From September 2005 to June 2006 a team of thirteen scholars at the The University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Communication explored how new and maturing networking technologies are transforming the way in which we interact with content, media sources, other individuals and groups, and the world that surrounds us.
This site documents the process and the results.
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Machinima: Finding Its Way
curated by paul marino
| Machinima is a hybrid medium, a mix and remix of filmmaking and game culture. Its life started in 1996 as an afterthought—a nearly overlooked existence within the gaming community, then known as "Quake Movies." In the last ten years however, Machinima has matured quietly; finding a home not in its parent industries of game, animation or film, but in the users who have nurtured and recognized its significance. In its continuing evolution, Machinima has come to exemplify our convergence culture - an evolving space that embraces legacy creative technique while mounted on advancing technologies - and shaping how entertainment is made and enjoyed. Below are a diverse set of works developed by artists whose backgrounds are equally as scattered. They represent not only a somewhat loose retrospective of Machinima's history, but also the blurry lines between fandom, subversive fetish and grotesque commercialism. |
| The Beginning |
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Diary of a Camper Director(s): The Rangers Running Time: 01:36 Country: USA Year: 1996 Source Game: Quake (id Software) Synopsis: The Rangers attempt to corner a lone gunman that has targeted the group for assassination. Definitively the very first Machinima created (back in the day they were called Quake Movies), Diary of a Camper laid the groundwork for Machinima works to come. Film: Diary of a Camper |
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Apartment Huntin'
The ILL Clan Director(s): Matt Dominianni (aka "ILL Clinton") Running Time: 06.25 Country: USA Year: 1998 Source Game: Quake (id Software) Synopsis: Distributed originally as a native Quake demo file, Apartment Huntin’ follows the goofball antics of Larry and Lenny Lumberjack as they try to obtain their first apartment together. Site: www.illclan.com Film: Apartment Huntin' |
| Breakin' Outta Quake |
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Warthog Jump
Director(s): Randall Glass Running Time: 03:29 Country: USA Year: 2002 Source Game: Halo (Bungie/Microsoft) Synopsis: Randall Glass mixes pop culture audio with Halo, as he attempts to launch the game’s famous vehicle, the Warthog, over a natural arch in the game’s terrain. Finely edited with humorous effect, this Machinima was nominated for Best Editing in the 2002 Machinima Awards. Site: www.nailbiter.net Film: Warthog Jump |
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Owned
Director(s): Magnus Walterstad Running Time: 03:55 Country: Finland Year: 2003 Source Game: Battlefield 1942 (DICE/EA) Synopsis: Exploiting Battlefield 1942’s physics is the name of the game, as one of Europes prominent gaming clans mixes music with mayhem in this Machinima music video. Site:www.northernbrigade.com Film:Owned (Fileplanet link - reg. required) |
| Finding The Audience |
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Red Vs. Blue (Episode 01)
Producers: Rooster Teeth Productions Director(s): Burnie Burns Running Time: 03:50 Country: USA Year: 2003 Source Game: Halo (Bungie/Microsoft) Synopsis: Two teams of viciously trained soldiers are left to ponder life, the universe and everything during a stalemate over a box canyon. One of Machinima’s premiere success stories, Red vs. Blue has currently completed its 4th season and receives up to 1 million downloads per episode. Site: www.redvsblue.com Film: Red vs. Blue - Episode 01 |
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Return (Episode 01) Producers: Rufus Cubed Productions Director(s): Ezra Ferguson, Terran Gregory Running Time: 06:40 Country: USA Year: 2005 Source Game: World of Warcraft (Blizzard) Synopsis: "Return" is the tale of Voldigar of Stromgarde, a grizzled warrior finally returning to his beloved home and bride only to find his past in ruins. Utilizing the World of Warcraft game engine and lore, film-makers Terran "Liadov" Gregory and Ezra "Voldigar" Ferguson take Machinima down the road of the classic cinematic fantasy epic. Site: www.rufus3.com Film: Return |
| Shaping to Our Own |
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In The Waiting Line
Producers: Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Entertainment Director(s): Tommy Pallotta Running Time: 03:57 Country: USA Year: 2003 Source Game: Quake III Arena/Machinimation (id Software/Fountainhead Entertainment, respectively) Synopsis: “...Layer Zero 7's mesmerizing sound into the equation and you're looking deep into an enigmatically experimental visual experience that tells the story of a lonely robot's search for meaning and emancipation from the routine of daily existence in outer space." Site: www.ghostrobot.com Film: In The Waiting Line (Fileplanet link - reg required) |
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The Photographer
Director(s): Friedrich Kirschner Running Time: 02:41 Country: Germany Year: 2005 Source Game: Unreal Tournament 2004 (Epic Games) Synopsis: “I'm pushing to get to her fast enough, pushing through the crowd. Though whenever i come it's too late. It's like my blood would freeze. But somehow, she's only there for me. The only thing that remains on the film is her message..." The Photographer is created in UnrealTournament2004 from Epic Games and runs in realtime within the game. It canbe presented both as video or as a high resolution realtime performance. Site: www.person2184.com Film: Currently offline at director's request |
