1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology? With 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot com. Hello there, everybody, 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: welcome to tech Stuff. My name is Chris Poette and 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: I'm an editor here at how stuff works dot com. 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: And sitting next to me, as usual, is senior writer 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland. Hey there, Crispy, and hey there to all 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,919 Speaker 1: of you at home. Very nice, thank you. What if 9 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,319 Speaker 1: they're not at home? Hey there, to all of you 10 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: not at home. I don't want to leave anyone out, 11 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: all of you, all of you at work who should 12 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: be working. But instead of listening to us, thank you 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: very much, why don't we get started? Okay, So to 14 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: start this off, I thought we would go to our 15 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: tried and trusted method of reading a little a listener mail. 16 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 1: And this a listener mail comes from Mori. Mori says, Hey, guys, lately, 17 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: I've become obsessed with the Machinima web series Red Versus 18 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: Blue and was wondering where Machinima started and how it's made. 19 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure many others have suggested this to you, but 20 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: I think it would make a great topic for you 21 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: guys to talk about your dedicated listener morey Well, Mari, 22 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: actually you're the first person to bring this one up. Yep. Ever, no, 23 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: I mean for us, But I actually wrote how machinima works. 24 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: And I too, am a fan of Red Versus Blue. 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: And I'm just going to let you talk because up 26 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: until today when we were doing research for the podcast, 27 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: I hadn't even never even seen an episode of Red 28 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: Versus Blue. But you had at least seen some machinima, right, 29 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: like maybe a code Monkey video or something. Well, yeah, okay, 30 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: and I wasn't thinking of that. All right, Well, let's 31 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: let's define what maschinima is before we get started. Okay. So, 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: massinema is essentially using an existing computer generated world and 33 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: sometimes characters to create stories. Yes, machine animation, machinema, yep. 34 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,679 Speaker 1: But it's not like regular you know, computer animation. No, 35 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: because all the work for building that world and building 36 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: the graphics has been done for you. You are actually 37 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: using a pre existing product to create your stories. Yeah. 38 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: It's almost like, uh, you know, using one of those 39 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: kits that you might find in uh, you know, a 40 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: piece of movie making software. You know, you've already got 41 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: the pieces you already get the camera angles and the 42 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: and the characters and and those things, but rather than 43 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: using the toolbox that comes with that kind of software, 44 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: you're actually using games. And uh, it actually can take 45 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: a couple different forms, right, I mean it could be 46 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: basically your recording of the actions, uh, you know in 47 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: the games that permit it, um, you know, recording of 48 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: the the actions of the characters, and then basically making 49 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: up a story to go with that, or actually taking 50 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 1: uh those pieces and making your own from scratch, which 51 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: it seems would be a bit harder. It might be 52 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: a bit harder, but in my experience, those tend to 53 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: be the most enjoyable ones to watch, because it's not like, uh, 54 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: you're trying to force words to fit the action. You've 55 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: already created the action and now you're or you already 56 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: created the words, and now you're you're creating the action 57 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: around it. Um. It's a lot like a puppet show. 58 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: I mean, it really is most similar to puppetry because 59 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: you have players who are manipulating or actors if you prefer, 60 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: manipulating characters on the screen using controls, and the characters 61 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: are responding appropriately, and then by doing that you can 62 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: create scenes, and by stringing scenes together, you can actually 63 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: tell a story. Now the recording of video games, that's 64 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: not new. A lot of people have been doing that 65 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: for quite some time. There were people who would videotape, 66 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: say a speed run through a video game, like let's 67 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: say someone is really really good at super Mare Brothers 68 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: and wants to videotape ah, an attempt to complete the 69 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: game as fast as humanly possible and uh and would 70 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: you know, videotape that upload it to YouTube or some 71 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: other service, and that would be that. So that's one step. Yeah, 72 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: I mean there are tons and tons of walkthroughs for 73 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: all kinds of games, not not you know, not just 74 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: the kinds that you would make machinim out of. I 75 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: mean there are you know, this is how you play 76 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: Level six, you know, all kinds of stuff. There's actually, yeah, 77 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: even more now that you have things like achievements in 78 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: Xbox three sixty and you've got you've got entire websites. 