And Now For Something Completely Machinima

What could GTA6 offer machinima filmmakers, and can AI image generation replace artistic skill? Completely Machinima episode 249 explores game filmmaking, virtual production and the tools shaping independent animation.Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood and Damien Valentine discuss YouTube’s reported competition with Netflix for major creators, asking what platform deals could mean for independent filmmaking and creative freedom.Tracy examines research co-authored by Jesper Juul on AI image generation, artistic expertise and the difference between making an attractive image and fulfilling a creative brief. The conversation turns to AI upscaling, human judgment and why creative control still matters.Also this episode:• Astartes II, Warhammer animation and cinematic game trailers.• StarCraft, Mass Effect and the frustration of announcing games years ahead.• Reallusion character contest winners and iClone rendering developments.• The Backrooms, South Park and Wing Commander III’s cinematic legacy.• Building cyberpunk backdrops with simple scene-building tools.• Damien’s return to Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars universe with Dark Force Rising.• Avatar Creator for Blender and character creation workflows.• GTA 6’s potential for machinima, with reflections on Rockstar Editor, PC releases and modding.Which interests you most: GTA6 filmmaking, new animation tools or the next chapter of Dark Force Rising? Tell us in the comments.Key timestamps -01:22 YouTube vs Netflix: creators and creative freedom12:37 Can AI replace artistic expertise?17:51 AI upscaling and the gaming backlash22:37 Elberr’s adventures and Astartes II24:22 StarCraft trailers and distant release dates28:34 Game development, Mass Effect and cinematic storytelling34:46 Announcing a game before it is built36:07 Reallusion news: character contest and iClone rendering39:05 South Park, The Backrooms and Wing Commander III44:36 Building cyberpunk backdrops45:55 When webcam tracking steals the show48:00 Scene builders for iClone compositing48:33 Dark Force Rising: Damien’s next Star Wars adaptation51:56 Avatar Creator for Blender54:09 GTA6 from a machinima filmmaker’s perspective59:40 Dark Force Rising vs StarCraft: which arrives first?1:00:22 Wrap-up and contact detailsExplore more: https://completelymachinima.com (now on Substack) Contact: [email protected] #Machinima #VirtualProduction #gta6  ⁨@masseffect⁩ #Elberr  ⁨@reallusion⁩ #StarWars  ⁨@BlenderOfficial⁩ Credits - Co-hosts: Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, Damien Valentine Producer/Editor: Phil Rice Music: Phil Rice & Suno AI

A grieving husband. A body he can no longer control. This week, we revisit Corpus Meum (2006), a gothic machinima horror film made in Lionhead’s The Movies, and discover how an archive playback problem changes the viewing experience. Phil Rice, Ricky Grove, Tracy Harwood and Damien Valentine explore The Light in the Dust, Part I: Corpus Meum, created by @sherwinliu, Kate Lee and Lizard3209 aka Decadent Pictures (later becoming Chat Noir Studios). Ricky’s archive pick opens a discussion about grief, possession, fractured identity and the ambition of early machinima filmmakers. There’s a twist: some of us watched an archive playback consisting of still images, while others found the fully animated WMV. We compare how movement, editing and facial close-ups affect the story, alongside Sherwin Liu’s atmospheric original score, which prompts a comparison with Twin Peaks. We also discuss the filmmakers’ cited influences - Anne Rice’s The Tale of the Body Thief and Quantum Leap - and ask whether dated game graphics still deliver convincing emotional horror. Plus, Ricky shares his own unexpected Quantum Leap connection. If you watch the film, look for the fully animated WMV on its Internet Archive page so you can compare the viewing experiences. Which version did you watch, and did you read the story as supernatural possession, psychological collapse, or something else? Tell us in the comments (and feel free also to comment on Damien's new headgear). 01:00 Welcome to Completely Machinima 01:25 Ricky’s pick: Corpus Meum and The Movies 05:28 The score: atmosphere and Twin Peaks echoes 07:56 Discovering the fully animated version 10:25 The Movies community and The French Democracy 11:20 Stills versus animation: spotting the playback problem 13:26 Grief, possession and losing control of your body 15:06 “My body”: Anne Rice and Quantum Leap influences 18:10 The filmmakers’ wider work and gothic visual storytelling 21:47 Changing faces, identity and Dorian Gray echoes 23:46 Does the emotion work, and whose story is being told? 25:47 Can this horror story outlast its dated graphics? 28:26 Reframing old machinima as stylised animation 29:28 Ricky’s unexpected Quantum Leap connection 30:50 Your verdict and how to contact us Explore more machinima, virtual filmmaking and animation... and note that we've moved our website to https://substack.com/@completelymachinima Film link: https://archive.org/details/TheLightInTheDust1 (not on YouTube or Vimeo) - make sure you check the WMV version for the full film! Contact: [email protected] Subscribe for more film discoveries, reviews and conversations about machinima and virtual production. #Machinima #TheMovies #horrorshortfilm Credits - Co-hosts: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy Harwood Producer: Ricky Grove Editor: Phil Rice Music: Phil Rice & Suno AI

