Creative Coffe House, a UK-based networking group for business, academics, non-profits, etc. has recently launched a Moviestorm-based machinima that explains their mission. Not only does this effort demonstrate a deep belief in the medium, but it also sends a strong signal about Moviestorm as powerful machinima platform.
I was excited to find the above machinima from LiveEVILstudios as I was looking around for new stuff on YouTube.
Granted, if you're not a hardcore Daft Punk fan, sitting through 7 minutes might be a bit much to ask, but I thought it was an interesting approach. For once, we're not talking about characters, screenplay, or the challenge of infusing characters with expression. The graphics have adapted to the music and took on abstract forms - rhythm and light play become the elements that keep the viewer entranced. The end effect is quite artistic and, more importantly, it matches the Daft Punk style very well.
Looking to a future where machinima is more accessible (maybe through applications such as Moviestorm), there's a lot of potential for independent music performers to produce high-quality videos that reflect their vision, while staying within a reasonable budget.
I look forward to the Machinima that will come from this update - with an eye towards Lit Fuse Films and once they get their hands on it. Ciao!
Update: Looks like the SDK is running a bit on the unstable side. I've tried testing out the TF2 models under FacePoser, which after one successful launch, will then crash consistently any time thereafter. There's a rumor that an update will be released tomorrow (11/8), but we'll have to stay tuned to the Source SDK Forums for any news from Mike Durand at Valve.
Rodica brought up several interesting points in her last post, and though they dipped into questions around public perceptions of VWs in general, they do relate to Machinima's cultural context. That age-old question: how important is context to Machinima? In and out of context is a blurring line - particularly with applications like Second Life, Warcraft, Metaplace, etc., some reaching server-busting numbers. The subject is often its own "rabbit hole" - no one definitive exit or enter - as plenty of people have explored its relevance within Machinima. Friedrich Kirschner's exploration of the subject hits home for me too.
Subject matters are the hook, obviously. But is it compelling because it talks about a game I have quite the affinity for? Or does it provide a wink and a nod to the platform itself? Or my daily life? When does the novelty of technology flatten and we become more focused on the what than the why?
Additionally, I just came across some thoughts of Dr. Henry Lowood - describing code-based vs. object-based machinima (sorry, no direct link - search page for "Lowood") which flirts with the contextual as well.
I normally engage these swirls of discussions with a fair amount of alcohol involved (drinks preceding, of course), but imagine you and I with a round of scotch and you're about to get into why I'm off base....
Just about a year ago, I met with a great group of prolific academic and video practitioners at USC. We convened to discuss a project - an event celebrating DIY video, exploring the blurred lines between "amateur" and "professional" - or as some have said, "personal" and "commercial" creative expression. That first weekend in December of 2006 was extremely rewarding - not only because I was just resurfacing from the 2006 Machinima Fest for the first time, but because of the people putting this together had come from all walks of life--some very related, some a bit more obscure. However, what made this meeting successful was not only its inclusion of high-profile theorists and critics, but that the event organizers recognized the need to include selected individuals from each video community. From my POV, this alone set the tone for an extremely fruitful event - outsiders and insiders coming together to showcase worlds that none could have tapped into on their own.
This coming February 8-10th, USC's School of Cinematic Arts will host the culmination of this organizational and curatorial work: 24/7: A DIY Video Summit - a weekend snapshot of avant-garde video. The people involved in the organization are some incredibly prolific folks and it was an honor to have just sat across the table from them:
Conference Organizers
Steve Anderson - Conference Chair
Mimi Ito - Conference Chair
Wally Baer
Anne Bray
Howard Rheingold
Adrienne Russell
Aram Sinnreich
Jennifer Urban
Speakers
Yochai Benkler
John Seely Brown
David Buckingham
Francesca Coppa
Marc Davis
Juan Devis
Eric Garland
Mike Hudak
Angela Wilson Gyetvan
Joichi Ito
Henry Jenkins
Alexandra Juhasz
Lawrence Lessig
Fred von Lohmann
Nicholas Reville
Michael Wesch
Curators
Mindy Faber - youth media
Ryanne Hodson - vlogging
Paul Marino - Machinima
Jonathan McIntosh - political remix
Tim Park - anime music videos
Eric Saks - arts/independent video
Laura Shapiro - vidding
Jon Stout - documentary
As per the bullet point above, I was invited to represent Machinima, which is quite the honor. I'm still pulling together the program, and hope I can do the medium some justice in the 80 minutes I have (feel free to suggest any pieces in the comments).
So why is this news only surfacing now? Well, there's been lots of planning happening over the past 12 months and the event program has finally been nailed down - but most importantly, registration is open. Registration closes on January 9th, and spaces are limited so get crackin' if you'd like to attend.
Ok, that's enough text for one day. I'll be poking at the blog over the weekend - mainly with my thoughts to Rodica's CSI posting yesterday, but possibly with a few other thoughts as well.
