Machinima, real-time filmmaking, virtual production and VR. Four veteran machinimators share news, new films & filmmakers, and discuss the past, present and future of machinima.
Ricky Grove 00:08
And welcome to the last film of May. It's Tracy Harwood's choice. And you are listening to and Now For Something Completely Machinima podcast and YouTube video I am Ricky Grove, your host today, along with my pal, Damian Valentine and Phil writes, Hello, guys. Hey there. Tracy is not here today she was was unable to attend the session. We record all of the sessions at one time. She was at the Oberhausen Film Festival, which is and had a programme that was dedicated to machinima, and she was going to talk there. So we're looking forward to her report on that experience and what's going on, I'm sure she'll have a lot of interesting comments to make. We've reviewed a couple interesting films the first one After War short film was made and Half Life. The second one, Phil's pick Sandstorm was a star citizen machinima by Waillander was made in Star Citizen. The last film was Damien's pick of Torn Seas, it was a feature film made an Unreal Engine. And then the last one Tracy's pick. It's an animated short film using the Unreal Engine, Genesis by Edy Recendez. Now, I didn't choose this, I just put the order together. I didn't put the two Unreal films together for any particular reason. But I find that it's fascinating that we have a full length feature film shot in Unreal. And this short film shot in Unreal as well, it'll be interesting to talk about the difference experiences between the two. I wish Tracy was here to tell you, she usually goes into great detail about it, I hope to give at least good information. I liked this film, I liked that musical soundtrack. Although it was heavy handed at times, silence would have helped the atmosphere. It's essentially a sort of pulp story of a guy exploring a planet in which these creepy creatures show up and he has to fight them. And he's trying to find the source of a energy source. It did remind me of all time science fiction back in the day of Edmond Hamilton, what they called Golden Age comics. It has a marvellous twist ending which I won't reveal to you. It's smartly directed with a nice, nice unique plot. It doesn't have any of the problems that I saw with Torn Seas. It was just the right length. It's also what I would call a personal machinima film, as opposed to a sort of calling card for Hollywood mainstream film with Torn Seas. Now I don't I don't disparage the effort and skill level of the director of Torn Seas the Richard Boisvert. Because it's quite high. We made that point. But there's just something about this kind of beam appeals to me more. It seemed more like real machinima to me even though it was made into in Unreal Engine. It was engaging. I've always loved pulp sci fi. And I watch it there and very much, so I had no sentimentality in it. It was terrifically enjoyable film. And it was a great relief, because I watched it right after the long film. I suppose the the contrast between the two have made this film, maybe a little better than it actually used to me. But we'll see with you guys comment. So what did you think, Damien, what's your take on this film?
Damien Valentine 03:56
Honestly, my first thought was this guy that exploring space, and he, he lands on this alien planet, and there's a cave with a monster in it. And we've seen a couple of films like that before on our show. And so is this a repeat of that again, idea again, is to a certain extent, but it was really well done. And I'm not going to reveal the twist at the end. But when you get to that twist, it makes it very different from those other films that we've seen does monster in a cave theme so I went back and watched it again and I got a lot more out of the second time because of that. I feel like I've seen this before vibes that I was getting, but yeah, you need that once you've got that twist, it makes it all so much better. See a lot of work was put into this. There's a scene near the beginning where it's before he sets out on this journey and he is on earth I assume is us and you've got this city and excellent sound effects for the to make the city pool it, you don't really get to see much of it. It's just very kind of dark and dingy street. And there's detail in that it's just one shot, that you never see that location again, it's just there for about five seconds. And the amount of detail you put into that is the kind of detail you get throughout the whole film. It's like, you didn't have to put so much thought into a five second shot, he did it anyway. And it really adds something to the to it. Because you know, this place is like, the cave, which he spends a lot of time in the film. But you're going to spend a lot of time making that look good. Because you're going to spend a significant portion of the time as the film there, even something where, you know, five seconds, you still put that effort in. So it says a lot about the director that the detail is important to him. Yeah. And it shows throughout the entire film. I thought the the animation was pretty good. And the acting was good as well. And obviously is much shorter than Torn Seas, but it didn't need to be any longer than it is. Yeah. It's a short tight story. It works really well. So I think Tracy chose a good film.
