Thursday, August 21, 2014

2013 Machinima Eitc Conference, co-organiser of Forum on Digital Cinema and Animation; Sunday Robot:Bruce, WuHu Museum of Fine Arts

http://swannbb.blogspot.fr/2013/11/machinima-eitc-conference-paper.html


Nov2013

Machinima: (實時計算機造動畫影片)

Real Time Computer Graphics for Cinematic Animation 

Shuen-git Natasha Chow  

Visiting Associate Professor
Interdisciplinary Artist
國立臺南藝術大學動畫藝術與影像美學研究所

Tainan National University of the Arts

Graduate Institute of Animation and Film Art


email: atashashuengitchow@gmail.com
http://swannbb.blogspot.com 


Machinima is the use of real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, video games are used to generate the computer animation.  It is approximately 15 years old.


My interest and creations in the virtual world has a main focus of bringing ancient Chinese culture through New Media platforms.
In this paper, I will expose two to three main types of Machinimas, and within each type a range of graphic inventiveness and specific purpose for various audiences.
The First is an online Virtual World Platform, Secondlife - which has no predetermined gaming elements, it has a blank volume for users to create their world.  It provides storage and the Graphic Engine itself with building tools and scripts.  Therefore, it is not yet a game, but an online tool for sharing real time graphic information - to create playing elements - in real time.
The Second type would be the artistic deployment of Video Game engines to record the graphic display as films.  This would include regular game play and also creative, inventive use of the characters in the game platform as "talents" in the film. 

    "Second Life's true advantage is its ability to provide a plethora of virtual filming     
    locations or, at the other extreme, a blank canvas upon which one can build an   
    environment quite inexpensively."

    -Machinima: "The Art and Practice of Virtual Filmmaking", 

     by Phylis Johnson and Donald Pettit  
I begin first with a Machinima documentary film of the functional aspects of a Virtual World. This demonstrates why for certain real life problems, a Virtual World is a breakthrough and proven to be useful in a unique way which is not possible with other forms of solutions. 

Then, I will present the various types of artistic Machinimas, for animation film making and esthetic enjoyment purpose.  

Lastly, I will show the current state of Machinima in the economic-business world and the applications of computer animation using video games graphics for commercial purpose.
Example 1:   Close identification of the avatar with the player enhances cures for Parkinson's disease.

 Secondlife investigator : what is inside the world of Secondlife?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyiiWxNguGo






 

Example 2:  Architecture 3D design students using the real time online Global online features.  
Collaboration of an architecture project between Kansas University Students with Cairo University.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz0yTqo35d8 (part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3j9g_6Zzw  (part 1)

Collaborative Work online using the platform of Secondlife in Architecture in real time
>> 3d work, visitable by both sides; USA and Egypt

There are other functional oriented Machinimas, we could imagine, simulation training for firemen, hospital care, briefing diplomats to ease into a foreign culture via a simulated foreign environment, so on so forth.

Next, we will see some Artistic Machinimas.  These are chosen for graphic, aesthetic, and quality of the story.  I will skip most "Fan-laborer"s work because they require a huge amount of enthusiasm and experience of the specific games for the delicacies of the films to be understandable.

Artistic Machinimas

Example 3: Machinima using Online game play with stylish graphics.  Habbo Hotel

  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJh0hHAkuY
Habbo Hotel :  fiction using game engine, live
>> collaborative playing, many players behaving with or without a script


Example 4:  Minecraft.  Mixed reality 


 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5sW8jxqQ5g
Minecraft : mixed reality
>> real life footage + online footage, post production work; with script


Example 5 :  Vola Vola, Fly Me.  Director : Berardo Carboni
A full feature Machinima made as a maquette for a real life film


 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbroeNoRfRk&list=PLCC11C8482D665F29

Vola Vola : film maquette shot in Secondlife as preparation for the real life feature film
>> Scripted, with real life actors manipulating the e-puppets (avatars), actors are from around the world, Japan, USA, Italy, Amsterdam.  90mn 
Notice the graphics inside the computer of the sl avatar.  What we see is Secondlife roaming around by Secondlife avatar.  Its a Secondlife for Secondlife avatar. 


Example 6 : Testing of tools in Secondlife.  
Incrustation of video display with Chroma screen for a short film.

 

http://youtu.be/3d8qm3iKlM8 
>> Chroma Green screen with giant tv viewing, live footage from Secondlife.
There are many filming tools created by third parties for the Secondlife platform.  And many cinema sets created for film making.

