Posts with tag wow-movie-guide

WoW Moviewatch: The History of WoW

by Michael Gray Jun 18th 2013 at 6:00PM

I'm not sure I've ever encountered a comparison of The History of WoW to an on-stage production about cooking meatloaf. So, in terms of that, this video is a new one on me. As soon as you enter that kind of metaphor territory, though, you risk bordering on coming across as bitter and resentful. I think Nervous Orca mostly avoids that issue but I did wonder how long it'd be before the rage came blistering through.

The video is full of decent jokes and good moments. But the jokes do drag on a tiny bit too long, especially with the relatively rough animation. Still, that constructive criticism shouldn't hold Orca back because this is a pretty good video. It could have used a strong final punchline, but the whole thing moved in a good direction.

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 email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Attack on Horde

by Anne Stickney Jun 17th 2013 at 7:00PM

Just uploaded earlier today, Attack on Horde is a different kind of WoW machinima -- it's a parody of the opening for the show Attack on Titan, using WoW models in place of the actual characters. It's kind of like the really cool intros guild Fifth Element does for their kill videos, only there's no kill involved -- just sweet, sweet butt-kicking of Horde. The video stands alone by itself as a pretty good machinima, I really like the use of the music and the combination of both models and brief flashes of panels from the WoW comic series.

But the cool part is checking out how well it lines up to the original. Youtube user Bain Williams not only put the video above up for viewing, he also posted a side-by-side comparison to the original intro for the anime, so you can see for yourself how well it matched up! I don't know about the rest of you, but I like this trend of intros-turned-machinima. Nice work, Bain!

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WoW Moviewatch: Resurrection

by Michael Gray Jun 15th 2013 at 7:00PM

Resurrection is an old movie. It was one of the early generation of very long, story-driven machinima. Created in part for a contest, this version of Resurrection ran a mere 10 minutes. But if you liked it, then Bear on a Trampoline (the creator) suggested you check out the full half-hour version. 30 minutes is a long time for a machinima, but it was generally worth your time.

Resurrection was recommended for a re-feature by ArcVekter, who recalls it as one of the first machinima that inspired his love of the game. So whether you're seeing it for the first time, or checking it out again 6 years later, kick back and enjoy the upcoming Resurrection.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: A message from the War Chief

by Michael Gray Jun 14th 2013 at 6:00PM

A message from the War Chief (sic) is the newest video from Ryan Cant. In it, Garrosh desperately tries to convinced the harried, oppressed members of the Horde that everything's fine. Nobody's beating a rebellious path to Orgrimmar, bent on the complete dispossession of the standing despot. Nope, it's just a little thing off in a distant land, nothing to worry about here.

I enjoyed the video, and I think it's a good idea. The only thing that distracted me was Garrosh's voice. When you use a comedic voice, you generally do it to make the character somewhat a buffoon. I had the sense that the video might have been a little better played straight, with the idea that Garrosh was actually trying to convince us that everything's fine.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Nobody's Quest, Episode 3

by Michael Gray Jun 13th 2013 at 6:00PM

One of the defining aspects of the death knight class is their inimitable voice. That hollow, Darth-esque echo lends a creepy underpinning to the characters. Episode 3 of Nobody's Quest opens up with that subject and then plunges back into the story.

I'm digging how NinthBatter is stepping into character development. Exposition and exploration can be important parts of a character's life. But rather than get trapped in the sticky mess of exposition, Ninth immediately launches into a plot twist and story progression. All in all, I like where this series is going and I keep looking forward to each installment.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: What My WoW Characters Are Thinking

by Michael Gray Jun 12th 2013 at 6:00PM

Wowcrendor is the machinimator that made you realize the game is still fun, even if you find some things frustrating. Wowcrendor is the machinimator who virtually invented a genre; we call it Wowcrendorism. What My WoW Characters Are Thinking is the video Wowcrendor most recently released about WoW.

Whether he's poking fun at warlocks or pointing out our own game-addled amusements, you can always rely on Wowcrendor's mostly harmless humor to highlight those unique cultural moments. Like that character that was going to be your main... or the one you were going to play with your friends but then you wandered off. It's like he can read my mind. I've had every one of these.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Squirrel in My Pants

by Michael Gray Jun 11th 2013 at 5:00PM

The title of this new video by Off the Air is actually Squirrel Challenge, but I've already come to think of it as Squirrel in My Pants. The song is from Phineas and Ferb, and apparently involved woodland creatures running rampant through trousers. I guess that's a thing that happens.

As the story goes, a commenter challenged the guild to create a music video to the song. Off the Air knocked this out of the park. The video is huge fun, complete with a dancing troupe of orcs carrying the chorus. Whether or not the challenge was actually intended to be difficult, Off the Air used it to create one of their best videos yet. So kick back, have some fun, and lament the pants-borne squirrels that are plaguing Azeroth.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Frame of Mind

by Michael Gray Jun 10th 2013 at 6:00PM

Frame of Mind by Slashdance has been lurking around the internet since 2007. For all that the video has some years under its belt, it's still as entertaining and charming as the day it was released. With a chill but emotional soundtrack, tone-perfect graphics, and subtle storyline, Frame of Mind looks like an illustrated guide to making a good WoW music video.

