WoW Moviewatch: SI:7 Episode 1
by Michael Gray 
Sep 21st 2009 at 12:00PM
Before you read on, please note that there are spoilers in this review.
Tipster Thomas hooked me up to SI:7 Episode 1, the first installment in a story-based series by Kakashisan. The basic plot is a pretty good idea. After the Wrathgate debacle, a group of Forsaken rebels must plan another method for removing Horde influence over Undercity. Meanwhile, SI:7 has learned of danger to the Alliance. Matthias Shaw turns to a prisoner in the Stormwind Stockades for help.
I think the animation was fine for the story it's supporting. The zooming scenery shots were strong, and the script moved along okay. I think where SI:7 Episode 1 struggled was scripting and voice acting. This is a fairly common problem with first-time-out story shows, because the author and actors are all working on "finding their mark." The script had a little more exposition than was strictly necessary, and it sounds like the voice actors are still growing into performing their roles naturally and smoothly. I don't want to be too critical, though, because I think they can get to a great place. I was impressed by the effort and novelty of SI:7 Episode I, and I look forward to seeing how it will grow.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Agerath Sep 21st 2009 12:35PM
The voice acting is hilariously bad!
Aaron Sep 21st 2009 12:52PM
I think I almost made it to the 25 second mark.
snowleopard233 Sep 21st 2009 1:09PM
I actually watched this with the volume off and it was pretty badass lol. Now, I’ll just be sure to keep it off for the rest of the series.
Qot Sep 21st 2009 1:57PM
This review was probably the kindest review in the history of reviews. "Still growing into performing their roles naturally and smoothly"? No, Agerath is right: hilariously bad. Half of it seemed like amateur voice actors (it's a tough gig), but half of the voices sounded like they were talking from the bottom of a tin can. Mics are important, don't skimp.
But beneath that layer of "this could be an MST3K episode", you've got pretty choppy writing. The Robot Devil said it best: "You can't just have your characters announce how they feel. That makes me feel angry."
The Alliance will never accomplish anything because they have to recap the history of the Alliance at the beginning of every conversation. The Forsaken have come up with a comically inept plan, featuring 5 lone characters taking on Stormwind after failing to take Undercity despite the element of surprise, two raid bosses, legions of demons and an unstoppable super-plague. The new plan? Pretty much the old plan. Oh, the reason they failed? He was taking a nap in his coffin *rimshot*
The framing was decent, but the fight scene itself was bad. "I'm slowly swinging my sword, oh, you parried me. Now we'll have 5 seconds of sparks between our two swords as they don't move." Seriously, the swords cross at 2:46 and sparks fly until 2:50, along with an annoying ringing noise. Sparks fly when things happen, not when things stand still.
Then, mercifully, the shocking twist ending, in which the person inside the Stockades that will help the Alliance is revealed to be... um... Dextren Ward? Bazil Thredd? Defias Prisoner #643? Leeroy Jenkins? I didn't exactly recognize him immediately, so I'm going to need some help here.
Quite honestly, the only thing that went as expected was during the cut to the Stockades when the horse whinnied and knocked the guy over. That was cute. The rest? If it improves, it could end up being forgettable. As of right now it mostly exists as a cautionary tale for future machinima creators.
Biskit333 Sep 21st 2009 4:57PM
I thought the sword fight showed some potential. In most machinimas they use the standard ingame fights, so the people slash and stab each other repeatedly with little reaction. The fight in the video attempted to make an actual sword duel animation, but as you pointed out it was hindered by the slow pace and long pauses. That was really the only part of the video that showed any imagination with the animations, as most of the talking scenes made heavy use of the "talk" animation looped ten times.
Agony Sep 21st 2009 12:41PM
I'm just curious. Where does someone send in suggestions for WoW Moviewatch?
I ask because apparently, the "machinima AT wow DOT com" email address never gets checked.
I say this because I know for a fact that a couple of friends of mine have sent in suggestions of videos that were at least TEN TIMES better than this...
...yet you feature.......this.
I'm therefore beginning to wonder if maybe we all shouldn't just start posting links to videos that we've found that are WORTH checking out INSTEAD of comments to THESE videos. I mean, hell, YOU even say that it fairly sucked in your write-up!
