Beyond Bossfights 4 – Machinima (and An Unexpected Vidcast!)

This month, I’m joined by Pash, the creative genius behind An Unexpected Vidcast. We talk about his inspiration for the vidcast, he walks me through his creative process, and we speculate on the reasons that the machinima style of film making hasn’t taken off as quickly as once expected. Pash also generously shares some of his side projects, and some of the ideas that did not make it into the vidcast (yet?).

Download | Subscribe on iTunes

---

Show notes:

Guest this episode: Pash of An Unexpected Vidcast and LOTRO Players

Definitive Gaming History

Main Topic – Machinima

Reason for Discussion:

“However, machinima is maturing so rapidly, some predict it will soon be a major force in animation, especially with the imminent arrival of a new generation of hardware and software promising an era of photo-realistic “cinematic computing.”
…
Machinima filmmakers are also using so-called massively multiplayer online games, such as Everquest or the Dark Age of Camelot, to make real-time movies. The games’ dungeons-and-dragons environments are the sets, and different players log in over the Internet to control the characters. A host PC is hooked to a VCR or camcorder, and the action is recorded as it unfolds.”

– Games Invade Hollywood’s Turf by Leander Kahney (Wired Magazine, 7/9/2003)

Questions for discussion:

• What exactly is “An Unexpected Vidcast” and what gave you the idea?
• How many characters do you voice?
• Can you take us through your creation process?
• How do you keep content fresh?
• What limitations do you find with this type of film-making?
• Do you play other games, and do you create content using those game engines as well?
• Are you involved in other kinds of filmmaking?
• Are you involved in other “creative” types of things?
• Do you involve your family in your filmmaking?
• Are you concerned about fair use?
• Considering the predictions of Wired magazine in 2003, and the obvious advances in technology bringing video game engines closer to quality CGI used in filmmaking today, why do you think machinima hasn’t “taken off” as predicted over ten years ago?

Feedback

e-mail:

It was nice catching up with Merric and Goldenstar. I’m glad you had them on the show.
Not sure how this pertains to your gaming life balance topic, but I’ve recently undertaken a shift in my own gaming habits. For about 5 years I played exclusively PC games—mainly MMOs—while my Xbox 360 gathered dust. These days it’s the opposite. We have our 360 set up in our bedroom where I manage to walk on a treadmill whenever I want to play a game. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull this off (as I’m not the most coordinated individual in the world), but it really hasn’t proven that difficult. Now I can game and get some exercise at the same time. Two birds with one stone you might say. My play sessions generally last anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, and when I put down the controller I’ve actually broken a sweat. So far, so good. I’ve lost a bit of weight (which isn’t a bad thing for me) and have managed to play through a couple of excellent games in the process: Dragon Age 2 and Diablo 3.

I also found it interesting how you’ve managed to game together with your children as they’ve gotten older. That’s something I’m still experimenting with with my six-year-old son. He really enjoys Skylanders. Thankfully that’s a game I enjoy too. We’ll play together from time to time, but as of yet, we really haven’t found any other games that have stuck with him. I’m guessing that’s an age thing at this point. Sometimes I wonder though. My father’s passion was yard work. I tend to spend as little time as possible in our own yard. Perhaps my son will “rebel” against his old man and be out in the yard every chance he gets. We’ll see, I guess. – Randolph

iTunes:

I sat and listened to #3, this was my 1st listen to Beyond Bossfights. Lots of fun, nicely organized, quality content. Goodjob Braxwolf

Brewstyr of Brandywine

You can send your feedback to braxwolf@gmail.com and I’ll read it on the podcast. Reminder that Beyond Bossfights is on iTunes and Stitcher. I would appreciate your ratings and reviews!

Contact information:

Guest

Twitter: @PashboProudfeet

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AnUnexpectedVidcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pashbo.proudfeet

Website: http://anunexpectedvidcast.weebly.com/

Me

Twitter: @Braxwolf

E-mail: braxwolf@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/braxwolf

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/braxwolf

Blog: braxwolf.wordpress.com

#Podcast #conversation #Machinima #Creative