If you're an aspiring machinimator, take the time to check out the video on its YouTube page. Slashdance took the time to liberally annotate the video with behind the scenes notes. Some of the trivia is just neat to know. Others sheds light into how master machinimators like Slashdance create the work that they do. It's an awesome read. Thanks to Joerendous for the tip!

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: WoW Then and Now

by Michael Gray Jun 9th 2013 at 6:00PM

Slightly Impressive tackles the long, slow evolution of WoW with a brief reminder of what the game used to be like. Remember the long haul from Deadmines every time you needed a new PUG? The pain of learning your way around a new zone? The heartfelt despair trying to find a new group?

WoW Then and Now is more than just a pleasant romp down memory lane. It rips the rose-colored glasses off for a stark reminder that not everything used to be so easy. I think the game's grown for the better; your mileage may vary. Ultimately, though, this is some great work from Slightly Impressive.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Lock Candy

by Michael Gray Jun 8th 2013 at 6:00PM

I can't believe how long it took for this song to turn into a WoW machinima. It seems so obvious now! So, my hat's off to Letomi and Khayllys for finally answering this unspoken need: create a warlock version of I Want Candy.

Lock Candy is well-performed, solidly written, and excellently animated. The video is long enough to be fulfilling without running so long that you get bored of the schtick. Letomi's vocals are tone perfect to the playful spirit, and Khayllys shows off some snazzy graphic skills. All in all, Lock Candy is one of the best music videos I've seen in a while.

WoW Moviewatch: A Day on the Farm

by Michael Gray Jun 7th 2013 at 6:00PM

A Day on the Farm by Tony McSherry is a mixed bag. Technically, a lot about the video is fantastic. The dialogue, story frame, and use of graphics are all fairly solid. The audio is crisp and clear; you'll have no trouble following what the narrator is saying. The video is sharp and you can make out the action clearly.

The down side is that it's slow. The video takes a little over a minute before any audio is introduced and all the pacing moves at a glacial pace. I like the farm diary feel but it really needs a sharper sense of humor or a stronger point to pay off the time you listen.

All in all, I think Tony could go somewhere and make further videos, but the plot and pace could use some work. Remember that a machinima audience can get bored within 10 seconds. It's hard to watch a long, slower video for nearly 7 minutes, even if the technicals are good.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: What are Warlock's Demons Thinking?

by Michael Gray Jun 6th 2013 at 6:00PM

Many threads of influence lead to the style of Misty the Troll's video. Obviously, we start with Wowcrendor, who's the grandfather of dialogue-driven WoW comedy like this. I feel like Wowcrendor's style influenced SlightlyImpressive, though obviously Griff has grown into his own ensemble-featuring thing. And now we end up with Misty the Troll's.

The video feels like a Wowcrendor-style video, which isn't really a bad thing. The comedy's basically effective and the in-game graphics get the job done. But I'd encourage Misty to keep going and grow his own voice, which is where you'll really find success. For now, though, What are Warlock's Demons Thinking? is a fun video with which to kill a few minutes.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Nobody's Quest Episode 2

by Michael Gray Jun 5th 2013 at 6:00PM

NinthBatter has released the second episode in the Nobody's Quest series. While the plot doesn't leap forward in this video, NinthBatter takes the time grow the characters and expand on his universe. It's an important part of the overall journey, I think, so we can hope it's time well spent.

Ninth has said that this series is growing his respect for the machinimators who perform complex animation. Fight scenes, especially, are a pain in the neck to get right. While that may be true, Nobody's Quest sees a lot of benefit from the exemplary voice acting. You can't undervalue how important skillful and convincing voices are to a machinima.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Darrowshire

by Michael Gray Jun 4th 2013 at 7:00PM

Welcome to another edition of WoW Moviewatch Staff Picks. Today, Anne Stickney has chosen Darrowshire by Cranius, for some very poignant reasons. This is what Anne had to say:

Still one of my favorite pieces of machinima ever. Partially because I really loved the original iteration of the Pamela storyline in Eastern Plaguelands (the Cataclysm version is okay, but holds nowhere near the same emotion and depth as the original), mostly because the song he wrote for the piece is such a lovely, haunting tune. It's a perfect accompaniment to one of the creepiest, saddest, yet oddly touching quest chains in WoW. The video may be a bit outdated by today's standards of machinima creation, but honestly, this piece, to me, is the one where Cranius pretty much proved hands down that anything he puts his voice to immediately turns to gold.

I think Anne did an excellent job describing the video, though I think I disagree about it being outdated. All of the game's graphics show their age, even the ones run through advanced filters. I think, ultimately, a machinima is about the story and content, not the graphics. Darrowshire is stronger for the in-game graphics.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Code Monkey

by Michael Gray Jun 2nd 2013 at 4:00PM

On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, we'll continue our Staff Picks series by sharing Robin Torres's favorite machinima. It's not functional or elegant but maybe manager wants to write machinima himself. Here's what Robin said about Code Monkey:

Code Monkey was first machinima I ever watched. It was also my first introduction to Jonathon Coulton's music. It's a fun song set to a fun video and still one of my favorites.

Experienced machnima viewers know that Spiffworld provides all the JoCo love you could ever want in machinima form. Plenty of WoW fans learned about the performer through Spiff's ambassadorial work.

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