Phil Rice (Overman) and his new cohost Ricky Grove take on the topic of Pro Machinima [EDIT: Part 1 - Game Company Employment] Who has gone pro in this way? What impact has it had on the community? And what can you do to put yourself on a path which might one day lead to a game developer’s doorstep?

Thank you for listening! As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated.

This Week’s Hot List (URLs from the show’s content):

• Music Credits for this show:
  • Opening music is by Nine Inch Nails, from the album Ghosts, the track title is “26 Ghosts III,” from the third CD in that 4-disc set.
  • The music for Ricky’s World of Sound #1 is from Magnatune.com. The artist is Swivel Neck Jones, the album is Deep Life and the cut is “Arlo’s Auto Parts and Salvation”.
  • Both musical selections are used under the Creative Commons license graciously chosen by these artists. Please consider supporting them with a music purchase if you enjoy these tunes.
• Molotov Alva Reviews:
  • The Boston Globe: ‘Molotov’ launches the virtual reality show
  • The Hollywood Reporter: Television Review: ‘Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey’
  • The Toledo Blade: ‘Molotov Alva’ is like looking in a funhouse mirror
• Online Machinima Film Festival 2008
• Mass Effect Comes to PC (May 28)
• DiVAS Season 1 Finale is May 31
• Ricky’s Wonderful World of Sound #1
  • Download the sound effects (152 MB .zip file)
• Topic: Pro Machinima [EDIT: Part 1 - Game Company Employment]
• Those who have gone pro (Name [website, if available] / Example Film or Project / Where they now work):
  • Tristan Pope / Converse WoW Ad / Blizzard Entertainment
  • Terran Gregory / Return / Blizzard Entertainment
  • Ezra Furgeson / Return / Blizzard Entertainment [EDIT: Correction - I’m told Ezra does not work for Blizzard, my mistake. -Phil]
  • Ken Thain / The Everseason / Bioware
  • Jonathan Perry / Inside the Machinima / Bioware
  • Nathan Moller / Just a Game / Bioware
  • Jason Choi / Edge of Remorse / Shiny Entertainment / Double Helix Games
  • Todd Stallkamp / The Fixer / Electronic Arts (EA Games)
  • Paul Marino / I’m Still Seeing Breen / Bioware
  • Michelle Pettit-Me / The Snow Witch / Bioware
  • Ingrid Moon / The Machinima Road Show / Disney
  • Brandon Dennis / Inventing Swear Words / WeGame.com
  • Matt Kelland, Dave Lloyd / No License / Moviestorm
  • Johnnie Ingram, Ben Sanders / BloodSpell / Moviestorm
  • Zachariah Scott / Combine Nation / Bioware
  • Robert Stoneman / Rusty Whispers: Dennis / Bioware
• If you want to get the attention of a game developer and go this route, what can we learn from those hired above?
  • Have a commitment to quality in your work
  • Build relevant skills
    • Demonstrating that you know your way around (at least) one of the more advanced game machinima toolkits, like Source (Half-Life 2) or Unreal Tournament, is a big plus
    • Study everything you can to become a better director and cinematographer (the games which have cinematic designers want them to feel like interactive movies)
    • Develop an eye for design - use of color, use of light - and let that show in your work
    • Any relevant skills not directly related to machinima can set you apart - sound design, CGI knowledge (3ds Max, Maya, etc.), training in filmmaking, etc.
  • Networking can help; knowing someone already at the company can sometimes help you get a foot in the door, but ultimately it comes down to what can you do (show don’t tell), how well can you work in a team, aptitude to learn new tools, etc.