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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBlizzard cinematic team appears at Chapman University
by Michael Gray 
May 7th 2009 at 8:00PM
Nick Markham is a student at Chapman University , and he recently dropped us a tip about something special that happened there. Chapman University is fairly close to Blizzard's Irvine headquarters, which could be why they were able to take the time to drop by. One of their film classes had a treat when six members of the Blizzard cinematic team came by to give a three hour presentation about what they do, how they do it, and other miscellaneous film-related issues. So what's the news?
The most crushing news is another confirmation that we shouldn't expect to ever see a gnome in an official World of Warcraft cinematic. The quote from Jeff Chamberlain, the director of the cinematic team, is "Not if I can help it!" Apparently, while gnomes are arguably one of the coolest races in WoW, the director doesn't feel that they're "epic" enough. I can see that viewpoint, I guess, but that just means we'll have to rely on Baron Soosdon to brings us the gnome love.
The Wrathgate animation, of course, was a significant topic. According to Nick's report, the cinematic team and Blizzard both consider Wrathgate to be a complete success. We should expect to see a new, similar animated event with each significant content patch, though it's going to take a little bit to get that going.As for machinima, the presenters said they are continually impressed by the work fan machinimators produce. There was even a time when they wanted to publish a tool to help machinima creators, but that was unfortunately unable to come to fruition. The idea had been to build something like a Map Editor, or even an official WoW Model Viewer, but since the project never completed, we may never know.
There were a few hints about the World of Warcraft movie, though not a lot of details since the cinematic team isn't directly involved with it. Metzen's writing it, and the movie will not be about Arthas. However, the panel confirmed that Legendary Pictures will do the CGI and special effects. That's not outside speculation we've seen already, but it's pretty nice to have confirmation.
Finally, apparently there are going to be openings on the cinematic team. What's more, the team will be showing off some kind of new animation at the upcoming BlizzCon. They'll also be there, and might be looking to meet members of the machinima community. Machinima creators might want to shine up their pixels, as it were, if they're looking for an audition with the team.
All in all, it sounds like the presentation was pretty neat. It was definitely worth the time, and it whets my appetite for what we might start hearing about upcoming BlizzCon news.
Edit: Changed "Anaheim" to "Irvine." I guess I'm too excited about BlizzCon!
Filed under: Gnomes, Analysis / Opinion, Machinima
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
AmberK May 7th 2009 11:02PM
The original plan for the wrath cinematic was similar to vanilla and BC, with short cuts of lots of different races. Before that got very far they decided to make the whole thing focus on Arthas, following their philosophy of getting the lore and character out in front, rather than just showing anonymous peons.
They talked a bit about it in the WotLK collectors edition dvd. Probably possible to find it on youtube or something.
Noctiluca May 7th 2009 10:40PM
For most hordies I roll with, gnomes are kill on sight. No exceptions. Ever.
They are such an annoying race. I'm glad they're not included in any cutscenes. I hate the way they walk, talk, laugh, and their animations are downright stupid. Putting a gnome in an epic cutscene would automatically make it fail. Gnomes suck that bad.
Sean Riley May 7th 2009 10:46PM
I gotta disagree.
Dude, look at this guy.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.wowinsider.com/media/2009/04/gnome-warlock.jpg
Look at that! This guy is getting ready to rip apart armies.
Gnome rogues get one of the best kicks in the game, as they BACKFLIP and kick the guy in the face. NEAT!
I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. Is it just that anything that isn't deadly serious and harsh-faced is considered lame now? Are we so addicted to dark that bright, cheery and tough is anathema? Has Batman beaten up Superman for good?
(Well, that's not hard, since Batman has always been awesome, but still...)
skreeran May 8th 2009 9:26AM
But still, as epic as a gnome warlock is, an orc/undead/blood elf/human warlock is more epic. Same goes for Death Knights. I feel the same way for male draenei, their animation, voice, and general in game style just aren't that great. Out of game (lore, rpg, history, etc.) they're fairly cool, but in-game they just make me want to kill them. In fact, they're a big part of why I moved over to Horde.
I'm all for a female gnome in a cutscene though, they have much nicer voices. :P *Pictures pink-pigtailed female gnome death knight in next cinematic*
Sean Riley May 8th 2009 4:47PM
Disagree, Skreeran. Again, think in David and Goliath terms. The orc being surrounded by enemies who fears one, DOTs a second to horrible death and then summons a Fel Guard onto the third is impressive, but he LOOKS like he should be beating them all into a paste anyway.
