episodes January 11, 2024 Leave a reply

This week, we discuss the critical turn we witnessed in 2023 towards machinima among creative industries professionals. We highlight why it is high time there is a major rethink on the role of indie creatives and fan fiction in general. We also review a beautiful cinematic made in GTA5, and also reflect on some of the challenges with a particular camera technique.



YouTube Version of This Episode

Show Notes & Links

European Film Awards, Best Short – Hardly Working, a machinima made in RDR2 by Austrian collective Total Refusal. Announcement of winner here and link to Milan Machinima Film Festival’s earlier presentation of their work here. Many congratulations to Total Refusal on this landmark achievement!

Back story notes links –

Sam Crane’s Stage award for his live production of Hamlet in GTA5

Tracy’s review of Oberhausen International Film Festival and links to our discussion –

and interview with the curators at Oberhausen –

Warhammer 40K partnering with Amazon for new shows and movies, with Amazon being given ‘exclusive rights to make content’ based on the Games Workshop brand. Announcement on the BBC news website here and the Games Workshop website here.

Lord of the Rings legal case between a fan book writer, their publisher vs Amazon and Tolkein’s estate – announcement on the BBC news website here and further details of the copyright infringement case here.

Cyberpunk Ultimate Edition Official Booklet – link here.

John MacInnes also recently released an overview of the legal issues, similarities and differences between realtime creative works and film production which you’ll find a very useful summary –

Damien’s film pick for this week –

Cinematic experience – GTA V Machinima by Syed, released 10 Nov 2023