Ricky Grove 06:12
Yeah. The design of the creature I thought was interesting. My partner and I, Lisa watched a boxset of Sinbad the last three Sinbad movies with Harryhausen design, and they were absolutely delightful. Delightful. I urge you, everybody, I think shout put them out on Blu ray. But the creature design and it was fantastic. And this creature Absolutely, actually reminded me a bit of the Perry house and design a very strange sort of oddly reptilian but humanoid I found that quite in the animation poor was good and the fact that they were silent other than that their movements in there as a little sound coming from them. There was no language, or anything like that. You saw them as beasts, which brings when the twist comes, adds even more impact to it. Phil, what are your what's your take on it?
Phil Rice 07:15
Yeah, I right away got I don't know what the right term is. But and you mentioned it earlier, but that old school sci fi Oh, yeah. Pulp story. That's right. Very much has that feel. And Damien you've seen is not just another machinima movies, but this concept has been done many times. I mean, it's, it's, in a sense, it's it's a centrepiece scene in the original Alien movie. You know, you're not only in this foreign place, but now you're gonna go to an even deeper, darker, more part of it. Oh, it's wonderful. It's an archetypical story. And it is for good reason. It's for good reason. Because it's something that we we constantly think about, I think when we think about visiting other worlds, or even visiting strange parts of the globe, we've never been to so yeah, it's it the story doesn't die. It doesn't go away because it is still intriguing. Yeah. And has been I think, for centuries the the notion about just we've changed the skin on it, the paint job on it, because of our you know, new technology and stuff, but that that story is still there. I love that there's some wonderful sound moments in this for sure. And Damien, you pointed out a really notable one, the other one I'm, I'm just going to call the transformation but not go any deeper into that, but there's some sound going on during that kind of pivotal scene. It's just delicious. Really good. Like just really good sound going on there. Yeah, but there's other parts where Foley is notably lacking. And I'm talking about movement in that space suit and to a lesser degree footsteps Have you ever been in a cave like a real cave? It's it it has a noise It has a sound and there wasn't really much ambient sound to this cave and I feel like it should have had that maybe a little bit less score. And a little bit more soundscape. Yeah, I think you're right I think would have been affected the score was was was very decent. But yeah, I I would have loved I think it would have been even more creepy. I agree to step into that cave and no music telling you how to feel just these the sounds of this cave.
Ricky Grove 09:46
And when actually cave do Oh, yeah.
Phil Rice 09:49
And dripping and Oh, yeah. And crackling and welll Well, yeah, yeah, wonderful stuff. I think if I'm not mistaken, and I hate to keep bringing up Star Wars. I'm Like, what a nerd. Sorry. But but if I'm not mistaken one of the times when there is little to no score in the super score heavy Star Wars trilogy is on the in The Empire Strikes Back when Luke first gets out on Diggable, the swamp planet, whoever made that movie was smart enough to know. Let's hear what this place sounds like. Because there's lots of sounds and in even an earthly swamp, it's amazing. Go down to the middle of Louisiana and go into one of those swamps. And it'll freak you out. It's awesome. Yeah, yeah. So much going on there. And, you know, a cave less so but, but still, a missed opportunity there. That would have been fun. But I love the feel of the story overall. I think that the dialogue that was there, or I guess monologue, him speaking, was employed just right. Not too much. No lengthy exposition. Just, I mean, I think it points wasn't he kind of talking to himself? Yeah. At one point, he was talking to the creature who doesn't speak, right. But it wasn't constantly. Oh, I'm thinking this now. Oh, now I'm going to go do this.
Ricky Grove 11:23
Yeah, that's good.
Phil Rice 11:24
He left left. Right, right. So this this was a great balance on that. The rap slash dance ending?
Ricky Grove 11:40
I like that thought it was good. What's your problem with the old fart? Go, go ahead.
Phil Rice 11:51
To me, it's like if you put a rap slash dance ending, on the end of one of rods Sterling's Twilight Zone episodes, there's just no. There's just no making it work. But look, let's look at what it was for what it was. I am going to choose to interpret it as this was the touchdown dance. For this film, the guys just finished making a great short film. And he's happy celebrated. Yeah, he's celebrating he's gonna spike the effing football.