When the gnome does it, it's surprising, and THAT has appeal.
kabshiel May 7th 2009 10:48PM
Your nerdrage and bigotry, on the other hand, are super epic.
Amritao May 8th 2009 2:25AM
Bigotry is not an appropriate term here. Bigotry is about people, not pixels and code that represent imaginary, non-existent beings. To use it in manner cheapens it and is an insult to real people who suffer real bigotry.
skreeran May 8th 2009 10:05AM
Oh noes, Kabshiel! You might be hurting someone's feelings! D:
kabshiel May 7th 2009 10:53PM
Gnomes are just wannabe goblins.
Aceria May 7th 2009 11:35PM
Chapman University?! They were here and I didn't know?! *wail of despair!* Noooooo!
mesc May 8th 2009 2:06AM
Can anyone recommend a starting point, in terms of software or websites, to getting into wow machina? Do the artists use software like lightwave and make their own identical models or what? Seems like a fun thing to get into... :)
Arashikou May 8th 2009 9:12PM
I wish I knew - I used to be into machinimating several years ago, then took a break, and while I was gone, things evolved enough that I don't know where to start anymore. Many of the hangouts I used to frequent have become ghost towns, and I don't know where the new hotbeds of activity are. But here's what I do know:
There are many ways to film WoW machinima. Some people shoot all their footage in-game, either using a third-party program like FRAPs and WeGame or using the built-in recording tools in the Mac version of WoW. Many people use the third-party WoW Model Viewer and WoW Map Viewer tools to shoot footage free of the limitations of the game, then composite them to make it look like they were shot together. Some people export models from the game files and convert them into a more common format (like 3D Studio Max or Lightwave files) and then animate and render them in a 3D modeller like a regular movie. A few rare people mix this with their own custom models mimicking Blizzard's style, as you guessed. I've even heard tell of people who run their own private servers so they can shoot anything they want in-engine, though that is of course highly frowned upon by Blizzard. (Not to mention it sounds incredibly complex to set up.) And there's probably even other methods I've forgotten to mention.
The Model and Map viewers used to be distributed through wowmodelviewer.org, but the long-time maintainer of those programs went on a years-long-hiatus a few months ago. There are unofficial updates to both programs to make them work with versions of WoW above 3.0, but you have to scrounge around on their forums for a bit to find them.
As for forums where you can find other creators and ask for help - I wish I knew this myself. I used to hang out at machinima101.com, but it looks like it's not the bubbling cauldron of creativity it once was. A cursory glance suggests Warcraftmovies.com's forums seem to be more focused on watching movies than making them - the creators' forums have more spammers trying to sell penis enlargers than actual machinimators. Myndflame's new website seems like a likely hotspot for activity, though I haven't spent much time there to tell. The one place I know that does seem to have a lot of posters is WeGame's forums, but I don't really care for their UI. If you find out where all the other machinimators have gone, let me know - I feel like there's some secret meeting place I'm not privvy to.
Famed machinimator Oxhorn (now an employee of WeGame) has posted a series of tutorials for the budding machinimator that are very nice. The only thing I caution is that they are almost a year old, and some of the important things (like where to get a copy of the Model or Map viewer that works with the latest version of WoW) have changed considerably in the last year. However, they are great for getting a feel for what making machinima is like, since you get to watch someone actually do it.
http://www.wegame.com/forums/Machinima/Oxhorn_s_Machinima_Tutorials/
As for software... For someone just starting out, (assuming you're on the PC) I heartily recommend WeGame's recording program and Windows Movie Maker. Sure, they're nowhere as powerful as the tools favored by the big players and are pooh-poohed by most serious machinimators, but they have the big advantage of one being totally free and the other being pre-installed on most computers. You can get your feet wet with those, to see if machinimating is something you enjoy, and if you stick with the hobby, then you can look into finding nicer gear.