Example 7 : Testing of a short Machinima+real life (Tainan), screening in Secondlife. 
This is a live screening at the Digital Guqin Museum Garden Lot.

 

Example 8 : Testing of tools in Secondlife.  
Virtual World platform used as a testing ground, a studio for sculpture modelling.  It has the advantage of allowing visitors to see the work and walk around it in 3d



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5F1IG0BiAI
 Mock up of a real sculpture

Example 9 : Interview of Motion Capture creator in sl+rl, Drax Files  
An animation maker using Motion Capture, the way he works in real life for sl, Scotland.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nSJpzzN4Ug
 Drax Files: interview of a motion capture artist in sl from Scotland


Example 10 : Re building a movie set for the pleasure of visitors.  Playing. 
The movie set Spirited Away was re-created in Secondlife by a Fan-artist.  
Visitors could walk around the scenes and be the talent, with personal stories.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enHDecbrCqU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUXPta2koTQ
Spirited away in Secondlife
LEA 10-19 are movie sets for avatar uses. And LEA 7 is a temporary movie set, it changes all the time.

Example 11 : The Third Cat : MosMax+Chris Marker's Machinima in Secondlife 
http://vimeo.com/16533965



THE THIRD CAT from gorrr aka. Mosmax on Vimeo.
Chris Markers cat visits Secondlife locations




Example 12 : Music video "Pixelated Truth" ; winning entry by FuzOnAcid and Fuschia Nightfire 2011


Pop Art Lab Music video contest ; Music :: Giana Factory
film by ::  FuzOnAcid and Fuschia Nightfire 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trgpDU8eCJw

 Example 12.1 : A simple poetic Machinima/animation film based on a flash game. 
This is a simple online flash game, after filming the various sequences together, you get different endings of an animation film.  There is no group participation here.  Only a record of the "film", game play that you have seen/experienced.




 Flash game -> machinima (video of the play)
Playable game online here: 
http://jayisgames.com/games/but-that-was-yesterday/


In China 

Example 13 : Massive Virtual World simulation trainings for sales-personnels. 

http://www.ctitv.com.tw/news_video_c15v147120.html
Secondlife expert from Taiwan Nomilly Valeska :
A professor from Taiwan, specialist in Secondlife comments that, 3D virtual world's specific functions are right here, for commercial training purpose.  
Why do we Taiwanese not see this future? 
3D虛擬世界的功用就在此,為何台灣這麼多人看不到這前景?








Elsewhere 
Functional + Entertainment + Cultural Heritage

Example 14 : Canadian Hospitals investments in Simulation trainings for Health Care.
>>Simulation for practical purpose ie hospitals.  Canadian hospitals (private internal sim)
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=919306&playlistId=1.1266296&binId=1.815897&playlistPageNum=1


Example 15 : Digital Guqin Museum Stone Castle bldg found which was used as a club in a Western Style setting
Came across this castle and I purchased the same and did interior settings to make it the Digital Guqin Museum Home  (no machinima footage, only stills for memory)

 

Example 16 : Digital Guqin Museum Stone Castle used as a Guqin Playing Venue
Borrowed setting of another persons Stone Castle to test the ambiance.




Example 17 : Digital Guqin Museum Stone Castle used as a Guqin Playing Venue
Final Digital Guqin Museum setting; with interactive White Board Graffitti wall, Mahjong Table (real game for playing with other avatars or by yourself), Library, guqin playing costumes (all free)



Free costumes.  
Real life Universities used Secondlife for training fashion.  ie London College of Fashion.




Example 18 : Digital Guqin Museum Stone Castle used as a Guqin Playing Venue
Prize winning Guqin Book (Swedish and English) by Professor Cecilia Linqvist




Example 19 : Digital Guqin Museum presentation live with Transmusicale Event with Rennes, France. 
Mixed Reality event, this was filmed from both in Virtual World and Real World, there is a documentary Machinima archived by the Transmusicale Organiser.  On screen, you see the real world live streaming - it is a two way transfer.  The viewers see the Virtual World and could talk to the avatar and the avatar could see the action in the Real World.  Somewhat like Skype - but from RW to VW and back.




Example 20 : Digital Guqin Museum presentation live with Transmusicale Event with Rennes, France.  
Real Life newspaper coverage.





Example 21 : 3D narrative driven Videogame as Art // Art Games :: 
Spiritual, esthetic, or simply fun without other functional purpose games
>> :: gamers poetic games, and Videoart as art in a museum. 


