Saturday 14 - Sunday 15 June, ACMI Cinemas
The coolest machinima from around the world hits the big screen at ACMI this June.
A convergence of animation, computer game technology and filmmaking, machinima films are created within the virtual reality of a game engine. Using sophisticated gaming software as the foundation, with its already beautifully realised 3D animated characters and landscapes, machinima- makers create animated films in real- time for a fraction of the cost of traditional computer generated imagery seen in multimillion dollar big budget studio films.
From the latest season of Red vs. Blue to highlights from the European Machinima Film Festival, through to workshops and Q&A sessions with some of genre's most talented filmmakers, it's a weekend packed full of machinima at ACMI.
Industry innovators coming to ACMI to introduce their work, conduct workshops and give presentations include
- Armando Troisi, Lead Cinematic Designer Bio Ware
- Chris Burke, creator, This Spartan Life
- Frank Dellario, President, ILL Clan
- Burnie Burns, creator, Red vs Blue
- Ezra Fergusen, producer, Rufus
Information & bookings: www.acmi.net.au or PH: (03) 8663 2583
* PROGRAM *
Sat 14 Jun 11am - 5pm
Machinima Festival Showcase unclassified 15+
Explore the art of machinima filmmaking and its dynamic relationship to videogames when the world's top machinima filmmakers gather to talk about their work. ACMI Cinemas > Full $20, Concession $15
European Machinima Festival Highlights
Reels 1 & 2
Festival screening s of highlights from the first European Machinima Film Festival presented by Frank Dellario Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences. Works include: The Viral hit Ballad of Black Mesa is a toe tapping, gun toting, tour de-force. Taking cues from works like STOMP, and contemporary advertisement, Hark! Hear the Wails, short take on the traditional Christmas carol in World of Warcraft, with a devious twist. A Child's War is a Virtual Video Project by Global Kids produced at the Museum of the Moving Image New York. The video is based on research done by the youth about the situation of child soldiers in Uganda and the upcoming trial and the International Criminal Court.
Chris Burke (This Spartan Life)
Taking over the Sandbox: Machinima As a Live Environment
A presentation and live discussion inside Halo 3. In a day of online gaming, relationships are forged, current events discussed, narratives recorded and, occasionally, games are played. Here, the crew of a talk show can feel pretty vulnerable. But along with the perils come some unique opportunities in participatory media. In our quest to rise above the smack talk, we will be joined live by other gamers and a special guest in Halo 3.
Armando Troisi (Bio Ware)
Blending and Bending Mediums: BioWare's Mass Effect As videogames mature, the cinematic language has become increasingly prevalent as a way to convey narrative and emotion. BioWare's Mass Effect series criss- crosses the ever-blurring line between passive & interactive entertainment, imbuing their trademark roleplaying games with a strong dose of cinematic storytelling. This fusing of two mediums is not without its challenges, however. Should narrative be front and center, or should the Player discover plot without the directed camera?
Armando Troisi, lead cinematic designer Bio Ware, will present what narrative design considerations are made as well as further explorations into the balance of cinema and games.
Frank Dellario (Electric Sheep)
From Quake to Carnegie Hall: An ILL Clan Journey
Frank Dellario's is an epic adventure that spans than entire history of machinima from Quake runs to his work with virtual world entrepreneurs Electric Sheep the largest 3D and virtual reality architecture company in the world. A founding member of the Ill Clan, he is the creator the popular machinima series Tra5h Ta1k. He has produced and directed numerous machinima projects for clients such as MTV2, Spike TV, Audi, Intel and Microsoft.
Ezra Ferguson (Rufus Cubed)
How Machinima Changed Everything: Indie Film Finds World of Warcraft
"Film-maker Ezra Ferguson of Rufus Cubed explains how his tiny production house enjoyed incredible success and unexpected tragedy in the budding art-form of Machinima and more precisely: World of Warcraft Machinima. "WoW", with over 10 million subscribers, a rich mythology, and a dynamic culture of social interaction created a perfect vessel for Rufus Cubed's most memorable work. Learn how Machinima has upended film-making and forever left a camera crew in virtual space."
Sunday 15 June, 11am – 1pm
Making Machinma
Making Machinima World of Warcraft
Ezra Ferguson (Rufus Cubed), Rod Mayer (Beepa)
Practical tips to Making Machinima in Warcraft from leading filmmaker Ezra Ferguson of Rufus Cubed and Rod Mayer the creator of FRAPS
Forge: The Making of Griff Ball
Burnie Burns (Rooster Teeth)
Burnie Burns the creator of Griff Ball will explain how one day when going about his business making the worlds most popular machinima he accidentally made a game. Learn the origins of Griff
Ball and some tips on working with Forge.
Making Machinima Panel
Chris Burke (This Spartan Life), Burnie Burns (Rooster Teeth), Frank Dellario (Electric Sheep) Ezra Ferguson (Rufus Cubed), & Rod Mayer (Beepa)
Discussion offering practical advice on making machinima. The panel discusses what its like to work in an emerging genre revealing there most foolish ideas and their most cunning tricks in filmmaking in games engines.
Sunday 15 June 2008, 2pm – 5pm
Red vs Blue
Reds vs Blue Reconstruction
With Q & A with writer and director Burnie Burns (Rooster Teeth)
Red vs Blue: Reconstruction is the follow-up to the internet phenomenon Blood Gulch Chronicles. In Reconstruction, everyone's favourite group of hapless soldiers faces off against an all-new enemy, while still fighting amongst themselves. Filmed in Halo 3's theatre tools, RvB: Reconstruction continues the tradition of first class machinima from Rooster Teeth Productions. Approx run time 90 minutes.