Needless to say, Blizz releasing an official machinima tool would have made all of this a lot simpler! It's really disappointing to hear that that idea died before we even knew about it. :( I wish you best of luck in getting into machinimating nonetheless. It is a hobby that requires a lot of learning to get started and a lot of hard work to make anything good, but it is one of the most rewarding hobbies I've ever been a part of. (obviously enough so that I'm trying to come back to it after having left it behind) Perhaps someday I'll see the name of "mesc" attached to the latest Movie of the Week here. And again - if you find any good resources yourself, please come back here and post it; people will want to know!
Kittens May 8th 2009 3:58AM
Pff.. isn't all the gnome hate getting a little old? To me it seems like people are just going around 'lol I hate gnomes!' just because everybody else is saying it, and some take every opportunity to mention it just to show how cool they are.
Personally I agree with Sean Riley here, I think gnomes have the potential for major epicness! The whole David and Goiliath thing appeals to me, I made a little pink haired gnome warrior girl exactly for that reason (though I still have to level her past lvl 5, hehe).
I don't find them annoying either, but rather fun and cute. Plus, the male gnomes have the best crazy laugh in game!
vocenoctum May 8th 2009 10:35AM
I think it'd be neat to see an orc warlock downing a pretty little elfie and mockingly laughing, then he gets stunlocked beat on, turns around in time for a flipkick and death as a gnome rogue fades into view behind him.
Then the gnome fades from view as he walks towards another fight in the distance.
Simple, fun, a nod to say "hey, gnomes are there, you just can't see them" and moves the combat along.
Kylenne May 8th 2009 3:23PM
Fail. My hatred for gnomes has nothing to do with bandwagon jumping, in fact stretches back before the first Warcraft RTS was ever made, squarely in the heyday of 1st ed. AD&D. I don't hate gnomes because I'm ZOMG srs bzns about my fantasy. I love humor. I love that in WC, even the most dour appearing races (Tauren, for instance) can bring laughs. I even love crack humor and situations. What I hate is stupid, brainless slapstick, and that's pretty much all Gnomes bring to the table. I don't think Gnomes are funny, period, to me they're the midget equivalent of Carrot Top and Gallagher--just plain corny and irritating. And yes, I'm also one of the people that resents them because they pushed an established race with actual lore (High Elves) out of the Alliance.
That's not even getting into the particular type of annoying, immature douchebag that seems to flock to playing Gnomes like alcoholics to an open bar. And before people start crying, I don't mean any person that ever rolled a Gnome, I mean the people who play nothing BUT Gnomes. There's a very specific personality type that does that, which drives me up the wall (back in the day, they would have played Toon a lot).
Sean Riley May 8th 2009 4:44PM
Hold on, Kylenne . Now, you've presented a better point than most here in that you're actually articulating your dislike of gnomes; that said, saying that all they bring to the table is slapstick seems a bit much. The general level of humor they present is less about falling down and goofiness than it is about over-technicality. (See a lot of their /silly and /flirt.) When I've ever played them, the humor level shot for is more a Woody Allen nervousness and neurosis.
I see your point, but I think you're generalising way too much. Gnomes have more going on than that.
Kittens May 9th 2009 6:41AM
Whoa Kylenne take it easy.. I never said that *everybody* who hates gnomes is simply jumping on the bandwagon..! Congratulations on your well-defined gnome hate and thanks for giving some insight about it here ;)
Hm but as for slapstick.. I don't see that in gnomes..!
And what's up with the story of the 'douchebag gnomes-only player'? Never heard about or met any of those.. maybe you just met some douchebags that happened to play gnomes and are now generalising all the people that play gnomes exclusively? (and I wonder if there are many of those anyway)
Josin May 8th 2009 8:21AM
On behalf of all gnomekind:
!@#$ you, Jeff Chamberlain. !@#$ you right up your stupid !@#$ing !@#$, you !@#$!
kin May 8th 2009 8:25AM
Old? Haha, if i had my way no gnaams would ever exist in warcraft.
Blizzard realized that in wc3 but somehow they made a mistake and put the gnaams in WoW (propably becouse the Alliance missed a fourth race ).
The dude who said gnaam warlocks are cool, seriously if you look at the in-game characters the ugly hideous smiling faces ugh...
Also why would a fan of WARcraft play a stupid small character with that stupid voice.
"gnomes are arguably one of the coolest races in WoW" - rofllololololololololololgaylol
Josin May 8th 2009 8:29AM
WTF is a gnaam?
I agree. Gnaams suck. No more gnaams.