79 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: And in fact, Rooster Teeth, the company that produces Red 80 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: Versus Blue, they have a separate product they call Achievement Hunter, 81 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: where they show how to achieve certain achievements in Xbox 82 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: three sixty games so you can go and watch a 83 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: video and that they explain it that way. So, yeah, 84 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: you have the these which are instructional. They're not telling 85 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: a story, and they're not using the game in any 86 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: way that it wasn't meant to be used before. And 87 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 1: in fact, several games even include the ability to record 88 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: footage within the game itself, like Quake. That would be 89 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: the example that actually that's kind of what started machinima 90 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: off in the first place. So let you have the 91 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: game Quake that allowed you to to record short snippets 92 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: of gameplay, usually so you could brag it to people about, Hey, 93 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: look how many people I sniped in this game or whatever. Right, 94 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: But then you had a group of people who got 95 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: very clever and they said, hey, how about we use 96 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: Quake this. You know, we can record stuff. Let's record 97 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: um a little story. And they did, and that was 98 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: the beginning of what became machinima. People said, hey, you know, 99 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: that's an idea. We can actually create what looks to 100 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: be a computer generated animated film, but we don't have 101 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: to develop any of the environments or characters. We don't 102 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: have to create any of the animations. All we have 103 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: to do is write the story and acted out and 104 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: then we're done. The game will do everything else for us. 105 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: And uh, I mean it sounds easy when you put 106 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: it like that. There a lot of different barriers you 107 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: have to get through while you're creating it. I could 108 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: think of a major one. What's that Basically you can't 109 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: shoot anything as part of your movie that doesn't actually 110 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: already exist in the game. Yeah, that's um without without 111 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: any post production. That is true. If you are going 112 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: to shoot your story using a game, you are relying 113 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: upon the uh the environments and the objects and the 114 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: characters that the the game developers have provided to you. Now, 115 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: there are some games that have very big communities where 116 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: the communities actually are allowed to submit new items for 117 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: the game. The SIMS does that. Several other games do 118 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: that as well, where you can actually develop and build 119 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: an object and then imported into the game and even 120 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: offer it to other people. So there are ways around it. 121 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: Sorry I didn't go ahead. I was going to point 122 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: out that actually a lot of it uh e A 123 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: stuff like especially along the Maxis line, like the sims 124 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: UM you know, spore basically spores one giant uh community 125 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: as part of the game, you have to basically have 126 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: an Internet connection, and um, you can find other people's 127 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: creations as you play, as you run into other species. Basically, 128 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: the chances really great that you're going to run into 129 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: something that somebody else created as part of the you know, 130 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: the startup of the game when you're creating new creatures, 131 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: and uh, I remember back in some City days when 132 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: I used to play the game that, uh, you know, 133 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: later versions of the game would let users create new 134 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: buildings and you can import those into the game, which 135 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: was kind of cool. Um, So, I mean, it just 136 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: sort of seems like machinima is just sort of a 137 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: a logical next step where you would, you know, build 138 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: on the community. Yeah, and a lot of games do 139 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: support that, not all of them, of course, Just like 140 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: several games have the ability to to set a camera 141 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: anywhere in the game. Here's some other cool things about 142 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: machinima that you know, you can't do in the real world. Okay, 143 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: with a lot of games, you can break the laws 144 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: of physics, right, I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you can. 145 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: You can. You can have you can set a camera 146 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: on the ceiling and you don't have to worry about 147 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: securing it. There it just it'll stay there because you 148 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: told it that's where it belongs. With a camera on 149 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: the ceiling. Oh oh that hurts, I'm having a video flashback. 