What is #machinima?! Good question these days, and this week we review a new video essay on tackling just that question... which is always interesting for us pioneers and vets to reflect on in this podcast. In the vid we review, Collin Aull introduces a few thoughts we've not really considered before, plus some comments we've discussed many times o…

This week we take a look at another stunning Team Fortress 2 short called Assault on 2Fort by JP Stevens aka Lolripk, a recommendation made to us by Dominzki (whose own TF2 short we reviewed in E135). What a great choice this is: we loved this film, a classic RED vs BLU tale but with a layer of emotion that is as beautifully portrayed as it is unex…

A Star Citizen extravaganza: this week, we discuss a brilliant re-creation of Erik Wernquist's epic short, Wanderers, released by one of its creators Mr Hasgaha. Whilst this is a faithful scene-by-scene depiction of the original, its actually so much more than that too. We comment once again on the incredible qualities of the game, and how the fact…

This week's selection is a stunning cinematic imaginary by Unknown Dino, focussing on the next version of Half Life (soon to be released... er, well, possibly in the next 10 years or so?). There is a lot of craft in this film, called HL: Overworld and made in Blender, which has taken its inspiration both from the HL Reddit community and the HL2 Art…

Another packed episode of news items we found for machinima creators everywhere. We take a look at some games news including several that have released music albums recently and discuss why we think that is. We go through some of the latest AI matters, including Vimeo's new AI content guidelines. We found one of the best Unreal master classes we ev…

Crazy, it is certainly that - and more. If you enjoy slasher horror, we think you'll love this - and its definitely not for U18s! The film is by Toaster and is a music video for Code Mistake, a deathcore metal spectacular by CORPSE and Bring Me the Horizon. We examine Toaster's GTA5 machinima, reflect on its anime qualities, and conclude its signif…

The Choking Hazard Podcast - Episode 90 - Short & Sweet Summer Stories More Podcast Content: https://broughy.com/podcast See all podcast episodes as videos in this playlist Contributors [Host] Broughy1322: https://broughy.com [Co-Host] Sugar Free Nos: https://twitch.tv/sugar_free_nos [Co-Host] RDT33: https://twitch.tv/rdt33 [Co-Host] Joshimuz: http…

This week, we discussion two films: @neisannnn 'What a Wonderful World', a love letter to Star Citizen, where we focus on its surreal nature, use of backwards music, and ability to capture the game's vast universe. Our second film is 'Plumbob Princess' by @lReMi07l - one of the all time best machinimas we've seen in Sims 4. We discuss the visual qu…

This week's film is a machinima that deals with pollution in the most overt way it can. Andy Hughes' Inner Migration juxtaposes Cyberpunk 2077 against some 'found footage' taken from early 40s/60s films and General Motors corporate 'forecast' of the future of technology. We discuss how machinima is an interesting way to explore social commentary an…

This month's news omnibus covers our usual breadth of topics - from Reallusion's Character Creator contest; to a 'how to create in SL', available only in SL; to Project Odyssey's contest for genAIers; to the winners of the second AIFF; to some fabulous projects such as @EpicSpaceman latest film, an Elden Ring band, Jennifer McKnew's Sydney and Sock…

This week's film review is of [GTA5] 賽銭箱に身を投げる ロスサントス市警察, made by @mzanku - its absurdist humor but also deeply disturbing, which hits us all in different ways around half way through watching the film. Following our discussions, we conclude the creator probably didn't intend for the work to be culturally appropriated as an interpretation of US pol…

In this episode, we analyse our picks' cinematics, beginning with 'Day of Darkness' made in Eve Online by Dire Lauthris and completing with 'The Wanderer' made in the Source engine by Dominzki. We discuss the use of ambiguity, character development, and narrative qualities, as well as the advancement of video game cinematics and in-engine technique…

Haven't done any solo episodes in a while but figured I could post this interview here anyway. Hope you enjoy the conversation, I had a great time chatting AI with them!द्वारा John Coogan

This week, we discuss the art of machinima filmmaking, emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship, freshness, and humor in exceptional storytelling, as evidenced in 'Lonely Episode Two: The Package Thief' by TheBizTheBiz. We analyze the efficiency and density used in delivering witty lines and twists in what is essentially a modern retelling of th…

Welcome to our latest bonus episode. We had the pleasure of catching up with Phil Rice aka zsOverman to talk exclusively about his latest machinima, called Being Moses. If there's such as thing as a parody of a Let's Play, this film is it! Check out Phil's comments and watch the film - links on our show notes web post. Credits - Speakers: Phil Rice…

This week we celebrate Nvidia's investment in machinima, discuss latest AIs and give you the heads up on some great projects we want to highlight - there are just too many for us to fully review everything we're seeing that we want to share with you these days! Do check them out, we'd love to hear your thoughts too - links and notes on our website.…

A compelling and powerful story of one man's quest to remain sane on an isolated planet. This is a very effective story by Lens Nation, given its only 60 seconds long - its probably not just this one creator's worst nightmare in a game, but several of us. Check out our review and don't forget to give us some feedback on your thoughts too. 1:01 Rick…

