This week I'll be showing my top 10 best machinima, now as you all have guessed by now I’m a huge machinima fan with the fact that my name is from a machinima show and I help make some. With each number on my list I’ll include a link to the machinima itself or the first episode if it is a series so you can have a chance to enjoy them yourself. Now with all that out the way let’s start:
10. Diary of a Camper
I had to put this in mainly because of how important it is, this is recorded in history as the first gaming machinima. Watching this is like watching an old silent movie there is no voices just a text box at the top and no music just the sound effects from the game. This may not seem much but it’s important for showing people that video games can be used as a tool for film making.
Diary of a Camper
9. Mario Vs Spartan 2
Sequel to the first Mario Vs Spartan (don’t worry you don’t have to see the first one because it will explain it all in this one) this is a well edited machinima putting 2D characters against 3D ones in an epic battle. The battle itself is epic and a little funny at the same time and as I said this well edited so you really appreciate how much effort was put into it.
Mario Vs Spartan 2
8. Freeman’s Mind
This is a very simple yet funny idea that has grown in popularity, the character Gordon Freeman from the game Half Life never speaks though out all the Half Life series (no he is not a mute) so machinima maker Ross Scott decided to give him a voice and says what he thinks Gordon Freeman would say during the events of the first Half Life game. As I said it sounds simple but fans are already saying how much they are looking forward to his reaction for certain parts and wondering if he would do Half Life 2. On April fool’s day he even made a parody episode which was the reference in the next episode it as déjà vu. This is a well thought out series plus at the time of this list episode 14 is now available so click the link to watch the first episode.
Freeman's Mind - Episode 1
7. Shelf Life
Even with the fact that there is only one episode so far this is already shaping up to be a good drama series. Using Gmod it has excellent music, great character animation, great film sets and brilliant use of camera. I am really looking forward to the next episode and once you watch this you will understand why.
Shelf Life chapter one part 1
6. Azerothian Super Villains
Made in World of Warcraft this series follows three villains as they try to take over the world and fail every time. As good as this series is there hasn’t been a new episode for more than I year so that is why it doesn’t make the top 5. But the episodes that are available are very good so watch it if you get chance.
Azerothian Super Villains - Episode 1
5. Smashtasm
This is in my opinion the best Super Smash Brothers machinima out there so far. This series follows the adventures of a gamer called Super64 as he finds new friends and fight evil villains. The first series is good and the second series is being shown on the machinima website and YouTube channel with updates on the main Smashtasm channel about when episodes are available and links to each one on the machinima channel. At first I didn’t know it was possible to film in such a game but after watching this I now know there is no limit to how many games you can film in.
Smashtasm: Episode 1
4. Dr Strangeman
This is a comedy spinoff/parody of Stanley Kubrick's 1962 classic Dr. Strangelove. Directed by Xanatos and friends this machinima pays a lot of respect and reference to the original film to the point where it is done in black and white but at the same time putting in their own version of the story by setting it in the Half Life 2 world. This machinima was so good it got me to go out and buy the film it was parodying.
Dr. Strangeman Part 1 of 2
3. As the Hamster Wheel Turns
This is the only machinima I have seen so far to be made in the game Timesplitters. It is a comedy soap opera about three families trying to live in the same town, it is very cleverly made with a well thought out plot and good use of characters this is a must see series.
ATHWT - S1:E1
2. War of the Servers
A brilliant machinima inspired of the classic War of the Worlds story this is a full feature length film with great music some from the Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds, great characters and great plot. This machinima is made and takes place in the Gmod world were one day evil players start to attack server after server with large tripods making other players run for their virtual lives.
War of the Servers
1. Red vs Blue
Made by Rooster Teeth production, Red vs Blue brought the art of machinima to the massive with its comedy, action and a little bit of drama that has made it one of the biggest and most recognisable machinima series ever. The series was started in 2003 and is still going strong today; it is made by using the game Halo which has lead to them getting backing from both Microsoft and Bungie. Rooster Teeth have now made in total 5 series known as the Blood gulch chronicles, a series called reconstruction, a new series that has not long ago started, 3 miniseries and a tone of PSA and specials which are all available on DVD. The series has lead to other bits of merchandising such as t-shirts etc also the inspiration for other machinima artist. Rooster have also made other machinima as well but Red vs Blue is their main accomplishment with plans of more episodes to be made Red vs Blue is defiantly worthy of the number one spot on this list.
Please note on their YouTube channel they have only uploaded the first 3 series fully and up to the last few episodes of season 4 of the blood gulch chronicles. So if you want to see series 5 and all that follows you can either wait till it’s on YouTube or look it up on Google video because someone would have uploaded the full series back to back and if you do the Google option click on the longest one because that will be the best quality.