Goal Oriented games with artistic renderings and traditional story telling
"Myst" ( started work in 1991- released 1993)
creators:: Brothers Rand and Robyn Miller, with help from sound designer Chris Brandkamp, 3D artist and animator, Chuck Carter, Richard Watson, Bonnie McDowall, and Ryan Miller, who together made up Cyan, Inc. 

"Myst" (1993)


 
  
"Myst 5" (2005)




 
Example 22 :  Non-narrative Secondlife creative artistic experiences sims :: 
 "Clock Island" (2007, no longer exists), no specific goal
 Franck Mullers clocks, time machines, fashion, mystery treasure hunt game + time space ambiance immersive experience

 Clock Island :  the clock tower with ever falling numbers in a background of white



  Inside the ever-falling numbers Timer - Clock tower.  
 

Clock Island and the Franck Muller dress gift : Fashion w the time theme






Example 23 :  Non-narrative environment in Secondlife for creative play and commercial real life+virtual world experiences
"Greenies" (up to 2009 no longer exists)
Spaceship theme with tiny green spacemen in a 50s kitchen setting - the sim offers merchandise - ie tiny green avatars, accessories, playthings.  Served as a virtual world advertising backdrop for real life L'Oreal products etc.
Exploratory sets for events to happen.  Players create the events, and the sim owner host commercial events as well.  Successful match of commercial with ludic activities.  Parallel to real life Disney Land, where the commercial is the target driven by the playful.


Swannjie plays the guqin to two avatars on the guitar




Guitar sits on the kitchen table



L'Oreal makeup promotions in real life : playful campaign event in Secondlife cost 100k
http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/a-strikingly-fresh-approach-to-real-world-advertising-in-second-life/ 




Example 24 :  Non-narrative environment in Secondlife for creative play and education of graphic tools.
"Second China" (artistic sim from Hangzhou Academy of the Arts)
This is a privately funded sim largely popular as an artistic hangout.
The teacher teaches Virtual World as a tool for other uses.  It is not supported by the school itself. 

Swannjie visits China sim, installs house in a Chinese landscape by Aston Leison 




Example 25 :  Online interactive artistic games: "Hotel", on Arte-Creative TV.

"Hotel" began as a machinima animation, the story is further transposed to an online platform, funded by French Arte-Creative tv
http://www.gamescenes.org/2010/04/event-atopic-machinima-film-festival-paris-2009.html
http://vimeo.com/38380296

"HOTEL" trailer from Benjamin Nuel on Vimeo.
Terrorists from two camps in a retirement home.
http://vimeo.com/38380296
http://creative.arte.tv/en/search/gss/Nuel




Example 26.1 : Machinima as artistic animation, graphics with music
"Standby", by Bryn Oh


Example 26.2 : Machinima as artistic animation, graphics with music.
http://vimeo.com/5543976




Example 27 :  Real Time Animation :: Machinima ::for passive viewers as a video in the style of Disney
http://www.pixelvalleystudio.com/
A real time 3d animation studio


 

Source Filmmaker Test: Bromley and Winfield

Using a recycled character from a game, gd facial expression, gd acting, a la Disney. Mar27 2013 pixelvalleystudio 


Example 28 :  Filmed in real life, with post production painting :: rotoscoping - "A Waking Life" (not really machinima)



What is interesting here, is the characters faces, they are "rotoscopic painting" style - so its a human figure that does not pretend to be realistic.
It is painted on, like the characters in the movie "A Waking Life" - in fact, this is a way of making "A Waking Life" type of graphics but in animation without having to paint every frame!

If I dressed up my sl avatar in "line drawing" skin, then, the character would be "line drawing" person walking, talking, moving in a simulated realistic landscape.

And my character could be in any type of skin.  Its just the background would still be the realistic graphics of existing sl.

In any painting, the foreground and background should be in the same graphic conditions - otherwise the mixing of "genre of painting" would give the viewer of the painting additional meanings that might not be intended.  For example to have a real person walking around in a cartoon styled country side - mixing of two different genres - would be sending additional message and not the same as a real person walking around in a real country side.

Images of the Graphic Novel: The Walking Dead
http://collider.com/comic-con-the-walking-dead-robert-kirkman/ 


Some figures:

Machinima  : for the amateur video gamer market

Machinima, the art of creating animated videos in real-time virtual game environments.
 

