Summer Block Party 2016 - Machinima Film Festival

[Tahquitz]

A player-centric tradition from our past was people making Machinima, or using real-time computer graphics engines to make cinematic productions.  One of our biggest names, SamuraiKo, was even asked by Paragon Studios to direct trailers for Issue releases. (See below. Mea culpa! -Tahq) It's a tradition that has been continued under Titan Icon and Paragon Chat, and it's something I want to encourage and see continue. (My own videography skills is admittedly lacking... at the moment my forte is using Adobe Premiere Pro to make something a little more controlled than Microsoft Powerpoint and clearly ripping off Adult Swim.)

The intent is to recognize the contributions from past videos in the City of Heroes client made since the shutdown, while not closing the door on Machinima videos made by Titan Network users in other games, either.  (I know there isn't a lot to consider out there, but it's one use of Paragon Chat and Icon that I don't want to see die either.) That was my intent for the Machinima Film Festival. 

We'd spend an extra hour before the event... before DJ Pheonyx starts his shift, before the contests and games, and just sit back and watch a few videos together on YouTube together while discussing them on Paragon Chat.  It's not a mandatory part of the event... if you're interested, you're welcome to come join us an hour early.  If Machinima isn't your thing, no worries, show up at the start of the event to party normally.

Some Caveats to consider for eligible videos:

• While 3+ years back would make for a lot of entries, I wanted to consider the most recent work made from entrants, otherwise the hour would take the entire afternoon.
• I also wanted to avoid consideration of the "shutdown" videos made ("One Last Day", "City of Heroes Remains", etc.) because picking a "winner" between them seems unfair to other videos not pertaining to that moment in time (the gravitas alone bears consideration), plus comparing those and picking the "better" one seems wrong to do.
• Also, "event" videos like the videos shot at Cape Radio events and the Anniversary Celebration aren't really machinima.  (Nothing wrong with them, but player events aren't really scripted.  The work done to capture/edit a player event and to script and execute a scene for Machinima are completely different from each other.)
• One entry per user.  Chapter Videos that tell a cohesive story are welcome, but they all need to be finished before the event.
• Finally, the video should be from someone who either used Paragon Chat/Icon, OR is at least a member of Titan Network.

I was going to consider the following videos for this first run:

SamuraiKo - RIFT: Tales of the Riftwalker Pt. 1-3 - 60%
Angelus Amini - Pocket D - 30%
Dwight Vargo - Atlas Park Parade - 3%
someguy9111991 - Return to Paragon City - 4%

The winner of the Audience Prize for 2016 is SamuraiKo!  Congratulations!

[MaidMercury]

They are all great videos.
SamuraiKo makes the best heart touching videos.

I guess the one that sticks out for me is Atlas Park Parade.
Reminds me of the 'ol New York City Macy's day parades.

[Samuraiko]

One of our biggest names, SamuraiKo, was even asked by Paragon Studios to direct trailers for Issue releases. 

In the interest of truth, please allow me to clarify the nature of my relationship with Paragon.

Paragon Studios never asked me to make videos, nor did they provide any direction on what I should or should not include, save for ONE instance. (That one instance was my Issue 12 trailer, and Hero 1 *suggested* I might focus my video on Cimerora because THEIRS was going to focus on the Midnight Squad.) Paragon never recompensed me for my work in any fashion apart from Ex Libris, Lighthouse, and Ocho mentioning my vids or posting in my threads to boost their visibility, and by arranging for me to have beta access to the upcoming issues so I could film.

(In fact, to the best of my knowledge, the only time I remember Paragon hiring a player to do their vids was them hiring Stone Falcon Productions to do the "I'm a Hero, I'm a Villain" videos.)

I *WAS* invited by Ex Libris to present at the first HeroCon, on how to make videos in-game, and NCsoft/Paragon was kind enough to talk to the con sponsors to get swag I could give away as part of my panels. And again, when possible, the devs DID arrange for me to have closed beta access to every issue past I-10 so I could film, on the understanding that my videos would NOT go live until the issue itself did.

I was not the first player to make videos for CoH, not by a LONG shot. Nor was I the best at it - to this day, I would still put Leandro, Angelus Animi, and Aralcox (to name just three) far, far, FAR ahead of my own estimation of myself. I was simply the most prolific. And I was also the one who focused the most on advertising the game itself, rather than music videos.

Ours was a very complicated relationship. And to open the door on recompensing a player for advertising the game could have set a very dangerous precedent for Paragon Studios, especially since NCsoft (to the best of my understanding) was the true keeper of the budget.

The TL;DR version - all Paragon ever did was give me the best opportunities I could to film; beyond that, it was all me. And you guys.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

PS - It feels really, really odd to see my Rift videos up there along with 3 CoH vids. But I'm glad you thought of me.

[Codemaster]

Hey, I stumbled on this thread doing some research for a Super's Machinima project I'm considering.

@Samuraiko, how did you do the lip sync?

I'm amazed at Icon and Paragon chat, and wondering if I could use these to make a Machinima (hopefully with help from the community!)

== John ==