Ricky Grove 12:32
That's a good way to see it. And
Phil Rice 12:33
you know what? Nobody, you know, nobody can take that away from him. It's have fun with it.
Ricky Grove 12:39
But thematically You're right. twist ending that leaves you with a certain feeling? Yeah, the ending credit ending would have been nice to have it with that feeling. Yeah, as opposed to make a
Phil Rice 12:53
separate video with a rep slash dance. That would have been my advice. And in all seriousness, so because, you know, nobody likes a filmmaker who takes themselves or their work too seriously. Right. But this film was so good as a serious piece. So effective in creating a certain mood. And then like, like we've all referenced, and I think done pretty good without spoiling when the when the twist happens. It's like, oh, oh, I don't know that. You guys. I didn't see it coming. I didn't at all. Nah, that's not easy to do. We are jaded folks. We are we've seen a lot of stuff. It's hard to surprise us. It's hard to give us that, you know, the end of the sixth sense movie kind of whoa, what? No, so this guy did that in this short film, and that's great. So anyway, no, I kid I mean, hey, the rap dance. I think it's harmless. But it it it it made me it kind of made me realise this must be how my son feels when I tell a dad joke. Right? He still loves me but he doesn't want to be seen with that's kind of how this made me feel the dance wrapping. Yeah, I love to this film. Nice title. Yeah. Very apt title. Yeah, it's it's it's good.
Ricky Grove 14:27
Damien, what was your take on that rap ending in the credits
Damien Valentine 14:31
as well. So I watched it I watched got that got to the twist ending which I started talking about. And the credit started I reached down to get a drink. And suddenly that's the music started playing and I wasn't paying attention to because I tended to watch the credits but I thought I needed a drink. So I reached like this, and it started and I thought You thought
Phil Rice 14:54
it went to the next video
Damien Valentine 14:59
bye I look back and I can see it as the same animation style. So I went reverse back just a little bit to see. And yeah, I was surprised by that is an unusual choice for credits.
Ricky Grove 15:15
That's tactful.
Damien Valentine 15:19
But if he's having fun with it, why not?
Ricky Grove 15:23
Why not have make an entire machinima in that rap style? I think he should do that. Yeah, I think it would be energetic. Well, I'm glad you guys liked it. I was really happy with it. And I think Tracy would have gone in on at length above why it's so good and given us more detail. We're just three dumb dudes who are stooges to Tracy's magnificent brain. But with
Phil Rice 15:52
that being said, let's let's just get it. Let's just a couple things. I want to clarify, first of all, that the twist that we're talking about is not the rap dance ending. That's a twist. But that's not the one we were talking about
Ricky Grove 16:10
the one that comes early. And secondly.
Phil Rice 16:15
Tracy is the one who picked a movie with the rap dance ending. So I see.
Damien Valentine 16:28
We want you to talk to you about this next time.
Ricky Grove 16:29
We need to talk. It's time. I'm putting that down in the notes. Tracy and the rap dance ending. All right, that's gonna be on the agenda for next.
Phil Rice 16:39
Yeah, for June given. I want to hear the academic explanation for that. Yeah,
Ricky Grove 16:45
yeah. That's a good one. Well, you know, maybe we're not so dumb after all. That's guys. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Phil Rice 16:53
Oh, nevermind that my every pic has a fart joke in it. Not wrap dance.
Ricky Grove 17:01
Oh, by the way, June, which is next month, is going to be in a very exciting month, because on June 6, you guys know what's gonna happen? Diablo Four.
Damien Valentine 17:15
Oh, you're gonna be absent that week are you?
Ricky Grove 17:19
know, I'll be there. But I'll be thinking Diablo. They expect or they hope. And many critics have commented on this, that in two weeks, they believe Blizzard will sell 12 million copies of the game in two weeks. Wow. There's such interest. Now the problem that they've come up with is it during the beta. They've had two beta sessions. And the problem in the first beta session was server related. People were getting kicked off, there were delays, they made a massive improvement on the second one. But there are commenters who are saying the surge of interest and the amount of people hitting those servers on the day its release is going to be far more than anything they've dealt with in the beta. So they're predicting if they solved that server problem, it's going to be a magnificent opening up because the game is apparently just superb. With a few bugs here and there, but fairly superb. If they don't, it's going to be a disaster for them. So
Phil Rice 18:35
the saying is it's going to be it's gonna be released on June 6. Right? And so you should plan on enjoying it around June 24 24th.