| A Medium In The Message |
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The French Democracy Director(s): Alex Chan Running Time: 13:09 Country: France Year: 2005 Source Game: The Movies (Lionhead Studios/Activision) Synopsis: In The French Democracy we experience Alex Chan’s on-the-ground, in-the-moment perspective of events during the youth riots in suburban France. This Machinima has gone on to receive international attention with coverage in the Washington Post, Business Week and the Associated Press Film: The French Democracy |
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Jean Charles de Menezes
Director(s): Rachel Bray Running Time: 02:38 Country: Canada Year: 2005 Source Game: The Matrix Online (Ubisoft/SOE) Synopsis: Filmed within the lush and unique universe of ”˜The Matrix Online’, this short work of independent machinima attempts to reenact the killing of Jean-Charles de Menezes within its coded confines. The de Menezes case is carefully studied from all perspectives and the story is presented both as officials initially misreported it and as the world now knows it to have unraveled. The accompanying audio is a montage of raw live “eye witness” accounts, ongoing news reportings and heartfelt protests in the killing’s aftermath. The parallels that exist within the Matrix trilogy itself and the case of Jean-Charles de Menezes are unmistakable. The illusion of freedom when one is a member of a “free” society, the oppressive nature of control constructs and the plasticity of “perceived” reality are all evident in the Jean-Charles de Menezes case and in this virtual reenactment they continue to underline the relevance of the Matrix saga as a whole. Site: www.babayaga.ca Film: Jean Charles de Menezes |
| Standing Alone Director(s): Judy Lee (aka "Decorgal") Running Time: 03:29 Country: USA Year: 2004 Source Game: The Sims 2 (Maxis/EA) Synopsis: This movie is about how one couple copes with a tradegy and how you can feel alone in a marriage. It features a song by Kate Bush called "This Woman's Work." Site: www.decorgal.com Film: Standing Alone |
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Girls Named Jane Director(s): PostModernChuck Running Time: 09:24 Country: USA Year: 2006 Source Game: The Movies (Lionhead Studios/Activision) Synopsis: From The Movies' site: " Chronicling a single day in the life of a troubled schoolgirl, GIRLS NAMED JANE is concurrently a universal story €“ it is the story of every woman without a voice. Sexually and psychologically abused by her father, Jane struggles with questions of identity and the dilemma that forces her in a blind quest to find someone €“ anyone €“ who will help her. Are there other girls named Jane willing to listen to her? WARNING: Film contains mature themes and situations. View at your own risk." Film: Girls Named Jane |
| MachiniMush |
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A Dream Within A Dream Director(s): Tom Jantol Running Time: 09:24 Country: Croatia Year: 2005 Source Game: Half-Life 2 (Valve) Synopsis: From the author's description - " This is almost a story about Puppet reciting Edgar Alan Poe poem named, well, "A Dream Within A Dream". This is all what mechanical Puppet can do, but, be aware - after Puppet finish his recital and movie ends, mechanism will start again." Film: A Dream Withing A Dream |
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Mine 2 Trailer (aka Bunnyhopping Bravia Parody) Producers: Snoken Productions Director(s): Marcus Johansson (aka Noken) Running Time: 01:41 Country: Sweden Year: 2005 Source Game: Battlefield 2 (DICE/EA) Synopsis: To introduce Snoken's latest Machinima epic, Mine 2, Noken produced a parody of the highly popular superball-infused spot for Sony's Bravia. In the trailer, dozens of BF2 players imitate superballs by performing bunnyhops through a Battlefield 2 level. Cut together with the same track as the Bravia ad, this Machinima piece gained widespread attention through blogs Kotaku and BoingBoing. Site: snoken.bf2.se Film: Mine 2 Trailer |
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Battlefield 2 vs. Nintendo Producers: Snoken Productions Director(s): Andreas Pettersson (aka [THA] Pettson) Running Time: 06:03 Country: Sweden Year: 2005 Source Game: Battlefield 2 (DICE/EA) Synopsis: Another Snoken production - this time by director Andreas Pettersson, merging the video game worlds of Battlefield 2 with old school Nintendo games such as Duck Hunt and Super Mario. Site: snoken.bf2.seFilm: Battlefield 2 vs. Nintendo |
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A Few Good G-Men Director(s): Randall Glass Running Time: 05:59 Country: USA Year: 2005 Source Game: Half-Life 2 (Valve) Synopsis: "You can't handle the truth!" yells Jack Nicholson's Colonel Jessep in the classic film "A Few Good Men." Updated using characters right from Valve's own classic, Half-Life 2, Machinima filmmaker Randall Glass ("Warthog Jump") lifts the audio from the famous courtroom scene, and places Half-Life's Barney in the Tom Cruise role, while the G-Man channels Nicholson's likeness and mannerisms (thanks to Valve's FacePoser tool and custom animations by Glass). A great fusion of game and film culture, A Few Good G-Men has become another net-based phenom as this Machinima piece has been extremely popular across a variety of different sites, including 11,000+ views on IFILM.com alone. Site: www.nailbiter.net Film: A Few Good G-Men |
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