Packaged films
Instead of players competing with their sprites, machinima fans use them as virtual actors to make animated films on the 'sets' provided by the computer game.
The Moviestorm programme as it stands seems rather buggy - I couldn't successfully download a working version - but the idea is a good one and worth investigating.
The concept behind Moviestorm is simple: the software uses gaming technology as the basis for movement, and then provides the user with characters and sets. The characters can be modified with an array of add-ons, and the sets can be altered using pre-defined props.
After a scene is arranged - 'directed' - with these tools, the user can 'shoot' it using a variety of camera angles. The result looks like, well, a movie that was shot inside a computer game.
Moviestorm was founded in 2003 by two British entrepreneurs who had been researching how gaming technology could be applied to non-gaming environments.
The company says it aims 'to open up the world of digital animation to a worldwide mass market of predominantly young amateurs with little or no experience' with its software.
The way it all works is mix-and-match. After buying an online subscription, users can download a number of different packages containing sets, characters and props. These are organised by genre - action, fantasy, music video, and so on.
The physical attributes of the characters can be adjusted by using morphing software, and sets can be changed by using the props in the packages.
As with online games, the company seeks to make money by developing and selling new packs of add-ons. Prices vary, but there is a free one-week trial available.
The main problem with the software is that, although the characters and sets can be modified, there is no way to use original creations. (Use of Google Draw is mentioned, but it's unclear how this can actually be used with the software.) So Moviestorm users have to rely on the visual imaginations of the programmers. Moviestorm also requires that users credit the company in every video.
Another worry is that the program doesn't seem to work very well in its current form. But if the bugs are addressed, or if someone else develops a similar product, the technique is certainly be a cheap and effective way for youngsters to practise the art of filmmaking.