150 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: Or you can put it in a corner. Nobody puts 151 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: baby in the corner, but you could put a camera there. Um, 152 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: so you can. But the new thing is you can 153 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: put the camera anywhere. You can put it in the 154 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: middle of the sky and it's gonna be fine because 155 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: you know, if you tell it that's where it needs 156 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: to be, that's where it's gonna be. No, no, not 157 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: every game supports this, I should add some games do, 158 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: some games don't. But for a game that does, it 159 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: gives you unlimited options of where you set your camera. 160 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: You can do as many different angles as you like, 161 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: and you can get some really cool effects. Now, other 162 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: games you have to obey whatever the game's rules are. 163 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: You can't ness necessarily create a camera, and you may 164 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: actually have to have one player act as the camera, 165 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: capture that player's view and use that as the main view. Now, 166 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: that's how Red Versus Blue works. One of the characters 167 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: that's in the game that you never see is the camera. 168 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: The camera's looking around and the point of view of 169 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: that character becomes your view into the world. Now. It 170 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: also means that when they want to do things like 171 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: crane shots or aerial shots, they have to come up 172 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: with really clever ways of doing it. For example, for 173 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: a crane shot, they would have the camera man jump 174 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: on the end of the tanks turret and they would 175 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: have someone sit in the tank and then slowly raise 176 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: the tourret to the right level, and there's your crane shot. 177 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: For the aerial shot, they would have someone jump on 178 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: a bansheet. They'd fly the banshee up into the air 179 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: and the cameraman would very carefully perch there and capture 180 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: the footage. And of course this could cause some problems 181 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: down the line if you if you just accidentally twitched 182 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: the controller just a little bit, you fall off and 183 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: then your shots ruined. Um. But the nice thing is 184 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: if your cameraman dies, he responds in thirty seconds, so 185 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,959 Speaker 1: unlike real life, where you know it takes longer than that. 186 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you can't respond at all. Uh So you 187 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: know there's no report of you know, six people died 188 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,839 Speaker 1: during the shooting of this, but hey, they're all back 189 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: alive now. No, it's more like the report from mashinimas 190 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: this one guy died six times while doing that, right 191 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 1: as opposed to six people die. You know, I got 192 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: a question for you, Um, so are they playing as 193 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:36,559 Speaker 1: as in the case of Red Worst Blue, where they're 194 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: actually playing the game. Are they playing online with you know, 195 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: where anybody could run into them, because that would mean 196 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: that it would be very difficult to control the action 197 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: that you're seeing in the film. Point But how but 198 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: they're playing together with multiple people. What what they're doing 199 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: is they've set up a land. They've yeah, they've hooked 200 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: up multiple Xbox machines, and so that puts a limit 201 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: on how many people you can have in a scene 202 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: right there. Um, if they do any network stuff, it 203 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: would have to be a completely closed party system, because 204 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: otherwise you would have all these people just randomly pop 205 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,559 Speaker 1: up and you would have all these different little messages 206 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: popping up on the screen. That would be that would 207 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:22,319 Speaker 1: ruin your shot. So life where you know, somebody stumbles 208 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: into the show like, oh my gosh, it's you guys, 209 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry. I think it'd be more like he'd 210 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,719 Speaker 1: stumble into the shot and then be like, Okay, I'm 211 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: gonna snipe Sarge, and then I'm gonna snipe Caboose, and 212 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: then I'm gonna snipe Church because boy, he deserves it. 213 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: And uh, these are all characters from Red Versus Blue, 214 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: and uh yeah, I think, um, my experience with people 215 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 1: online pretty much means that instead of being silly, they're 216 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: gonna first they're gonna kill you. Then they're gonna be 217 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,839 Speaker 1: silly so you get you get shot first, and then 218 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: they do whatever their little victory dance happens to be, 219 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: which usually is involves them crouching right over your face, 220 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: sadly and simply. I think they do that in real 221 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: life too, crouching over your face. I don't want to 222 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: know what you're doing this weekend, Chris. Let's just move on. 223 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: So again, Missinema is another way of telling stories. And 224 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: the important thing here