'Machinima', is a portmanteau of the words 'machine' and 'cinema',[5] and relates to the use and manipulation of video-game technology to create animations.[6] The website has helped to bring attention to machinima, the art of creating animated videos in real-time virtual game environments, and to encourage productions based on game engines other than those of id Software's first-person shooter computer game series Quake.[7] As of July 4, 2013, Machinima has over 663,204 followers on Twitter,[8] 1.19 million fans on Facebook,[9] and over 8,374,592 subscribers to its YouTube channel

As a Multi Channel Network Machinima has over 5000 partners worldwide[45] who are contracted to produce video content under the Machinima brand.[6] The company has been criticised for the use of perpetual contracts.[46] Ben Vacas, known to the YouTube community as 'Braindeadly', attracted media attention in January 2013 over contractual issues with Machinima.[47] Under the terms of his contract, Machinima were permitted to place advertisements on Vacas's videos and in return he would receive a percentage of the profits generated.[47] However, the contract also disclosed that it existed "in perpetuity";[46] meaning Machinima would hold the rights to any content created by Vacas published on his partnered youtube channel in his lifetime, a detail Vacas failed to read.[46]  (- wikipedia)  

Tracing the origin of Video games/graphics/narration : 

The question of whether Video games has to be goal oriented as "winning/losing" has been studied as far back as cd-rom games: 
Die Veterranen 1995
Sequences of interactive narratives leads to philosophical questions and does not lead to any preset winning or losing targets.

http://www.gamescenes.org/2013/06/video-owen-goss-is-it-art-or-is-it-a-game-2013.html
 
Art in the Age of Videogames

Conclusion: 

Mainstream Players "gaming" objectives have not changed, they will have their Machinima channel with game play sharing as the primary motivation.  These films are made by "fan-laborers", and the sheer number of gamers brings massive advertising and business opportunities.

The second group, are "players" who want their video game as Art and their Machinima to be Art oriented.   There are less of these Machinimas, which are high quality memorable poetic feelings captured in a contemporary poetic visual language.

The third group, driven by business opportunity and necessity, are Machinimas powerfully funded: because it is useful and could solve real life problems and could bring us a better world.  This last group include real life simulation training, and simultaneous cultural events, cultural heritage sharing, University education, general language school, book publishing, and many other types of e-learning possibilities.  These will be embraced through professional research and development. 

Cultural Heritage via an immersive playing environment
Example 29 :  A real life Guqin Elegant gathering (雅集) in 2013, Oct, Kyoto
 

Muka Fushimi playing guqin. This immediately puts into my mind, many years ago - a certain sl avatar was invited to do her first performance. I am not saying this is the same level of expertise, but the setting, the way people are sitting all around, is unlike most yajis (雅集), but really similar to the the sl experience.


A Secondlife Guqin Concert presentation, in Sept 2008, organised by Owl Bay Island (Portuguese High School Group in real life) for a Chinese Culture Festival.  During the event, avatars are also invited to try the instrument.  They all did and enjoyed it very much.  The event lasted approximately 1 hour with 30mn question and answer.

 

Lower right picture, of a Secondlife Guqin Concert (Yaji), and a lot of people came dressed in their Asian fineries - freely interpreted.  Its for fun and a first introduction to the Guqin instrument through microscopic steps of playing.

Machinima - the making of it
The making of a Machinima is real life because it is real time.  It lives in our memories, its an active animation which stays in our minds! 

The version we see are our sharing of an experience, be it a game play, a social event, an exploration or an adventure beyond our comfort zone.  
Everybody is a "talent" in the making of a Machinima.  


 --- Reference sources: 
wikipedia - machinima; visual arts journals
google - video games, online flash games
machinima film festivals - Atopic Festival, Paris, 2009

Virtual World Machinimas of Secondlife:  

Example 30 :  An interview with Rod Humble, CEO of Secondlife.  June 2013
Explanation of research and development of Secondlife's future.



blogs - new world notes, Dusan Writer,
Phylis Johnson and Donald Pettit, "Machinima: The Art and Practice of Virtual Filmmaking", publ.McFarland Publishing,  2012

  

Edited by Henry Lowood and Michael Nitsche, "The Machinima Reader", publ.MIT Press


 

Edited by Matteo Bittanti & Henry Lowood, "Machinima! Teorie. Pratiche. Dialoghi. ",  Edizioni Unicopli

http://giotto.ibs.it/cop/cop.aspx?s=B&f=170&x=0&e=9788840016542



Edited by Jenna Ng, "Understanding Machinima ",  Publ. Bloomsbury Academic, 2013
 
Media of Understanding Machinima

First hand data
http://swannbb.blogspot.tw/2010/09/digital-guqin-museum-rlsl-research.html
http://swannbb.blogspot.tw/2013/02/huahui-huakui-mobile-music-house.html

More:
http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=39808

http://m.udn.com/xhtml/ViewFreeArticle?type=news&cate=0&page=1&articleid=3559571&sn=1
台灣知名機造影片(Machinima)團隊「AFK PL@YERS」在全球影片大賽中勇奪亞軍 

An example of a "Fans" category Machinima created by Taiwanese Machinima Film maker group AFK PL@YERS .  The creators have won a Second prize at an International Machinima film festival and will next try to create their own scripts and characters.