Tracy Harwood and Phil Rice review RUS-T, John Martin’s science fiction short about a robot abandoned on Mars. They discuss its expressive character design and story of care and disposability, then trace the production workflow through Reallusion AI Studio, Character Creator and Seedance 2.0. How much control does image guided video generation give a filmmaker? And can a film succeed as both a story and a demonstration of new tools? Alongside praise for RUS-T’s character consistency, Tracy and Phil examine its visual slips, frequent crossfades and unresolved questions about its voices, music and sound design.Key moments01:00 — Why RUS-T is an unusual choice for the podcast01:43 — Tracy introduces the film, its maker and its Mars setting06:57 — Abandonment, robot labour and the discovery of life12:22 — Visual continuity, sound design and the tools behind the film17:36 — What AI Studio and Seedance can do, and what the production notes actually establish24:38 — Phil on RUS-T’s expressive face and emotional range33:38 — Image guided generation versus animation control and style transfer37:31 — Why character consistency is the film’s strongest technical achievement41:17 — Crossfades, short clips and the film’s editing choices44:23 — The AI voice and the mystery of the soundtrack50:14 — Comparing RUS-T with another AI film made as a proof of conceptCredits -Co-hosts: Phil Rice, Tracy HarwoodProducer/Editor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice, Suno AI

An eight-year labour of love made in Garry’s Mod, Dan Shetter’s Avalon takes us into the world of Half-Life for a feature-length story of occupation, memory and survival. Damien, Phil and Tracy discuss its extraordinary cinematography, animation, sound and music, and why it works even for viewers who have never played the games. Tracy explores the film’s characters and layered ending, while Phil asks whether this is the best machinima film he has ever seen.Spoiler warning: The story discussion begins at 15:28. Watch the film first if you want to experience its twists for yourself.Key moments01:17 — Damien introduces Avalon and explains why he chose it.04:37 — Phil makes the case for its place among the greatest machinima films.11:27 — How exceptional work can inspire other filmmakers.14:30 — The brief behind-the-scenes video and the mystery of its production.15:28 — Spoilers begin: Tracy introduces Dan Shetter’s eight-year project.17:40 — Camp Haven, Teagan and the film’s opening attack.20:30 — Breen, Freeman and the film’s relationship to Half-Life.22:03 — Memory, extraction and the Combine’s plans.25:30 — Portals, the final battle and collective resistance.27:44 — The meaning of Avalon, restoration and the recurring crows.29:27 — Atmosphere, sound, visual storytelling and the film’s limitations.33:29 — Earlier Half-Life machinima and the achievement of finishing such an ambitious film.36:39 — What makers working in any engine can learn from it.Credits -Co-hosts: Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer/Editor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & Suno AI

