WoW Moviewatch: Rage & Rapture
by Moo Money 
Apr 29th 2008 at 12:00PM
Baron is infamous for teaser shots of his upcoming projects on his blog, and this one is no exception. Set to a drum and bass track of the same name, by Quadrant and Cease, the movements are fast-paced and intense. It really makes you wonder how he does all of this with just Sony Vegas 6 and Particle Illusion!
If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
Previously on Moviewatch ...
Filed under: Machinima, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Blackhorn Apr 29th 2008 12:29PM
May I please have a link to something of Baron Soosdon's that has a bit of substance to it?
I realize that sounds harsh.. but the phrase "all style, no substance" certainly applies.
Does he make any machinima like that, or does he just cut together heavily filtered music videos?
Simply curious. Me no likey shiny fluffy flash. I'd call Baron an editor and compositor, not an machinimator. This is demo reel material. Make it shiny, impress the suits, get a job.
BaronSoosdon Apr 29th 2008 12:52PM
Ok then. What is substance (by your definition)?
I don't know what suits (and where) to impress unfortunately. But then again, I already do
machinima for work.
Believe it or not, I have a machinima with a plot and voice
acting is on it's way.
If you look a bit above, right up there - just below the video: there are lots of links there which lead to other links, which lead to even more links and they should lead to even even more links some pointing to my other machinimas.
Feel free to browse, as the npc's say!
Anotherspy Apr 29th 2008 1:27PM
If i made this video, i should participate @:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/contests/l70etc-musicvideo/
but that's my opinion.
GREAT MOVIE
TotalBiscuit Apr 29th 2008 1:41PM
There is nothing wrong with finding your niche and sticking to it. Would you begrudge a band for sticking with their style of music? A sci-fi author for continuing to write sci-fi?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There is nothing objectively wrong with this production, criticizing the man for doing what he wants to do is downright stupid and bordering on woeful arrogance. If this is what he wants to do, then more power to him. This is not a case of warning someone off producing a particular style because they're not very good at it. He IS very good at it, very good indeed. What is objectively wrong with this production? Nothing. So what's the problem?
Blackhorn Apr 29th 2008 1:46PM
Well, I'd consider substance to be something to take away from a video other than memories of speed ramps, and no pixels brighter than 128,128,128 :b
If there's a story hidden in there, that's great, but it may be getting lost under the layers of everything that isn't 'the point'. If you set out as a storyteller and director, you've lost your way, unless of course the story you wanted to tell was of "really fast undead dance clips" and "flash flash... flash..." and "if people like this music then this video will be win to them, otherwise .. meh"
All I'm saying is this particular video (and a few others I've seen) paint you as more of a flashy style guy. Making things look cool to music.... but even then it gets a bit tired.
I was just curious if there were examples that show of a wider range of your ability. But thanks for the lesson on
"How teh internets work", ass.
Blackhorn Apr 29th 2008 1:48PM
And TotalBiscuit, you said it well enough yourself. Niche.
But forgive me for asking if the man had anything else on his reel.
Nizari Apr 29th 2008 2:23PM
I agree with a lot of what Blackhorn is saying, at least about this vid in particular. The graphics filtering is well done (although some shots are so dark I don't even know what I'm looking at), but it lacks any coherent vision, just random elements smushed together. I also looked like the camera angles and lengths were not given a lot of thought, but to be fair most machinima suffers from this issue; treating machinima from a editing standpoint and not a filmmaker/directors standpoint.
Dave Apr 29th 2008 12:44PM
DnB is
Dave Apr 29th 2008 12:45PM
DnB is <3
...Stupid tag processing
Zegim Apr 29th 2008 12:48PM
Drum and bass ftw.
Bastinator Apr 29th 2008 12:51PM
I wish old content always looked like that...
WTB snowstorms in Tirisfal.
Also,
Rotcivius Apr 29th 2008 1:07PM
bleh, another music video. So this guy is the Puff Daddy of Machima. lol ; P
Driphter Apr 29th 2008 1:09PM
Although I like his other works, this looks like a fancy how to paladin video to me. *shrugs*
~Driphter
baronsoosdon Apr 29th 2008 1:15PM
I take this as a compliment. I'll never be able to produce something as great as How to Paladin.
TotalBiscuit Apr 29th 2008 1:41PM
No-one can.
Theserene Apr 29th 2008 1:30PM
I remember Baron Soosdon starting something about Scholomance which I watched avidly and have always regretted the story was not finished :(
(On another note, I've watched his LOL Lightwell one so often I'm burning grooves into my hard drive)
BaronSoosdon Apr 29th 2008 2:19PM
That Scholomance idea has not let me go, it still returns to my head from time to time.
If I am going to do something to it, it won't be a continuation but a complete remake, making the story more compact and telling it in one solid movie.
As for something simpler and less flashy, I have ideas for that stuff too. The time and hard drive space on the other hand..
Treima Apr 29th 2008 2:34PM
It just seems like a demo for him to hand out to potential employers or something. I don't get any of what's going on, just a lot of undead emotes and occasional use of the fast forward button.
TotalBiscuit Apr 29th 2008 2:57PM
There's nothing to get, you're looking for something that isn't there. A conceptual, audio-visual piece does not require a plot. It is a display, accompanied by appropriate music. That's all there is too it, and that's how it must be judged if you wish to stay objective.
Don't tell me I'm going to have to write a tutorial on how to properly criticize machinima now...
Badger Apr 29th 2008 2:57PM
"Baron Soosdon never ceases to amaze me. Since he took on the job at Machinima.com, he's been steadily producing stellar machinimas that really raise the bar for the rest of the WoW machinimators."
I really love Soosdon's visually stunning work. It's top-notch entertainment. However ... I'm sorry, I have to speak up on something that should really be clearly established.
Where Baron Soosdon "sets the bar" should be considered irrelevant to "the rest of the WoW machinimators." His work is incredible; that goes without saying. However, an amateur setting out to make his own machinima for the first time should not look at Soosdon's work and feel as though he has to measure up to the standards of a trained and well-supplied individual, and this really needs to be made clear.
This guy is paid - probably not a small amount (maybe even on a per project basis - clarify, Baron?) to create and render these videos, isn't he? He is undoubtedly provided with all of the resources necessary, such as a complete suite of Adobe graphical and cinematic editing software, as well as the time and computing power needed. The tools that are made readily available to Soosdon are way, way, way out of the reach of many aspiring animators working out of their home offices, their bedrooms, their basements. (And no, before anyone asks, this particular crowd does not currently include me.)
For someone whose entire job consists of crafting computerized art like this, thousands of dollars in extensive rendering hardware and software purchases probably don't even qualify as an afterthought. For "the rest of the WoW machinimators," however - and I imagine this includes other readers, Olith (sp?), TotalBiscuit, Blackhorn, and the plethora of other understudies in this growing art form - this is a major roadblock that ranks right up there with the amount of paid work time that would be sacrificed to work on projects like these.
This is Soosdon's job. He has the ability to set the bar so high because he is *paid* to do so, and because he is *provided* with all of the resources needed. Others should strive to do their best in creating videos like these, but they have *GOT* to understand that practical, physical limitations will probably get in the way of reaching this high standard.
Again ... I'm *NOT* knocking Soosdon's work, which is undeniably awesome. I'm just trying to hammer home that the bar he is capable of "setting so high" might not be reachable by anyone who doesn't invest massive amounts of cold, hard cash and hard-to-find work time in such a project - in other words, someone who isn't exclusively funded or supported by a third party.
Baron: If I'm wrong, which is definitely a huge possibility (esp. if Machinima.com isn't your first-and-foremost job), then please feel free to correct me.