to remember is that, I think 225 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: for for the most successful missinema folks out there, the 226 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: thing that comes first is the story. And uh that 227 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: means that you know, if you have a story and 228 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: it's worth telling, it doesn't really matter how you tell that, 229 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: it just matters that it gets told. And massinema is 230 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: just one tool that's available to you. And then the 231 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: cool thing about missinema is it's a tool that allows 232 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: you to go to places, to have sets, and to 233 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: have special effects that you could never do in practical terms, 234 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: you know, things that you know, the average movie maker, 235 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: amateur movie maker, i should say, has no hope of 236 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: achieving on his or her own without such a tool. 237 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: But with mishinima, you can go into other space. You 238 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: can you know, have all these cartoonish characters. You can 239 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: have these huge routes that you would never are actually 240 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: see in real life, all interacting in different ways. So 241 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: it really opens up a huge number of options for 242 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: you as a filmmaker. Well, Um, one of the things 243 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: that as I was reading your article, Um, one of 244 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: the things that I found really compelling was the legal 245 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 1: issues behind all of this, because you know, you are 246 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: using someone else's art, and uh, you know, it seems 247 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: like in one way it might be good for the 248 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 1: gaming companies because it's drawing a lot of attention to 249 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: the game. You might say, Hey, those characters look interesting. 250 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: I wonder what game they're from, and you know, it 251 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: looks like a lot of fun. I might check that out. 252 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: Versus the need to protect copyright and intellectual property and stuff. Yeah, 253 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: that's that's one thing to keep in mind if you 254 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: ever decide to take on a machinima project for yourself, 255 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: it's good to find out if the company has any 256 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: sort of the company that makes the game, if they 257 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: have any sort of policy on that kind of thing. 258 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: Some companies are totally cool about it, and like Bungee 259 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: that makes Halo or used to anyway before the whole 260 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: Microsoft thing. Um, Bungee was incredibly supportive of the roost 261 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: Rooster Teeth people when they were making Red Versus Blue, 262 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: and they could have gone the other way. They could 263 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: have said, hey, you know, that's our intellectual property that 264 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: you're messing with there, and yeah, your your jokes are 265 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: all funny and everything, but um, please stop because that's 266 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: our work. But they didn't. They said this is great, um, 267 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: have fun, and they even got behind it. They even 268 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: contracted the Rooster Teeth people to make official Halo videos 269 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: as promotional tools for things like when Halo two and 270 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: Halo three came out. So it pays to do your 271 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: research before you go and start making your project, because 272 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: the one thing you don't want to have happen is 273 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: to create something that people love and is genuinely getting 274 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: some success and then get penalized for it, right, And 275 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: that's that's just terrible when you poured your heart and 276 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: soul into a project and then you're told by a company, Hey, 277 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: you can't do that, and if you keep doing that, 278 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to sue you for X amount of dollars. Yeah, yeah, 279 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: I can't count how many times? Never mind, um so 280 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: at least three since Wednesday. So what would you recommend 281 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: for someone who wants to start doing this? They say, 282 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: you know, I'm I'm willingly give this a try, you know, 283 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: at least to see how complicated it is. I mean, 284 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: what do you need? Do you need basically just the 285 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: game console and and and a computer? Said that you 286 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: can dump the stuff into the computer and do some editing, 287 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: or I mean, does this need a really complex expensive rig. 288 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: It kind of depends on what games you're using, and 289 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: it depends on what your ultimate um goal is, and 290 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: also depends on how high your standards are. Frankly for 291 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: a production. Uh, if you're using a game that has 292 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: an in game capture system where you can create you know, cameras, 293 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: third person cameras and capture the the images there, you 294 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: may not need anything other than and the computer, a 295 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: few copies of the game so that everyone who's participating 296 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: can you know, essentially act on the scene, and probably 297 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: I would say, some video editing software so that you 298 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: can add audio tracks in