Phil brings us Lando’s video essay The Horror of Classic Fallout. What makes the original game unsettling: its grotesque creatures, its unforgiving countdown, or the institutions that promise safety while exercising control?Ricky, Damien, Tracy and Phil discuss how the essay uses game footage, visual effects and sound to uncover the anxiety beneath Fallout’s cheerful retro imagery. They explore the Master, the game’s haunting ending, and the strange power of its early animated faces. The conversation then moves from Cold War nuclear fears to the concerns that keep Fallout relevant for new generations.Key moments01:26 – Phil introduces Lando’s essay and the darker origins of Fallout04:43 – What makes a compelling game documentary or video essay?07:05 – The original game’s countdown and the freedom to explore12:17 – Tracy examines the essay’s structure and visual style18:01 – The Master, cosmic horror and the cost of survival21:00 – Uncanny character animation and Mark Morgan’s soundscape25:32 – Cold War memory and Fallout’s appeal across generations29:03 – Corporate control and distrust of institutions30:59 – Modern anxieties, the news and why the game still resonates33:46 – How a film about a 1997 game sparked a discussion of the presentCredits -Co-hosts: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer: Ricky GroveEditor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & Suno AI

What happens when a space marine comes home from war and tries to settle into family life? In this episode, Ricky, Tracy and Damien revisit Phil Rice’s 1999 film Father Frags Best with its creator. Phil recalls turning Quake II into a sitcom set, directing fellow players through typed messages, and using KeyGrip 2 to shape the camera work.The discussion explores the film’s dark comedy, its inventive use of limited character models, and its place in early machinima history. Phil also reflects on how his relationship with the film has changed over the years.Key moments01:00 – Ricky introduces Father Frags Best and its place in early machinima.04:01 – Phil explains the idea behind the film and how KeyGrip 2 opened up new camera possibilities.11:57 – From familiar sitcom conventions to increasingly dark comedy.14:11 – Damien discusses the revealing post-credits production footage.16:10 – Phil recalls the single-map set, player performers and direction by text chat.21:53 – Tracy examines the story, characters and domestic setting.32:26 – Camera work, performance and the craft behind the limited animation.35:00 – Music, period humour and the challenges of sharing the film today.39:43 – Why the film matters in the history of Quake movies and machinima.44:54 – Phil reflects on revisiting work made at a different point in his life.48:14 – Voice acting and whether filmmakers could still use Quake II and KeyGrip today.Credits -Co-hosts: Ricky Grove, Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer: Ricky GroveEditor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & Suno AI

This week, Tracy and Damien explore TMC’s MechWarrior 5: Clans – Clan Mech Dioramas Director’s Cut, a striking collection of battle scenes that sits somewhere between machinima, virtual photography and digital sculpture.Tracy introduces TMC, the German filmmaking collective whose work evolved from in-game footage and fan-made Hired Steel films into sophisticated Unreal Engine virtual production. That journey ultimately brought the team to the attention of MechWarrior developer Piranha Games, which commissioned TMC to create official cinematics for MechWarrior 5: Clans.Unlike the narrative action of Hired Steel, the Director’s Cut suspends its battles in time. Its camera glides through intricately composed three-dimensional tableaux, revealing ruptured armour, weapons fire, smoke, sparks, water and airborne debris that would ordinarily pass almost unnoticed during gameplay. Tracy considers how this moving “digital eye” transforms spectacular combat into something contemplative, combining the monumental scale of war machines with the intimacy of painted tabletop miniatures.Damien compares the experience to walking through an art gallery, where each frozen moment exposes the extraordinary detail underlying a fast-paced game. Their discussion concludes by imagining how these dioramas might become fully explorable VR environments—allowing viewers to move freely through the scenes rather than remaining bound to the filmmaker’s camera.Key time stamps -01:00 – Damien welcomes Tracy and explains Phil and Ricky’s mysterious absence01:30 – Introducing TMC’s MechWarrior 5: Clans – Clan Mech Dioramas Director’s Cut02:10 – TMC’s history and Completely Machinima’s earlier coverage of Hired Steel03:25 – From MechWarrior players to 3D artists and filmmakers04:25 – TMC’s evolution from gameplay capture to Blender and Unreal Engine production05:35 – How TMC’s fan filmmaking led to official work with Piranha Games06:32 – The crucial difference between Hired Steel and the non-narrative dioramas07:20 – Machinima as virtual photography and digital sculpture08:35 – Arrested time, frozen combat and the camera as a “digital eye”10:25 – The tension between colossal machines and miniature tabletop aesthetics11:49 – Colour, composition and the immersive quality of the diorama collection12:31 – Bullet time, slow motion and contemplative spectacle13:25 – Lighting, smoke, sparks, muzzle flashes and layered particle effects14:54 – Damien’s response: walking through a virtual art gallery16:10 – Revealing details that players rarely notice during fast-paced combat18:15 – How the film maintains variety across its numerous battle scenes19:03 – The dioramas’ original purpose as proposed loading screens19:17 – Wanting to take control of the camera and explore each composition20:01 – Imagining the work as an immersive VR experience21:07 – The limitations of video—and why wanting more is a mark of its success22:03 – Could the Unreal Engine scenes become fully explorable environments?22:19 – From photography to three-dimensional sculpture22:57 – Final verdict and closing thoughtsCredits -Co-hosts: Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer: Damien ValentineEditor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & Suno AI