The Choking Hazard Podcast - Episode 89 - Settling Some Old Bets More Podcast Content: https://broughy.com/podcast See all podcast episodes as videos in this playlist Contributors [Host] Broughy1322: https://broughy.com [Co-Host] Sugar Free Nos: https://twitch.tv/sugar_free_nos [Co-Host] RDT33: https://twitch.tv/rdt33 [Co-Host] Joshimuz: https://tw…

This week, we review a pretender for a new Disney show called Forlorn, by @projectforlorn (aka Alex St Pierre). Well, it may well be at some point in the near future! Starting life as a tech demo, this short has an interesting back story and has evolved into something even more interesting. Check out our review and add your own thoughts! Credits - …

This week, we discuss two stunning music videos: Children of Pain by @VincereSylph with video created by @TomJantol and @tanyasubaBg ; and Firefly by @TheEsotericaChannel in Unreal Engine. Children of Pain is a perfect example of Tom's 'anymation' approach whilst Firefly demonstrates just how far Unreal Engine has come as a creative toolset in one …

Not for the first time do we discuss the gorgeous cinematic qualities of GTA5, and this week we share a beaut by @Salva.Padilla. This one has a distinct vibe to it, but it is its general ambiguity that we especially love about the machinima. We each see something a little different in it! What do you see in it? Credits - Speakers: Ricky Grove, Phil…

Our May update on machinima and virtual production related news highlights some of the latest generative AI tools, warts and all, and brings to attention several of the latest machinima potential games, including Jaws, Jurassic World Evolution, Rise of the Hydra and Harold Halibut. We discuss the challenges filmmakers face when developing games fro…

This week we celebrate Star Wars with a fabulous short portraying the infamous AT-AT death walkers as 'nature-creatures' in their natural habitat - this is a beautifully observed work, made in Unreal Engine by Jeremy Cummins. Cummins is an experienced character creator, now working for Tippett Studio, with an impressive list of credits including An…

This week, we cover three outstanding music videos, demonstrating different genres of music and different game engines - a re-imagined Simon and Garfunkel classic, a pop-tacular and a rap. We discuss the perfect match between the lyrics, the game and the images our three selected creators have demonstrated in these shorts. We suggest comparing and …

The Choking Hazard Podcast - Episode 88 - A Chaotic Story About World Records & KFC More Podcast Content: https://broughy.com/podcast See all podcast episodes as videos in this playlist Contributors [Host] Broughy1322: https://broughy.com [Co-Host] Sugar Free Nos: https://twitch.tv/sugar_free_nos [Co-Host] RDT33: https://twitch.tv/rdt33 [Co-Host] J…

This week, we discuss one of the most outstanding presentations of space science, by @EpicSpaceman , called I put 4M Suns in a Blackhole. Made in Blender, we discuss the creative workflow adopted, from zero to hero - and why the @BlenderOfficial Foundation should take note. We make a few suggestions for enhancing the work even more and discuss the …

A packed review this month, with some sad :( better :| and happy news :) 1:42 Demise of Rooster Teeth and yet RVB will outlive the corporate brand! We reminisce about the early days of machinima and the influence Rooster Teeth had on the emerging creator community 26:30 Drax Files: World Makers comes to a close 33:37 Awards! Sam Crane’s continuing …

The Dog Days is an unusual machinima that combines the glitchiness of AI generated content composited with a Second Life avatar. Whilst not realtime, the performative aspect of this work is evident and we reflect on the fit of the current state of generative AI with the Fluxus art movement. We discuss what The Dog Days means, metaphorically and lit…

In this ep, we discuss two machinima films dealing with thematically similar issues, albeit presented with different treatments: Vigilante is made in GTA5 and tells the shocking story of how the lead character became cyberpunk. The second is a futuristic yet somehow more traditional gender-based story made in UE5. It is presented as a proof of conc…

The Choking Hazard Podcast - Episode 87 - All About The Racing More Podcast Content: https://broughy.com/podcast See all podcast episodes as videos in this playlist Contributors [Host] Broughy1322: https://broughy.com [Co-Host] Sugar Free Nos: https://twitch.tv/sugar_free_nos [Co-Host] RDT33: https://twitch.tv/rdt33 [Co-Host] Joshimuz: https://twit…

This week, we take a look at a spectacular particle show in a machinima that has been documented and edited by Tutsy NaVaRaThNA in Second Life. The show is called Flowers of Evil and was created by Lalie Sorbet and Chrix as an interactive installation inspired by the most scandalous literary works of Charles Baudelaire, with the support of a Second…

This week’s podcast episode is our curated news omnibus for this month. We cover lots, and enjoy reflecting on the significance of the stories we highlight for the world of machinima and virtual production. Links and show notes on our website, as usual – skip to our highlights about each item with our timestamps here – 1:23 Learn UE5 in less than 6…

In all our years of involvement with machinima (and that's over 75 years between us), feature length has been something we've rarely found watchable... but with this week's pick, we were proven wrong, mostly! Emesis Blue, made in Source Filmmaker using the Team Fortress 2 characterisations by Fortress Films, is an incredibly well-made if very compl…