Tokkar Sep 21st 2009 12:48PM
^ This!
Kellerune Sep 21st 2009 12:54PM
Terrible.
Voice.
Acting.
Before you try to commit your voice to anything, you should try to imagine yourself in the role. Your bringing the character to life, those aren't just lines your reading, those are the role's thoughts and words. I watched the whole thing, and the story isn't bad. My suggestion is to mute the sound, and watch it like a silent film. You can make the voices so much better in your head.
regisfrost Sep 21st 2009 1:03PM
It might have been good. Never made it past the 35 second mark so I can't tell.
Voice acting. I mean, come on!
regisfrost Sep 21st 2009 1:21PM
And to point out something that have started to annoy me in WoW machinima. I understand how awesome WoWModelViewer is in that you can chose race, gear, animations and everything, so that you can do an entire movie on your own... but at least TRY follow this thumb-rule:
If you can do something in-game, do it in-game.
If you can't do something in-game, do it in WMV.
Some people are talented and can make WMV look good, but most people can't. Making characters in WMV look natural is not easy. Characters will seem to move slower, or when they "walk away from the camera" or walking across a screen it quite clearly show that you are just making the character smaller while having them do the walk animation. It will look bad. And once the "natural" feeling is out the window I just can't enjoy watching it.
Instead ask yourself if it's too much problem to get a character, gear them up, and have them do the animations in game. If you are employing voice actors then you are not alone in making it.
How hard can it be to have a human visit the barber shop to get Shaw's hair and beard, and then dress him up in *crafted* Silver-thread armor set?
You know, the way people did it before WMV.
Just check The Grind and see what I mean.
Keyra Sep 21st 2009 1:31PM
1) Quit breathing into the microphone!!!
2) Use emotion and inflection, don't read the script to yourself.
3) Slow down if you can't enunciate, or enunciate if you can't slow down.
4) Don't OVER-enunciate.
5) Use different camera angles instead of the same emotions looped over and over.
The only redeeming grace was the lighting.
I agree with the previous posters - this movie was horrible. I also agree with Agony - we should probably just start posting links to movies that are worth watching, because it's apparent now that Michael doesn't seem to care about what we, the viewers of his column, would actually care to see - especially when he even posts in his write-up that the movie was bad. I mean, what the fu** is that about?
Keyra Sep 21st 2009 2:02PM
Ah, hell. I know it's a terrible breach in proper protocol, but situations like this seem to warrant it.
Remember THIS movie?
http://www.wow.com/2009/02/13/wow-moviewatch-what-have-you-done/
Michael said in the write-up that he looked forward to seeing more from this guy. Well, he did make another video, and it rocks! (I found out it was the same guy from his profile on WeGame linking to his site on Ning.com)
It's not heavy metal, hard rock, pop or Belf rap either.
I submitted it to Moviewatch...
Twice...
A friend submitted it to Moviewatch...
Twice...
...But Michael would apparently rather have you watch things he's featured before, everything ever made from Myndflame, and things like THIS video that even HE said was bad.
So, without further ado, here's a video for you to watch:
http://www.wegame.com/watch/Quest_Impossible/
jimbob Sep 21st 2009 2:45PM
Sweet, THIS is what Moviewatch should be showing!
regisfrost Sep 21st 2009 3:22PM
"All we did was attack the crossroads" killed me :P
Awesome movie.
Lemons Sep 21st 2009 7:36PM
Hmm...some1 really likes Quest: Impossible.
Agony Sep 21st 2009 8:07PM
Well, to be honest, compared to what we've been spoon-fed lately in this column, can you blame her?
Storm Eagle [Resident Capcom Megafan] Sep 21st 2009 2:04PM
It Stinks!
copperbotmedia Sep 21st 2009 4:34PM
I've truly enjoyed the fact that wow.com does regular machinima features but this one is horrible! No disrespect to the creator. I dabble in machinima myself so I know how much work goes into making one of these but man... to ruin an otherwise great piece of work with such emotionless voice acting is truly disappointing.