later. In my experience, trying 299 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: to capture audio while doing these things doesn't work very well. 300 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: I wouldn't imagine so well for one and for one thing, 301 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: it's just hard to concentrate on, oh, this is my line, 302 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: and then I have to move over here, and I 303 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: have to waive the gun, and if you're doing all 304 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: of that all at the same time, it gets it 305 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: gets pretty complicated. If, however, you do what a lot 306 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: of what practically every animator does, which is you record 307 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: the vocal tracks first, and then you have those to 308 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: work off of while you're creating the scene, it makes 309 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: it a lot easier. So you need some software to 310 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: capture the vocal tracks. You'll need some microphones obviously um 311 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: so microphones and the software to capture the vocal tracks. 312 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: You'll need the copy of the game. If it does 313 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: not have in game video capture software included, you will 314 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: need to find a tool to allow you to do that, 315 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: something to record the video output from that, right, and 316 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 1: in all, if it's a console system, you're gonna probably 317 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 1: need something so that you can hook the console up 318 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 1: to your computer to capture that footage, because most console 319 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: games don't have the the record feature built in, at 320 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: least not until fairly recently. Um, since the achievement Hunter 321 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: stuff has really taken off, there have been some a 322 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 1: lot of games to include some sort of recording software 323 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: so that you can record particularly spectacular wipeouts or whatever, 324 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: and then upload dumps so that people can enjoy watching 325 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: your character catch fire as these flipping through the air 326 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: screaming um, which I find endlessly entertaining by the way. Um, 327 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: So yeah, there's a huge variety. I mean, it goes 328 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: from as simple as you can get with if you 329 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: wanted to record everything in game and you're happy with 330 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: that quality, there's that level, and then there's the whole 331 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: all right, I need video and audio editing soft where 332 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: I need microphones, I need maybe even creating a little 333 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: sound studio. The Red versus Blue guys, they started off 334 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 1: by setting aside a closet, coding it in foam, and 335 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: shutting the voice actors into the closet to record their 336 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,400 Speaker 1: lines and they're done that. Yeah, yeah, I have been there. 337 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: I am looking at one of those right now. Yeah. 338 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: In our podcast studio, we have a little corner set 339 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: aside for sound booth stuff. And the sound booth is 340 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: is really not much more than a glorified closet. It's 341 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: it's comfortable and safe in there, actual custom built it 342 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: is I have. I've actually stood in a you know, 343 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: an actual cultural class like the egg carton foam. Yeah. 344 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: Well that's how the Red versus Blue guys started. So, um, yeah, 345 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 1: you can start with a pretty small investment. But if 346 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: you want something that's gonna really be snazzy and and 347 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: have you know, nice titles and things like that, you're 348 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: gonna want some video software, video editing software, and some 349 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 1: audio editing software. Um. For those people who think I 350 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: have an anti Mac bias, I actually recommend Max for 351 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: this kind of work. I think that Max, I think 352 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 1: I think Max are great machines for editing media. Um. 353 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: I edit all my media for all of my personal projects. 354 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: I do all of that editing on a Mac. So 355 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,199 Speaker 1: you're admitting that your anti Mac bias is just a 356 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: faux anti Mac bias for now, but I'll bring it 357 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: up again later some other podcasts, you know it. Yeah, 358 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: they'll never die. Well, Um, the audio equipment and I've 359 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: always worked with UM. Now I don't own a whole 360 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: lot of it myself, um, but I do have access 361 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: to studios and just about everybody I know he uses 362 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: a Mac. But um, you can use PCs for it. 363 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: Certainly you're playing a complications out there for it. Yeah. Yeah, 364 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: just can get a little expensive, you know, getting all 365 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: the getting the soundboard and the mics and all that stuff. 366 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: Probably want to start small, and it seems like you 367 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:59,640 Speaker 1: wouldn't exactly be looking to put these in Hollywood anyway, probably. 