100 Ways to Die in Starfield is wonderful stuff - whether you are 15 or 50! For all those who have distant memories of seeing classic slapstick comedy featuring Charlie #chaplin in B&W, well now you can see a contemporary interpretation in the incredible #starfield universe - and enjoy it with the grandkids! @mans1ay3r has a rich stream of work to …

This week we compare and contrast, in a way extending that ongoing debate about whose IP is the daddy... but the ep is about much more than that too. We discuss @solofilmmaking4857 's use of #chatgpt to generate a film's story, using the plots of 60 of his portfolio works on Batman, mixing styles and genres along the way. We don't see it as wholly …

This week's review is of a self-contained excerpt from a larger film, called Escape Game by @CrisUberman . This part of the film is the final chapter of the story, Danser Encore, voiced by @lionelmazari1990 with a song by @hksaltimbank . We delve into the inspiration for the themes in the film, which draws on the philosophy of Empedocles and Rosset…

This week, we spend some time talking about new tools, emergent topics, AI and copyright (again), with some interesting links for you on our show notes - 2:45 New tools for machinima makers, including iClone 8 crowd sim, Kenneth MacLean’s MegaHumans WIP and Praydog’s VR mod 8:07 SAG AFTRA update on voice acting using AIs, Replica Studios 15:32 Mick…

Made with Sims 4 characters although animated in Blender to great effect, this is a short short at under one minute long by @tricoufamily . It is also all about the title, and interesting to reflect on how we have all seen similar things in the film but interpreted them differently. We conclude this is masterfully done, but check out how we get to …

The Choking Hazard Podcast - Episode 86 - Twitch Is Taking My Money! More Podcast Content: https://broughy.com/podcast See all Choking Hazard Podcast videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx_tHjuVuROApRc9ZsNQapnLftDXiTqBU Info & Credits Twitch Announcement New Prime Income Rates Crazy MX-5 Daytona Race Laguna Seca Funny Article Contributor…

This week we discuss two very different films, both reflecting a bygone era of classic entertainment. Firstly, an interpretation of the 1954 Japanese classic Godzilla, made in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Its unusual for a couple of reasons: its been made on a handheld Nintendo Switch in a game not really known for its creative application, and its…

We take a look at one of the best machinima series we've ever seen this week... from the annals of history. The Fixer series was a crime drama created by Todd Stallkamp (aka Burnt Coffee Productions aka TodNYC28) made in Sims 2 and originally released in 2006. Todd was part of the first brain drain from the world of machinima, and shortly after the…

Phil catches up with a long-time machinima creator Ben Tuttle, aka 4413 Media. Ben admits he cut his teeth on The Movies in the late 2000s, and then discusses Shockbreak, one of his latest productions. They get into the detail of how the film was created and generally Ben’s creative workflow using iClone, Character Creator, Unreal Engine and a heap…

This week, we discuss the critical turn we witnessed in 2023 towards machinima among creative industries professionals. We highlight why it is high time there is a major rethink on the role of indie creatives and fan fiction in general. We also review a beautiful cinematic made in GTA5, and also reflect on some of the challenges with a particular c…

I wanted to know the story of Grand Theft Auto, but I got so absorbed in the history of Strauss Zelnick that I had to do an episode about him. Fascinating career, tons of lessons. Hope you enjoy it!द्वारा John Coogan

Kicking off 2024 with machinima from a slightly different perspective: this week, Ricky introduces us to the #letsplay/#tutorial/#epicguideline/#showNtell genre in his favorite game of all time: Elden Ring. Its the first time we've heard just how much time he's spent in game and we won't draw attention to it just in case his partner is following us…

Backflip is a docu-style film, made over a period of three years where Nikita Diakur presents his progress using AI to teach a character to backflip. The character is the 3D scanned artist and the learning process applied is based on a technique he read in an academic paper. To say its chaos is an understatatement, and something anyone in research …

This week, we review a trailer for a movie, although the full movie is now also available: Cyberpunk 2077, by Jack Hunt. In many ways this is an astonishing and timely feat, not least because the ultimate edition of the game released earlier this month too (5 December). We start by discussing The Witcher's update, a piece of news that is highly rel…

This week's film picks are of epic battle scenes: one made in Warhammer and the other Unreal Engine. There are similarities and contrasts between these two works, respectively created by a gamer, Game Thumb, and a CG production team, Glow Productions - and that also includes the opinions of the CM crew reviewing the works! What's your view, please …

The Choking Hazard Podcast - Episode 85 - Our GTA 6 Trailer Thoughts More Podcast Content: https://broughy.com/podcast See all Choking Hazard Podcast videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx_tHjuVuROApRc9ZsNQapnLftDXiTqBU Contributors [Host] Broughy1322: https://broughy.com [Co-Host] Sugar Free Nos: https://twitch.tv/sugar_free_nos [Co-Hos…

We start this week's episode with a discussion about Reallusion's new facial mocap system, Accuface (which Phil and Damien have already invested in), move on to a brief contest update (being run by Pink Floyd no less), and then follow this up with our film review. If you liked the Saw series of films, then this is for you - its a particularly sadis…