imported>Iiii I I I at 20:49, 26 January 2012

2012-01-26T20:49:51Z

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{{DevBlogOld|project=Machinima|title=The Orb of Oculus|author=[[Jagex Moderator|Mod Fnord]]|date=[[20 January]] [[2010]]}}

I want to talk about a love of mine: [[wikipedia:Machinima|machinima]]. Before I came to Cambridge, I spent a lot of time with friends creating short films in a game called ''[[wikipedia:Quake (game)|Quake]]''. Quake Movies, as they were called, were the hot new thing. It all started with a great film called ''[[wikipedia:Diary of a Camper|Diary of a Camper]]'' by [[wikipedia:United Ranger Films|United Ranger Films]]. The first time I saw it, I was hooked. A film inside my favourite game, with a story and acting - to me that was brilliant. I wanted to be a part of that and make my own films.

===Strange beginnings===

It wasn't easy at the beginning. We didn't have any tools to begin with; it was just ingenuity and perseverance, shouting instructions to each other in a university computer lab, trying to make something really good. Soon after, a group of persevering people created Keygrip and Remaic, two pieces of software that allowed the fixed camera in Quake to be moved around. We could set up tracking shots, pan around and watch the action from all angles. We had the final piece we needed to really make good films.

Living in Scotland, I was lucky to be close to the action. [[wikipedia:Strange Company|StrangeCompany.org]] (a company started by a man called Hugh Hancock and based in Edinburgh) was creating some cracking films. Hugh helped to coin the term ‘machinima’; it was a misspelling in an email, but as a way of describing the new art form, it stuck. Hugh also made a website to promote the art form to the world (Machinima.com) and formed the [[wikipedia:List of machinima festivals|Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences]].

I managed to work for a short time for StrangeCompany.org, and Hugh Hancock, before joining [[Jagex]]. StrangeCompany.org was the home for a few features. ''[[wikipedia:BloodSpell|Bloodspell]]'' was in the works and has since been released to critical acclaim. It was a terrific place to work and I feel lucky to have been there.

===Cutting your teeth===

It wasn't just Scotland that pioneered the machinima explosion. We can't forget [[wikipedia:Rooster Teeth Productions|Rooster Teeth]], who made the brilliant ''[[wikipedia:Red vs. Blue|Red vs Blue]]'' comedy series with the [[wikipedia:Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo]] engine (and are still making videos for [[wikipedia:Bungie|Bungie]]). It helped to break the art form into the mainstream, and they even managed to get themselves a cameo in ''[[wikipedia:Halo 3|Halo 3]]''. Another group, called the [[wikipedia:ILL Clan|Ill Clan]], managed to get their work onto the TV show ''[[wikipedia:CSI: NY|CS: NYI]]''{{sic}} as part of a set of episodes dealing with virtual worlds. Their early work was hilarious, but it received exposure on a major TV series. How cool is that?

It isn't just the big names that make machinima a great art form, though, it's the small productions that make this an exciting time to be into machinima. Take a moment to go to any video site and search for your favourite game and "machinima". You will find thousands of pieces of content, from [[Player killing|PKing]] videos to fully-featured stories with their own audio work.

Why do I like machinima? The reason is accessibility. Anyone with a friend, a computer and an idea can make films in their favorite game. And the game handles all the hard details - costuming is done, sets are done - so all it takes is actors to move the characters, a plot and a dream. What isn't to like?

===The first machinima competition===

The popularity of our [[RuneScape Machinima Competition|first machinima competition]] made it apparent to us that people were really interested in making good quality films with ''RuneScape''. There are some tremendous people working to really push the limits of what you can do with our game. The entries were outstanding, their quality unlike anything I imagined.

When '''Excl''' and '''Tehnoobshow''' came to Jagex to visit, they spoke with us about how they made their films. They have since told us about the limitations and problems as well as how they managed to get around them. It only goes to show exactly how creative the fans of ''RuneScape'' are when they want to get their films made.

Their visit really motivated us to think about how we could give a little more to those who choose to create their own videos. When I was asked to see what I could do for all the machinima producers out there, I was stoked to say the least. I really wanted to give them some quick and easy tools to really enhance the experience of making their films. I also was a little bit selfish, as I want machinima to get some extra exposure, and I wanted to be a part of the next contest and to give something back to the community.

===The Orb of Oculus===
[[File:Orb of oculos.jpg|thumb|right|Orb of Oculus concept art]]

The [[Orb of Oculus]] is the start of this. It’s an in-game item that we are about to release that can be used to set up some exciting and dynamic shots for your own ''RuneScape'' machinima. You will have total control over the camera and can make it maneuver and pan as you see fit. You will have the power to set up your shots, direct your friends and keep them in frame, and make the film you want to make.

The big hope is that this tool will inspire all ''RuneScape'' players to try their hand at making their own videos. Seeing what can be done right now is a treat, but with the Orb of Oculus, I hope you can make something truly exceptional. Get a video of yourself in a minigame, show off your own house, let people see your rendition of ''[[wikipedia:Don Quixote|Don Quixote]]'' as you tilt at windmills. The world is your oyster, so why not give it a try?

What is the future for machinima in ''Runescape''? That answer is up to you. With the new machinima competition about to launch, and this new tool, I know we are all looking forward to seeing what you can do. Perhaps you will be the next machinima pioneer...

If you'd like to discuss this blog on the forums, please visit [http://services.runescape.com/m=forum/forums.ws?16,17,38,60246965 this forum thread].

{{Citing|<nowiki>{{CiteDevBlog |author=Mod Fnord |url=http://services.runescape.com/m=devblog/view_post.ws?post_id=78&project_id=23 |title=The Orb of Oculus |blogdate=20 January 2010 |date=~~~~~ |name= }}</nowiki>}}

Update:Blog - Machinima: The Orb of Oculus - Revision history

imported>Iiii I I I at 20:49, 26 January 2012