This week, Tracy and Damien explore JT Music’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Rap—a bass-heavy fusion of pirate sea shanty, nerdcore rap and meticulously edited game cinematics.Damien explains how the video combines cinematic sequences with specially captured gameplay footage, transforming Black Flag’s naval battles, parkour and pirate action into a tightly choreographed musical performance. Tracy examines JT Music’s distinctive place between machinima, fan filmmaking and video-game music, comparing their approach with creators such as Dan Bull, The Stupendium, Rockit Music and Harry101UK.The discussion highlights the extraordinary precision of the audiovisual editing: cannon fire becomes percussion, character gestures embody the lyrics, and combat, camera movement and typography are all synchronized to the rhythm. We also consider how this new version revisits JT Music’s original Black Flag rap, reflecting both the improved visual quality of the game and the development of the duo’s creative craft.Finally, we reflect on JT Music’s enduring success. Having begun as JT Machinima in 2008, the group has retained its machinima roots while continually reinventing its signature form of character-driven game rap.Key Time Stamps -01:00 – Tracy welcomes Damien and explains Phil and Ricky’s absence01:43 – Introducing Assassin’s Creed Black Flag and JT Music’s new rap04:57 – JT Music’s distinctive blend of rap, fan filmmaking and machinima07:41 – The editing craft that makes the game appear to perform the song08:05 – Who are JT Music? From JT Machinima to millions of followers11:20 – Turning combat, gestures and camera movement into musical choreography13:22 – Kinetic typography and lyrics woven into the game world14:25 – Comparing the resynced video with JT Music’s original Black Flag rap15:43 – Bass, sea-shanty influences and the physical rhythm of the edit17:34 – Precise synchronization between lyrics, weapons, parkour and action19:09 – How quickly does JT Music learn, capture and interpret a new game?21:08 – Visual jokes, Easter eggs and close attention to the source material23:29 – JT Music’s longevity and enduring contribution to machinima24:11 – Damien’s concluding assessment24:57 – Closing comments and invitation to viewersCredits -Co-hosts: Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer: Damien ValentineEditor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice and Suno AI