Ricky Grove 18:44
No, actually, June of the next year 2024
Phil Rice 18:50
through 12 million people is a long queue.
Damien Valentine 18:52
Yeah, I have a I have a theory about the way that the handle the servers because it seems to happen. But too often, it's not just a coincidence is a game launches. And at some point, there's a meeting with the executives and the investors and they say, Well, last week, half a million people what 2 million people have whatever number they say, is not as impressive. So those investors are saying our game is so popular that it crashed the servers. Because that we cannot we did not anticipate this much demand.
Ricky Grove 19:32
Well, that's PR but if you've got disgruntled blow up in your face to blow up in your face, then they're going to people who say I'm not going to play this game. I'm going to tell everybody else not to play this game. And that kind of
Phil Rice 19:46
that's not their strategy. Yeah, cuz I think I think today's gamers are a little too smart. Well, I
Ricky Grove 19:50
don't see how it's even possible that they can have server related problems because Blizzard is one of the richest game companies in the world. They've gotten more money than Santa Claus put into servers. You know, if you're worried about that add 20 more servers that 200 more servers for the thing to get it right. So yeah, we'll see. See how it turns out. I'm also really happy I'm on my sixth round of playing a new custom character for Elden Ring. Elden ring came out in May, March of last year, I'm still enjoying it's my favourite game ever - its fantastic. And I hope to do some machinima in it. Once I get to the point where I've stopped my obsessive playing of it. Now I'm having more fun playing it than imagining what I could do. But I'm so familiar with the game now that you can put a scene on. And I can tell you immediately where it is. And what's going on there. No, it's oh, well, and replay value, that's us massive rate. And it's mostly the build the type of build because you have various different ways of playing the game. And there's I had never played a game that had so many brilliant YouTube creators. I watched a guide yesterday in which the guy use machinima tools to be able to show you where something is to get it. Like, in almost all the others, they'll show you the map. And then they'll create a little graphic of go here, go here, go there. This guy uses an actual machinima which you can get from a person who's created a modification for it. And he takes you from the start. And then he goes through slowly. Where are you real time? Where are you need to go to get this thing and, and
Phil Rice 21:54
some kind of a free camera to use around the world?
Ricky Grove 21:57
Why a free camera. And it's so much more interesting, because I tell you, when you try to do the map thing, you make one small turn, and you're in some place that you're like, there are 20,000 Enemies will try to kill you. And you said I'll do I'm just going to get the thing. What do you end up getting crushed? Yeah, but I just love the creativity of the of the YouTube creators. There's one guy that I deeply admire, his name is thing fishy. th ing FYI, sh y, and he does these builds. And he has such a great production value in his editing, and the way he sets everything up. And he has a beautifully resonant voice and a wry sense of humour. So it's especially good for for players like me to play that many times. Because you get to a spot and he'll make a right reference to something that if you don't play the game you have missed, but if you do you get it. You know, and there's also an animated 2d series, which is hilarious. On the on the stuff I'll put a link on that. I'm sorry, I should have written the name down car lot productions or something like that, but it's very funny. very humorous. And so I'm happy to see all of it content creators and the guides it's just a thrilling game. It's gonna take a lot to put me in the middle of Diablo Four the to get away from Elden Ring, but I think I think I probably will, because I played every single Diablo to death. In fact, I actually went back this year and played Diablo one. Oh, wow. With the frag mask in the same, you know, the same 12 string guitar playing over and over again. And the right wing turns of your character you know, it was fun. It was fun. I liked it a lot. Well anyway, that they ended up going off onto a real reverie but thank you guys very much. And Tracy, that was a great pick for this thing. Genesis somebody by Edy Recendiz, a great YouTube channel and an excellent filmmaker that used Unreal Engine. If you are Edy yourself or you've seen the film or you're listening to the comments and you disagree or you agree or you have some of your own comments, please contact us. We really like to hear from you at talk at completely machinima.com along with the show notes in which we'll have links to relevant topics that we've discussed here at completely machinima.com, our website. My thanks to you Phil Rice and Damian Valentine and the missing Tracy. She'll be back next week. Thank you all for listening and we will see you next time.