MachinExpo 2011 - A Worldwide Phenomena

185 machinma entered the contest. 61 were selected for screening. 11 were selected to compete. But there would only be 4 prize winners...

Tikaf Viper, Iono Allen, Pixie Rain, Tutsy Navarathna

MachinExpo 2011, probably the most important of all the machinima festivals, is being held this weekend.
A significant point about MachinExpo is that there are entries from numerous digital media, not just Second Life (SL). In fact, in the top entrants, SL machinima entries are easily outnumber by other forms of machinima.

Iono Allen, Pixie Rain, Tutsy Navarathna, Tikaf Viper

In a few weeks I hope to do a review of 3D cinematic tools such as MovieStorm and iClone - popular and *effective* alternatives to using SL for making machinima.
You'll see examples how these applications can be used in the film links below or by visiting their web sites.

Chantal Harvey, Pixie Rain, Tutsy Navarathna

MachinExpo is broadcast live across the internet from purpose built studios within SL.

Although there is a small studio audience, most avatars watch the broadcast from the UWA Theatre.
But even that doesn't really tell the whole story because, by far, the majority of the viewing audience watch over the internet.
Many of the viewers would never have even been in SL.

Chantal Harvey, Pixie Rain

I was asked to attend with Tutsy Navarathna whose UWA III winning 'A Journey Into the Metaverse' was one of the eleven machinima selected to compete in the contest.

My role was to answer the audience's questions about Tutsy's film and his film making techniques, on his behalf - due to language difficulties and chat lag caused by 

bandwidth deprivation.

The questions that the audience posed were intelligent and knowledgeable - and ranged from machinima techniques, software and aesthetics.

Tutsy's role was to provide much needed eye candy (joke!!).

Pixie Rain, Tutsy Navarathna

All eleven of the competing films are screened at the festival and each Director participates in a Q&A session.

The standard of these eleven films is really quite daunting. The Q&A was very interesting but what stuck me deeply is how machinima really is becoming a worldwide phenomena - and SL just a small slice of the bigger picture.

From the eleven competing films, there are four prize winners.
I have to tell you, all four are sensational.
But what is truly interesting to me is that only one of those four is actually filmed in SL - the others were filmed using alternative software.
"Mastermind" - the 2nd Runner Up - was particularly surprisingly to me personally because I had absolutely no idea that such incredible film making could be done within video games like Grand Theft Auto - even through I was familiar with Ian Chisholm's 'Clear Skies' series, filmed in EVE Online.
All four winning films are definitely worth watching and, imo, *should* be watched and studied by anyone serious about the emerging art of machinima.
In traditional reverse order, then....the MachinExpo 2011 winners are:


3rd Runner Up: The Goalkeeper and the Void by Marta Azparren (Pro Evolution Soccer 09)


2nd Runner Up: Mastermind by Ezequiel Guerisoli (Grand Theft Auto)


1st Runner Up:  A Journey Into the Metaverse by Tutsy Navarathna (Second Life/Real Life)


Grand Prize Winner: Haunter of the Dark by Phil Browne (iClone)

I accepted Tutsy's award on his behalf - electrical storms in India having decimated his broadband connection - and gave the following acceptance speech for him:


"I am so honoured to be presented with this award.
The quality of the entries are stunning in their scope.
It is humbling to be compared amongst them.
Machinima, as an emerging art form and as a form of social expression, is starting to find its own definition.
As early adoptors we are casting the foundations but, it is the future of the form and the changes ahead which are truly exciting! Thank you."


After the Award Ceremony, Bobo Puddlegum & I moseyed on down to the After-Event Party and boogied away with DJ Hathead to '70s dance music.

Bobo Puddlegum, Pixie Rain