This is our final film pick for Season 5, and it stimulates quite a discussion. The film is a concept test of tools and techniques, but the story and aesthetic is less inspiring. Check out our thoughts and do add your own comments below.
YouTube Version of This Episode
Show Notes & Links
Reflekt by Derun, released 24 October 2024 –
Check out Derun’s interviews here and here, and their tour schedule here.
We love AFK! This week’s ep covers another of AFK’s ambitious world building attempts to round out the Star Wars universe… and of course it works. What do you imagine the worst jobs to be for the most hapless Stormtroopers? These totally make sense to us! Check out our comments, our overview of AFK’s background and other projects, and what we really think of this short.
YouTube Version of This Episode
Show Notes & Links
Worst Jobs in Star Wars – A ‘For the Empire’ minisode created in Unreal 5.6 by AFK, released 19 June 2025
Generation Tech channel here
Completely Machinima episode on Talky Orcs by AFK here
AFK Academy channel here
Interview with Peter Haynes, Feb 2016 by Diane Riggins for Legendarium Magazine here
Peter Haynes on AccuLips for Reallusion
Interview with Peter Haynes, July 2023 by Reallusion here
Haynes’ production, Cheng Beng on Vimeo here –
This week, we cover a lot of things this month, as usual, but start with a tribute to a machinima pioneer who has sadly crossed the bridge into an unknown world – Tutsy NAvArAthnA. We then go through some more fascinating projects that we want to share, more about genAI and machinima, a bunch of new tools and techniques, some wise words from some great artists, latest games and relevant updates. All links below.
YouTube Version of This Episode
Show Notes & Links
Celebrating Tutsy NAvArAthAa / Basile Vignes’ Life
RIP Tutsy
Completely Machinima Interview with Tutsy Navarathna here https://completelymachinima.com/cm-interview-tutsy-navarathna/
Flowers of Evil filmed by Tutsy Navarathna, discussed on our episode here https://completelymachinima.com/s4-e121-cosmic-flowers-of-evil-mar-2024/
Glasz DeCuir’s tribute here –
and an interview with the man himself, recorded for the Machinima Expo –
Projects
A RDR2 inspired Minecraft animation made using Blender
An Egyptian Renaissance cinematic made in Unreal Engine –
A trailer for an upcoming movie which the creators are trying to fund and involve the original voice actors from Team Fortress 2 –
An intro to an updated game, Back to the Future 2025, made in Unreal Engine –
And a webcam test for metahuman, also in Unreal Engine –
genAI projects worth looking at –
Interesting Convos
Darren Aronofsky and Demis Hassabis on storytelling in the age of AI –
AIFF 2025, update here
Judge backs AI gen firm called Anthropic over use of copyrighted books, here
I turned down a [REDACTED] show –
New tools, techniques & how tos
Meta’s Worlds creator tool for VR, here
Eleven Labs – another update!
Creating a crowd of metahumans in Unreal –
Character Creator 5 update and connection to Unreal –
Fender Studio release for creating audio for 8 tracks, here
Martin Bell’s Unreal tutorial series –
How one detail completely changed a scene –
A LoRA for a Pierson’s Puppeteer –
NaturalVision Enhanced – release trailer –
Game Release
Dune Awakening –
Cyberpunk 2077 –
And finally…
Fortnite definition of machinima states: ‘the use of real-time computer graphics engines, like that used with Fortnite, to create a cinematic production. The word machinima is a portmanteau of the words machine and cinema.’
Take a look at the interview Tracy did with Epic’s Chief Tech Officer Kim Libreri in Pioneers in Machinima!
To think this film’s creator knew nothing about animation prior to making this short is absolutely astonishing. Of course, as we discuss, many crossed this path as a consequence of the pandemic, but there are few gems we’ve found like this. The film, Rally, draws heavily on Santiago Menghini’s experience as a live action director and producer. What’s fascinating, in our analysis, is our evaluation of ambiguity and how its clever use makes up for the animation and limitations. Watch the movie, check out our comments and add your own.
YouTube Version of This Episode
Show Notes & Links
Rally by Santiago Menghini, released 20 Nov 2024 –
About Menghini’s filmmaking approach, courtesy of an interview with The VFX Process podcast –
A packed news episode, with Tracy’s analysis of the AI art copyright ruling decision and a discussion with Damien about his hit fan series, Heir to the Empire – the Star Wars story that everyone always wanted to see made. Do comment on the discussion (on the YouTube channel or the Blog post).
YouTube Version of This Episode
Show Notes & Links
RunwayML’s third annual AI Film Festival is now open to submissions until 31st March
Second Life has been testing browser based streaming
Linden Labs has spent $1.3B building the world and paid $1.1B back to its creators
Animator’s Survival Kit, part of a Bloomsbury video series, and it has been created by Richard Williams
Gladiator II has all the kind of hallmarks you can achieve in Unreal Engine, with enough time and energy –
The Freeman Chronicles made by Ian James Duncan –
There’s also a fascinating website which documents how the film was made worth taking a look at too.
Tom Cook (aka ToCoSo) original fan song made for Elite Dangerous called ‘Mining on my Own’ by Ghost Giraffe –
A Mandalorian Cinematic Trailer made in Unreal Engine, made by Geoffrey Grandseign, it’s a showcase of his work as well as a fan film –
A Godot engine project, created in the 4.3 engine version by Jan Fidler –
The US Copyright Office’s ruling on AI art generated with text prompts.
Others asking questions about the implications of this ruling.
Announcement of a merger between Getty Images and Shutterstock
NVIDIA’s RTX 5070 family graphics cards announed here
HL3 teaser? Check this out!
Hollywood Animal trailer –
Astartes II – Official Teaser Trailer | Warhammer –
The Sims 1 & 2 re-releases – news item link here
Rooster Teeth is back?! Another news item link
Director’s comments: Heir to the Empire, Damien reflects on the series to date –
the full movies here –
Recent Comments