368 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: I mean. The strange thing is is that for the 369 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,120 Speaker 1: really popular ones, some of them have been shown at 370 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: at film festivals or at at other big events. So 371 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: there have been some cases where stuff that was made 372 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: on an Xbox with some guys who just thought of 373 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: some funny jokes while they were playing some some video 374 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: games have been shown to a full, full theater audience, 375 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 1: which is pretty impressive when you think about But that's 376 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: the other nice thing about machinima is it's another way 377 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: for the average person to really break into a creative 378 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 1: industry that traditionally was really closed off. I mean, you 379 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: had to have phenomenal luck to get into the entertainment industry. Um. Yeah, 380 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 1: connections or luck or some combination thereof. But if you 381 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: have enough talent, patients and and some you know, good 382 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: old fashioned effort to put together a really good machinema project, 383 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: you can get a lot of attention and and even 384 00:20:55,760 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: make a living off of it. Yeah. And uh, I 385 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: mean especially considering the amount of money that you might 386 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: have to spend. Again. And the underneat thing is that 387 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: Mishinima has introduced me to a lot of stuff that 388 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: I never would have really found out about otherwise. What 389 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,159 Speaker 1: Jonathan Colton, Uh yeah, Well, so when I was writing 390 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:20,479 Speaker 1: how Massinima works, um, one of our fellow writers, Tracy Wilson, 391 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 1: wrote to me and said, Hey, have you seen this 392 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 1: music video. It's a Mishinima music video. And it was 393 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: a Mishinima music video to Jonathan Coulton's song Code Monkey, 394 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: and it used the world of Warcraft right, And so 395 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 1: I watched the music video. I was immediately enchanted by 396 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 1: to use a world of warcraft kind of term. I 397 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: was immediately enchanted by the the both the song and 398 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,679 Speaker 1: the video itself. The video was just really cute. It 399 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: was really well done and sweet, and so is the song. 400 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: And um, without it, I never would have found out 401 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: who Jonathan Coulton was. And now I'm a huge Jonathan 402 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: Culton fans. So um, that's, you know, another one of 403 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: those things where I'm like, well, I'm glad that I 404 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: found out about machinema. Of course, I had already watched 405 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: Red Versus Blue up up to that point. Um, so 406 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: I was somewhat familiar with mishinima already, but I had 407 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: never seen the music video. Yeah, I learned about Jonathan 408 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:18,159 Speaker 1: Colton through John Hodgman because I right, yes, and I 409 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 1: listened to the Hobo names and he played the song 410 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: and he played the song over and over again without 411 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: stopping for like, and that's how that was my introduction. 412 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 1: Two minutes after minutes after minutes, a very very long clip, 413 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: but but that was my first That video was my 414 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: first introduction to machina and I didn't even know I 415 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: was being introduced to it. And even even videos where 416 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: you might think, oh, this is video capture footage, this 417 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,959 Speaker 1: isn't mashinema, sometimes it turns out it actually is maschinema. 418 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: For example, the Leroy Jenkins video from World of Warcraft. 419 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: Do you know what I'm talking about? Okay, it's a 420 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: famous goofy video on YouTube. If you guys have never 421 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 1: seen it, go to YouTube and type in le Roy Jenkins. 422 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 1: And it shows this group of adventurers as they're about 423 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: to go into a very dangerous area and as the 424 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: leader is explaining what their tactics are, one guy's like, 425 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: let's do this, hero Jenkins, and he just runs into 426 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: the room without helping, you know, without stopping to listen 427 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: to the strategy, which results in everybody dying, and every 428 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 1: someone yells out something along the lines of like, Leroy, 429 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: you idiot, and you hear him say, well, at least 430 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: I got chicken, and that's the end of it. This, 431 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: this is goofy little thing. So of course the video 432 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: makes the rounds as Leroy Jenkins totally screws up this 433 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: raid that everyone had planned. And I'm probably using the 434 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: wrong terminology, please forgive me. I'm not a World of 435 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 1: Warcraft player, but anyway, he messed up the plan. It 436 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: turned out later that this was all just it was 437 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 1: all staged, so it actually was machinima you know, Um, 438 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: I had my notes on computer this time for I mean, 439 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: Jonathan knows that, but you all don't. And now that 440 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: I look it up, there are about four thousand six 441 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 1: nine videos with Leroy Jenkins. Yeah, that's one of the first, 442 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: very first couple. Look like they're the ones he's talking about. 