Submit Your Machinima to the Cambridge Film Fest!

As Machinima matures, we're seeing more traditional film fests embrace the artform and include works in their programs and competitions. Reflecting this sentiment, Matt Kelland of Short Fuze/Moviestorm sends word of the Cambridge Film Festival, which is looking for additional Machinima works for their program. More of the down-low from Matt:

"We've finally got hold of almost all of the directors of machinima films we've selected for the Cambridge Film Festival, and asked them if we can show their work.

We do have some remaining slots, and we are now requesting submissions. If you have a machinima film which you would like us to consider, please email me at matt [dot] kelland [at] moviestorm [dot] co [dot] uk telling me where I can see your film and why you think we should show it. (Don't send me the film, just a URL!)

The 28th Cambridge Film Festival runs from 18-28 September 2008, and it's one of the three largest film events in the UK. The Guardian described Cambridge as “a match for the Edinburgh and London Film Festivals…” while The Times said that it “easily outclasses its metropolitan rivals”. The machinima stream will include four screenings, plus workshops and a debate."

The entry deadline is July 28th (09:00 GST), which is just a tad over a week away - so get hopping on that submission if you'd like your work considered for screening!

Valve's Left 4 Dead may have Machinima hooks

Right from Kotaku: Valve's Doug Lombardi took a few minutes out of a busy E3 schedule to talk a bit about Left 4 Dead - Valve's zombie opus due for release in November. Beyond the usual can't-wait-to-see-what-Valve-is-up-to-ness, Lombardi explains in this interview that they're considering a movie mod post release...


More and more game developers are considering Machinima options for their games -and why not? Videos made from the games only serve as additional exposure of their product to those who might not otherwise see it.

2008 Machinima Fest site fades into view

While I've been working on other projects (aka my full-time spot), the initial version of the 2008 Machinima Fest site has been launched. There's not a ton of info at the moment, but what has been posted is key - namely the list of this year's categories. Most of the cats are the same, but some have been renamed and some have been added.

Standing kudos to the team for putting it all together! And stay tuned for the Call for Submissions in the very near future!

Determining Fair Use for Online Video

The Center for Social Media just released their latest project - A Code of Best Practices for Online Video. The results of their work is truly exceptional - helping to define acceptable approaches for user-created video.

The team involved with this project (members such as Mimi Ito, Henry Jenkins and Jennifer Urban) are extremely savvy -- not only the biz and legal takes in the online video space, but also of the content itself. Its an extremely well-rounded group, so their perspectives and experiences bring an unprecedented heft to the findings.

I haven't poured through the entire document yet (PDF), but having had some conversation with the team around Machinima in light of fair use makes things look pretty optimistic.

Congrats to the Code of Best Practices committee! I look forward to hearing more about their work in the coming future.

Sims 2 Machinima sells IKEA

I'm still not sure what to make of this. Part of me thinks EA and IKEA are awesomely smart to cross-market their brands. And then there's part of me that is very unnerved looking at some of his own furniture within the generated walls of a Sims 2 household.

Actually, I think The Sims™ 2 IKEA Home Stuff is a really great idea. IKEA is the cheap, yet design-y furniture store that resembles one big DIY doll house, and the Sims2 is the digital manifestation of that same dollhouse. From that angle, the IKEA add-on pack was inevitable.

Whatever you might feel, I think its a great to see a full-up Machinima commercial helping to sell the end product. Not to mention how much happiness I find in watching the Sims struggle furiously with a BILLY bookcase and that one goddamn allen wrench.