In this news episode, Tracy Harwood and Damien Valentine explore three very different developments shaping machinima and virtual storytelling.Tracy introduces DramaMancer, an experimental AI-powered storytelling platform developed through Midjourney’s Storytelling Lab. Rather than generating an entire story, DramaMancer combines an author’s characters, scenes and narrative framework with natural-language player input. Tracy considers whether this represents genuine player agency or merely a more sophisticated illusion of choice—and asks where authorship lies when stories are co-created by the writer, player and AI.Damien responds by considering what happens when players push an AI-generated narrative so far from its intended path that the story can no longer progress, recalling the infamous research-order bug in X-COM: Terror from the Deep.The discussion then turns to a recent panel featuring pioneers of Second Life machinima. Tracy reflects on how early creators transformed a social virtual world into a collectively maintained filmmaking environment through experimentation, shared knowledge and community initiatives such as Machinima Mondays. She contrasts this socially driven model of innovation with DramaMancer’s attempt to lower creative barriers through automation.Finally, Damien discusses Reallusion’s new iClone RTX renderer, which promises ray-traced rendering inside iClone without exporting projects to NVIDIA Omniverse. He also explains his practical approach to facial performance capture with AccuFACE, including why subtle expressions, head movements and accurately performed dialogue can make such a dramatic difference to animated characters.Key time stamps01:00 – Damien and Tracy introduce the news episode 01:46 – What is DramaMancer? 03:12 – Storylets, player agency and authored narrative frameworks 05:50 – Who is the author of an AI-generated playthrough? 07:27 – The limitations and risks of AI-driven storytelling 09:06 – DramaMancer’s potential for machinima and virtual performance 10:20 – Damien responds: can players break an AI-generated story? 11:46 – The X-COM: Terror from the Deep research bug 13:37 – Why DramaMancer may be a more interesting use of generative AI 14:55 – Pioneers of Second Life machinima 16:26 – How Second Life became a virtual production environment 17:34 – Machinima Mondays and community-led knowledge sharing 18:33 – Second Life as a collectively maintained virtual studio 19:59 – Automation versus community as two routes into virtual storytelling 21:41 – Reallusion’s new iClone RTX renderer 23:27 – Missing particle effects and the challenges of NVIDIA Omniverse 25:55 – Expectations for the RTX renderer beta 26:19 – AccuFACE 2 and facial motion capture 27:13 – Combining full-body and facial performance capture 28:25 – Why subtle facial movements produce dramatic results 29:54 – Capturing the whole face, not simply lip-sync 30:34 – Final thoughts and episode closingCredits -Co-hosts: Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer: Damien ValentineEditor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & Suno AI

In this episode, Tracy Harwood, Ricky Grove and Damien Valentine discuss Paolo Pedercini’s 2009 machinima film Welcome to the Desert of the Real. Created using the US military recruitment game America’s Army, the film overturns the game’s heroic presentation of warfare to explore post-traumatic stress disorder and the psychological consequences of combat.We examine Pedercini’s use of the US military’s own PTSD checklist, fragmented desert imagery, shifting viewpoints and an unsettling soundscape of wind, footsteps and white noise. Together, these elements transform the game world from a tactical arena into the isolated psychological space of a traumatised soldier.The discussion situates the film within the traditions of counter-gaming, tactical media and culture jamming, comparing Pedercini’s approach with Joseph DeLappe’s dead-in-iraq. We also consider whether the soldier’s anonymity strengthens the film, why its lack of sentimentality is so effective, and how the work might be remade using a contemporary game or Unreal Engine.Content note: This episode discusses warfare, killing and post-traumatic stress disorder.Time stamps -01:49 Ricky introduces Welcome to the Desert of the Real 03:25 Paolo Pedercini, Molleindustria and America’s Army 04:07 How the film subverts a military recruitment game 05:03 PTSD, the desert and the film’s central narrative 07:25 America’s Army and the controversy around military recruitment games 08:13 The soldier’s anonymity and the limitations of character animation 09:54 The sniper sequence and its carefully controlled realism 12:05 Why the original film credits matter 13:29 Pedercini’s politically engaged games and artistic practice 16:17 Counter-gaming, tactical media and culture jamming 18:57 The PTSD checklist as the film’s driving structure 20:26 The journey towards the empty desert 21:00 From first-person shooter to psychological space 23:54 Traumatic memory and fragmented visual storytelling 24:56 Wind, white noise, tinnitus and psychological pressure 27:22 How the PTSD questions change the meaning of the images 29:54 Rejecting Hollywood sentimentality and easy resolution 30:29 Turning the military’s representational machinery against itself 32:13 Does the film need to show the soldier’s face? 32:58 Comparison with Joseph DeLappe’s dead-in-iraq 34:38 Could the film be remade with contemporary technology? 35:44 Reimagining the work in Unreal Engine 36:47 Call of Duty versus Unreal Engine 37:31 Would a remake lose the original’s political irony? 38:14 Audience question and closing remarksCredits -Co-hosts: Ricky Grove, Tracy Harwood, Damien ValentineProducer: Tracy HarwoodEditor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & Suno AI