Second Life Spielbergs – Machinima Movie Masterworks

I am an award-winning filmmaker – in my head. I dream of complex and heart wrenching plot lines that make “Doctor Zhivago” look like Dr. Suess. The sweeping cinemagraphic scenes in my head make “Moby Dick” look like that 8mm film granddaddy always showed of his deep sea fishing trip with Uncle Ray. Only minor details kept me from an inevitable Oscar – cameras, lighting, sets, and, oh yeah, actors. As an undergraduate, I made a couple of films (be sure to check out my public health thriller “Scoliosis: Scourge of our Youth” on NetFlix). It was frustrating. The technology and logistics kept getting in the way of a good story. So I gave it up.

But lately I have been watching a technique that could rescue my filmmaking career. OK, that is far-fetched. But I do think this approach could give us an inexpensive and easier way to help students learn about creating visual stories. It is machinima.

Technically, machinima is “machine cinema” but that only scratches the surface. Machinima really got started with videogames. First person shooter videogames built in the capability to digitally record on-screen play. Mainly users created “frag videos” of them killing a competitor. Soon, creative players began to use this capability to create narrative sequences that they later dubbed dialog onto. The first machinima I saw was “Red vs. Blue” (http://tinyurl.com/2xoplm – watch out for bad language). It created characters from Halo warriors to make short hilarious videos. RvB was an interesting idea, but it didn’t cry out to my inner auteur. Things changed when I was introduced to Molotov Alvo.

I met Douglas Gayeton in Chicago at the Second Life Community Conference in August. He was showing off his new machinima creation “My SecondLife: The Diaries of Molotov Alva” (http://www.molotovalva.com/). He produced the entire series in Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com), the largest virtual world. He created the characters, sets, props and much of the sound using free tools available in Second Life. He moved his avatar around on the screen through the sets and interacting with the props while doing a screen motion capture (it is just a button click in the Second Life browser) to create his raw footage. Then he edited the footage together and overlaid a sound track. The result is a mesmerizing video piece. And Gayeton never moved from the keyboard to create it. You have to see it. If the approach sounds a little too amateurish, here is the market validation. HBO has just purchased seven episodes (all 35 minutes worth) of Molotov Alva to air on its TV network.

Why is this important? If you watch Molotov Alva, you quickly realize that it isn’t the technique that reels you in – it is the story. That is what we have always told students. Don’t focus on the camera, focus on the story. That is why I think machinima holds tremendous promise as a teaching tool. Imagine what a production class would be like if we stopped messing with the cameras and engaged students immediately in exploring the visuals. Instead of storyboards, students could quickly create animated versions of their proposed videos. We could create sets and props that students can drag and drop – the Eiffel Tower becomes New York with a click. And if the lighting isn’t right, don’t adjust a light – move the sun!

We are so into this approach that we will be creating a machinima studio on the fourth floor of UGA’s Journalism building. OK, that sounds like a pretty grandiose title for a room with a bunch of computers and a sound-proof booth. But watch for the cool things that will come out of it. And if you have an idea for how to use machinima, let me know. I can have my people talk to your people. We’ll do lunch.