- Got an idea -

I have come up with an idea that I would like to try out, unfortunately I do not have access to the proper blue screening facilities to try it out as they will have to be bigger than the ones currently available to myself in the university studios. If anyone has a good idea about this little delema please post a comment, it will be a big help and I will give you credit if I get to make one.

During this past weekend I have had alot of work to do relating to our project called 'Narratives' We are creating a story using scenes made with a program called 'Hammer world editor'... using props and textures for the game 'Half life 2'. We are then sticking in photos and additional props that have been created in 'Alias Maya' and finally editied in 'Adobe Photoshop' - You can see a example of what I am talking about below this post.

What I want to try out is using real life acted characters put onto game backgrounds!
I would like to thank Paul for showing me a excellent machinima site that gave me a good insight of what a real life acted movie would have to have to be to put together properly. It can be found here
Oh yeah, I created a musuem on Friday, these are the kind of scenes I am thinking of using (this one is from the Narrative we are working on now)


Anyways I think it's a good idea...

Sort of like Machinima

well our Narrative project is coming along smoothly, we have had a few hitches here and there but all seems to going to schedule.
We are using Photos pasted on backgrounds made in a game 'map builder' called Hammer, we are using the Half life 2 textures and props (like trees for example) to bring the stages to life.
Heres a quick sneak peek of what to expect.



What a fantastic program, it not only lets you control the lighting, shadows and sky but even adds reflections to water and textures like metal and glass. We are further modifying these pictures by inserting photos using Adobe Photoshop and adding any other reflections or shadows that might be required.
I have high hopes for this project, now all we have to do is put it together in a linear story... add some music/sound effects and hey presto - we have a winner.

Reply to YouTube clip.


We recently had to respond to a YouTube video with a video of our own, I think the reasons where more for the technical knowledge ganied than the actual movie itself. One of my Collueges and myself decided to do a joint project. I did the camera work and loaded the footage onto the computer, he did the acting and full editing including transistions. This went quite efficiently with only a few minor,initial setbacks which where quickly resolved.


The 30 second clip can be found here
as well as my collueges blog which is here

YouTube Comment

Well... we had to make a YouTube account and comment on one of the vidoes we found interesting. I decided to comment on an episode of South Park, titled ' Make love not warcraft' found at the following location.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za5k8ZPc490

This is what I said

Hahaha Excellent, Gotta love the creators of South Park to keep it original by actually teaming up with Blizzard to create this masterpiece. 10/10 - Thumbs up :)

Indeed, the creators of South park teamed up with the Blizzard team that actually made the game and created a episode that has won 20 honours on YouTube so far. Its an excellent example of what people can do when a group of people with different specialities team together to create something.

10/10 Thumbs up :)

Fantastic Narratives

Dragon Nuts
uploaded to Dailymotion.com by slantdtv

Well here is a series I just found a few weeks back, Love at first fright!

I would like to use this as an example of some of the ultimate narrative ideas to be created using such an easy and reusable technique.
For a start all the props can be found at your local toystore or those dusty boxes that you have packed away from your childhood - oh yes and some plastercine.

I was really surprised at the quality of the stories that one could get accross from such simple props, it's a definate inspiration to us all.
The thing that worked really well about these stores was the way they played on the fact that the character where from our childhood, Transformers and even the Thundercats. They take this odd combination of characters and completely change thier personalities (a little bit like what they did with the 'Scary movie' films) , reducing our once most treasured heroes to Zero's in some cases. I however found that it breathed new life into all the character - like if they grew up and changed whilst we have been away these past years, some even working dead end jobs just to support thier drug habit after thier stardome died.
The other thing I really liked where how small and well planned the short clips where that made up a series, none really followed the other in a logical fashion but still managed to work anyways.
The voices and lines are well thought out and hilarious.

I have no negative critisism at all for this series... so what, the characters look crap (no fancy, high end animation to be found here), the storylines are random but so what.

It just works so damn well.

I chose this specific one because of the parody about 'The never ending story'