Red vs. Blue Episode 1
Thanks for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this week’s list. The next list will be posted next Monday and it will be a quick top 3 stupid characters from this generation of gaming.
10. Diary of a Camper
I had to put this in mainly because of how important it is, this is recorded in history as the first gaming machinima. Watching this is like watching an old silent movie there is no voices just a text box at the top and no music just the sound effects from the game. This may not seem much but it’s important for showing people that video games can be used as a tool for film making.
Diary of a Camper
9. Mario Vs Spartan 2
Sequel to the first Mario Vs Spartan (don’t worry you don’t have to see the first one because it will explain it all in this one) this is a well edited machinima putting 2D characters against 3D ones in an epic battle. The battle itself is epic and a little funny at the same time and as I said this well edited so you really appreciate how much effort was put into it.
Mario Vs Spartan 2
8. Freeman’s Mind
This is a very simple yet funny idea that has grown in popularity, the character Gordon Freeman from the game Half Life never speaks though out all the Half Life series (no he is not a mute) so machinima maker Ross Scott decided to give him a voice and says what he thinks Gordon Freeman would say during the events of the first Half Life game. As I said it sounds simple but fans are already saying how much they are looking forward to his reaction for certain parts and wondering if he would do Half Life 2. On April fool’s day he even made a parody episode which was the reference in the next episode it as déjà vu. This is a well thought out series plus at the time of this list episode 14 is now available so click the link to watch the first episode.
Freeman's Mind - Episode 1
7. Shelf Life
Even with the fact that there is only one episode so far this is already shaping up to be a good drama series. Using Gmod it has excellent music, great character animation, great film sets and brilliant use of camera. I am really looking forward to the next episode and once you watch this you will understand why.
Shelf Life chapter one part 1
6. Azerothian Super Villains
Made in World of Warcraft this series follows three villains as they try to take over the world and fail every time. As good as this series is there hasn’t been a new episode for more than I year so that is why it doesn’t make the top 5. But the episodes that are available are very good so watch it if you get chance.
Azerothian Super Villains - Episode 1
5. Smashtasm
This is in my opinion the best Super Smash Brothers machinima out there so far. This series follows the adventures of a gamer called Super64 as he finds new friends and fight evil villains. The first series is good and the second series is being shown on the machinima website and YouTube channel with updates on the main Smashtasm channel about when episodes are available and links to each one on the machinima channel. At first I didn’t know it was possible to film in such a game but after watching this I now know there is no limit to how many games you can film in.
Smashtasm: Episode 1
4. Dr Strangeman
This is a comedy spinoff/parody of Stanley Kubrick's 1962 classic Dr. Strangelove. Directed by Xanatos and friends this machinima pays a lot of respect and reference to the original film to the point where it is done in black and white but at the same time putting in their own version of the story by setting it in the Half Life 2 world. This machinima was so good it got me to go out and buy the film it was parodying.
Dr. Strangeman Part 1 of 2
3. As the Hamster Wheel Turns
This is the only machinima I have seen so far to be made in the game Timesplitters. It is a comedy soap opera about three families trying to live in the same town, it is very cleverly made with a well thought out plot and good use of characters this is a must see series.
ATHWT - S1:E1
2. War of the Servers
A brilliant machinima inspired of the classic War of the Worlds story this is a full feature length film with great music some from the Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds, great characters and great plot. This machinima is made and takes place in the Gmod world were one day evil players start to attack server after server with large tripods making other players run for their virtual lives.
War of the Servers
1. Red vs Blue
Made by Rooster Teeth production, Red vs Blue brought the art of machinima to the massive with its comedy, action and a little bit of drama that has made it one of the biggest and most recognisable machinima series ever. The series was started in 2003 and is still going strong today; it is made by using the game Halo which has lead to them getting backing from both Microsoft and Bungie. Rooster Teeth have now made in total 5 series known as the Blood gulch chronicles, a series called reconstruction, a new series that has not long ago started, 3 miniseries and a tone of PSA and specials which are all available on DVD. The series has lead to other bits of merchandising such as t-shirts etc also the inspiration for other machinima artist. Rooster have also made other machinima as well but Red vs Blue is their main accomplishment with plans of more episodes to be made Red vs Blue is defiantly worthy of the number one spot on this list.
Please note on their YouTube channel they have only uploaded the first 3 series fully and up to the last few episodes of season 4 of the blood gulch chronicles. So if you want to see series 5 and all that follows you can either wait till it’s on YouTube or look it up on Google video because someone would have uploaded the full series back to back and if you do the Google option click on the longest one because that will be the best quality.
Red vs. Blue Episode 1
Thanks for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this week’s list. The next list will be posted next Monday and it will be a quick top 3 stupid characters from this generation of gaming.
Last edited by Caboos15 on Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:09 am; edited 1 time in total