== end == 

概括摘要 

實時計算機造動畫影片


Machinima Machine計算機 + Cinema影片
的動畫影片.  這類動畫利用實時計算機圖形引擎,來創建的一種合成電腦圖像動畫。大多數的實時計算機動畫都是從電腦遊戲裏的人物預定動作借用過來, 加上新的遊戲規則, 再把這新的畫面, 故事取橋段錄影再編輯成影片.  玩家(MMORPG : massive multiple online role playing games = 大規模, 多人物在線角色扮演遊戲) 操作人物 - 如同一種電玩傀儡娃娃 - 與其他在線的玩家共同創作的實時動畫視頻遊戲的計算機動畫。

我的興趣和創作的主要焦點是 通過新媒體的平台 - 如虛擬世界 - 把中國古代藝術文化帶到當代.   透過各種當代數字實時動畫, 我嘗試把古中國文化保存及介紹; 以便當代的跨國世界人- 老少來者都不拒 - 都可以體驗; 無論有強烈儀式化, 需要典範的, 到從容自由自在的, 各式各樣的中華文化的詩意; 都可以開始親近.

我將介紹三類主要實時電腦動畫.  連帶精選的例子給大家分享.  每種類型的主要挑選原則以其獨特創新的用途及表現手法的藝術性為先.  大多數的在線玩家的"粉絲"作品將不會被包括在內.

第一類: 生活實用及教育
醫療用途, 教學用途: 外語, 建築, 設計, 時裝, 危急情況模擬訓練, 社交禮節, 禮儀; 綱上買賣商業, 虛擬商店, 廣告活動

"第二人生" 2003- (SecondLife = sl)的在線的免費虛擬世界平台- 這是最大最多人用的沒有既定的遊戲元素的創作平台.  所有見到的人物,互相, 故事都是用戶創造的, 是他們自己的微形, 精神內在轉化成畫面的世界. "第二人生"開始時是空白的.  只提供存儲圖形工能及引擎建設工具, 沒有腳本。因此,它是不是一個遊戲,而是一個在線工具,分享實時圖文信息 - 實時打造扮演角色的各種要素 。

第二類: 藝術, 文化, 實驗, 創造

有或沒有腳本的遊戲記錄編輯成動畫電影藝術。
這包括原形遊戲的人物及動作被大幅度改編情節來創作成新的另類, 非主流電影故事. 玩家使用在遊戲中已預設的塲景, 動作來創造要說的故事 或 音影藝術效果。玩家本身就是主角; 與他人互動的過程就是故事的來源.  他可以很抽離地造實驗, 也可以將自己作為縮小的自我來延伸到真身上.

這類的重點在於開發還未存在, 或現實中不可能存在的情景. 
例 1 : 一個行為藝術作品: 實時環球性共同參觀一朵花的內部結構, 和在裏面遊走及與偶然相遇的人交往.   
例 2 :  創建一座單間雲中高樓: 一朵有電梯功能的小花為家!  而這朵花是有真人接收的聖誕禮物.  這個建築創作的藝術性遠遠超過一般的實用性, 是個別人類感情世界透過象徵性實物呈現的共通詩意藝術性創作.

第三類: 商業
視頻遊戲動畫作商業用途的經濟效益和電腦遊戲動畫的應用狀態。

以上各類都有例子, 請各位自行進入, 啟動在線錄像觀賞.

http://www.eitc.org/conferences/eita-new-media-2013/planning-committee
scroll down, look under Shuengit Natasha Chow, click on “viewgraphs
or
http://swannbb.blogspot.tw/2013/11/machinima-eitc-conference-paper.html 


周 旋 捷  
"新媒體與數字藝術"
客座副教授
國立臺南藝術大學動畫藝術與影像美學研究所
atashashuengitchow@gmail.com 




Conference Lunch with YU WeiCheng, Geisen, Anna Khan, Shuen-git Chow, Tu GuoHsiung, Janaka, Robi Engler, Prof from Applied Music Dept




===


Sunday Robot : Bruce 2013
stainless steel  50cm x 50cm x 50cm

Selected for Liu KaiQu Exhibition, Wuhu Museum of Fine Art, PRC 2013


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