443 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: Everything else apparently has been applied to, uh, Star Wars, 444 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: paper Mario, and all kinds of other things. I've got 445 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: a friend who has a band and they have a 446 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: song about Leroy Jenkins. And to investigate this tenpenny Travelers, 447 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: so you guys do a Google search on them. They're awesome. 448 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: We're going off on a tangent and unfen some of 449 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: our listeners. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah that's right. UM, let's 450 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: get back on task. So do we have anything else 451 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: you want to talk about as far as mashinima goes. 452 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: I mean, we talked about music videos, we talked about 453 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: making stories, we talked about how you do it? Yes, 454 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: I do, all right, go for it. Um. One of 455 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 1: the best games to use for this. I notice you 456 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: list some in your in your article, but you know, 457 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: it seems like the the shooter games Third person Shooter 458 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: seems to work well, third person or first person first 459 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: person shooters usually because you're using the point of view 460 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 1: of the shooter. Yeah, well, I guess, I guess I 461 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 1: keep thinking of Halo is a third person you're actual person? Well, 462 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,719 Speaker 1: I think I think it all depends on what you 463 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: want to do. Like the world of Warcraft, music video 464 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 1: stuff is awesome, it works really well for that. Um 465 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:16,959 Speaker 1: it's a little harder to tell a story now that 466 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: that stop people. I mean South Park did it, but uh, 467 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: I think the difficulty there is creating a story where 468 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: random people aren't walking into frame and screwing up what 469 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: you're trying to do. So I would say avoid online 470 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: games unless you are able to do a localized instance exactly. 471 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: If you could do a localized instance of an online game, 472 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: that's fine, But otherwise you're gonna have random people just 473 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: show up and like can I group And you're like, dude, 474 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,159 Speaker 1: we're totally like shooting a movie right now, can you 475 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: like not be here? Um? I get that all the 476 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 1: time in real life. Actually, dude, like, can we have 477 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: you across the street because we're like shooting something. Um, 478 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: So it would just happen to me online as well. 479 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: So localized rather than online. Uh. The shooters work really 480 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: well in the sense that it gives you a really 481 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: good cameraman. It's easy to control the camera angle, it's 482 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: easy to point at different stuff. You know, it's and 483 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 1: you have an active person there as a camera as 484 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: opposed to just a stationary camera and every all the 485 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: actions moving around it. So you can do things like 486 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: running towards someone as a zoom or you can uh 487 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: you know, turn to the left or right as a 488 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 1: pan um and you don't have to worry about stationary camera. Uh. 489 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: The flip side of that, of course, is you may 490 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: be limited by the physics of the world, like the 491 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 1: Red versus Blue guys work, but you can find ways 492 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: around that. Um. So really, I say, first of all, 493 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: pick a story that you like, then think about the 494 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: environment that it would most it would be the best in, 495 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: and then find a way to use that environment in 496 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: your storytelling. I think if you if you look at 497 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: the story first, that's what's really going to make a 498 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,439 Speaker 1: good product. I think instead of saying, hey, I really 499 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: like Halo, let's find let's make make a fun the 500 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: story for Halo, it works better if you say, hey, 501 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: I've got this funny story it would be even funnier 502 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: if we said it in a universe with futuristic soldiers. 503 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: Why don't we use Halo? I think that's the best 504 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: way to go about it. Okay, See, I had this 505 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: problem because I was I was trying to make a 506 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: machine Emmo with a solitaire game, and it really didn't 507 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,400 Speaker 1: go anywhere. No, it really wasn't working out. I tried 508 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: to make one using the game of Tron, and then 509 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: I found out they already did that, saying so yeah 510 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: that I think that was it for my question. All right, Well, 511 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: then that wraps up this discussion on machinima. But that 512 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: does lead me to our second instance of a listener mail. Excellent. 