response to machinima and screenplays

All of the machinima films that I looked at were amazing. I still find it hard to believe that people were able to create short films, using computer programs. I was most impressed with the machinima “text 100 in second life”. From the very first few seconds of the film, I was already interested and impressed. The camera angle switched from an overhead shot, fading into a different view of the city. This film has great transitions from scene to scene because they fade into each other, instead of having a choppy flow between scenes. The panorama shots and various camera angles are very important because they set the tone for all of the scenes. I also really enjoyed the music video machinima films. On youtube, I stumbled upon a machinima film using Sims 2 that was a music video for “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. I was inspired by this video because it showed that it is possible to match avatar actions with whatever you want to do. This video gives me hope that I will be able to design and move my avators in ways that will match my screenplay.

http://youtu.be/xSiLGAVcmU0

One of the screenplays that I was inspired by was the screenplay for Schindler’s List. This is an amazing movie all around and seeing the screenplay makes me realize how much effort really goes into making the script part of the film. In all of the successful screenplays, I noticed that a lot of the text describes the scene and actions. At quick glance at the Schindler’s List screenplay, it would seem as though it is all descriptions of scenes and actions. I also noticed that there are different formats of screenplays. The Schindler’s List screenplay format is the style that I am used to seeing. However, the Sunset Boulevard screenplay format is a little different. There are two columns, with the left column describing the actions and the right column being the dialogue. I think that the screenplay format, used by Schindler’s List and many other films, are more effective because it is more pleasing to the eye. These screenplays were chosen for the 101 greatest screenplays because when you read them, it is easy to imagine what the film will look like. Successful screenplays absorb the reader by its imaginative descriptions and clear stage actions.

For my Little Brother inspired machinima, I was thinking about reworking the scene when the terrorists attack. This event will provide tons of material for the avatars to respond to. The screenplay would start off when Marcus and all of his friends meet up to complete the Harajuku scavenger hunt challenge. Another major event will be when the bridge explodes and the chaos begins. From here, the avatars will be captured by the DHS. This scene in which Marcus, Van and Darryl are captured will provide plenty of opportunities to work with camera angles and other technical aspects of machinima. This event is also significant because it is the terrorist attack that sets up the rest of the story in Little Brother.