513 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: This listener mail comes from JT from Joplin, Missouri, and 514 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: JT says, Hello, I just found your podcast last week 515 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:55,919 Speaker 1: and really enjoy them. With my job, I do a 516 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: lot of driving all over the US. Your podcasts are 517 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: great to listen to while driving. This traveling also brings 518 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: up a question. I was listening to your podcast about 519 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: to J three G and fog Networks, and I received 520 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: a text. When I went to reply, I had no 521 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: signal on my BlackBerry Bold World phone from a T 522 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: and T, but I still had good signal on the 523 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: Sprint phone. My company issue to me, I see this 524 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 1: a lot both ways. Some areas the Sprint phone works, 525 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: and some areas a T and T phone works better. 526 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: And of course some areas both are good. I expect 527 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,120 Speaker 1: the Sprint phone to do to go in and out 528 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,640 Speaker 1: as is not a world phone. My question is, can 529 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: you really call it a world phone when it doesn't 530 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: even work all over the US? Thanks and keep up 531 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: the great work, j T. All right now, JT, Yes, 532 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: you can call it a world phone because the world 533 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: phone does not mean it's going to work everywhere. What 534 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: the world phone means is that it works on the 535 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: frequencies used in the United States as well as in 536 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: other parts of the world. Ye. Yeah, I mean otherwise, well, 537 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: I mean for marketing reasons. Uh, some places phone just 538 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: doesn't sound as cool, right, Yeah. The the issue we 539 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: have here is that it's not that the end Hanna. 540 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 1: You know, a world phone doesn't necessarily have a more 541 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: powerful antenna, doesn't necessarily receive signals better than any other 542 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: phone working on any particular frequency. No, But frequency is 543 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: the key here, because there are frequencies of all of 544 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: all genres chres. There are all kinds of frequency, all right, Yeah, 545 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: that's a better one. Um, I'm thinking on the fly here. Um. Yeah. 546 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: So there are frequencies in all different ranges all over 547 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: the world, depending on the governmental regulations of the country 548 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: you happen to be using your phone in. Right, So, 549 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: in the United States, we have two different kinds of 550 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: phone technologies, basic phone technologies. They get more complicated, but 551 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: basically we have C D M A and G s M. 552 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: G s M is the more popular one throughout the world. Okay, 553 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: but even G S G S M has four different 554 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: frequencies upon which it operates throughout the world. There is, 555 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: um there's the eight fifty and the nineteen hundred bands, 556 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,959 Speaker 1: which the United States uses, but Europe uses nine hundred 557 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: and eighteen hundred bands. So you have two different sets 558 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: of bands, and phones that run on one will not 559 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: work on the other. But if you get a phone 560 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: that is capable of running on any of those four, 561 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: it's called a quad band phone, that would be a 562 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: world phone. It would be It means that you can 563 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: go to Europe and it will still work on Europe's system. 564 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: It does not mean, however, that if you go around 565 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: the corner to that dead zone that affects your other 566 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: a T and T phone, that your phone will still work. 567 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: It could still very well be dead. So I hope 568 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: the answers your question. Jt Uh. Thank you for writing 569 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: in greatly appreciate it. That was a great question, And 570 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 1: it'll all work out fine until four G comes along. Yeah, 571 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: we'll have to buy new phones. That's okay. I'm sure 572 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: that iPhone will come out with a new phone as 573 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: soon as four ghaits you know, any minute now, probably 574 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: pretty much. September is right around the corner. That's when 575 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: the big announcements come. If any of you have any questions, comments, suggestions, 576 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: anything like that you want to shoot our way, you 577 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: can write us. Our email address is tech stuff at 578 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: how stuck works dot com. You can read how Machinima 579 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: works at how suff works dot com. It's a pretty 580 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: darn good article, if I do say so myself. It's 581 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: been a long time since I've read it. I mean, 582 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: I wrote it ages ago, so to read it now, 583 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: I was thinking, hey, you know, I actually did a 584 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: pretty good job with that, and I wasn't even in 585 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: your editor at that time, and not Yeah, I think 586 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: it's you know an excellent art right. I think Julie 587 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 1: edited this one. Well that was a long time ago, 588 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: so anyway, check that out guys, and we will talk 589 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: to you again really soon for more on this and 590 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Does it how stuff works dot 591 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: com and be sure to check out the new tech 592 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: stuff blog now on the house Stuff Works homepage, brought 593 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, 594 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 1: are you