For those who do not know what Machinima is: Machinima is defined as using a pre-existing 3D engine, mainly a video game, to create a storytelling experience. The main games used for Machinima are Halo, Half Life and Grand Theft Auto IV, however others can be done with enough patience.
Anyway, while scrolling through Machinima's YT channel, I caught a glimpse of a machinima video called Not Another Day by iNocturne. I never heard of the director and since the video was done in Halo 3, which is not done often since the release of Halo: Reach, I decided to give it a chance. What I got in return surprised me quite a bit for both good and bad reasons. Is this a video you should sit down and watch or one to pass up?
Story:
I was curious as to how a video could have an intricate or cohesive plot within a span of 9 minutes without any continuing video or story. This is the machinima?s weakest point; that?s not to say it was terrible but rather that it?s the aspect of the video that is lacking behind all the rest. Revolving around an unnamed Spartan, the story focuses on his mission to ?assassinate? two suspicious characters that are in charge of a fish organization. Sound odd? Just wait. The Spartan arrives at the docks where the HQ is located and is able to successfully enter the facility with no problem. Arriving at the leader?s main room, he kills both the elite and human in charge of the operation as planned and is disgruntled over the fact that he has yet to receive his payment for previous and current missions.
The problem with Not Another Day?s story is that it is unclear of what its identity is. It tries to find the line between humor and 1980?s neo-noir films. The dialogue is laughable and I?m not sure whether it was to be intentional or unintentional. One of the conversations between the leader and the Spartan goes as follows:
Do you think you can bring me down? Look at all the power armor I?m wearing! I have no idea what you?re talking about! Must be some some pathetic cop-talk!
I?m not a cop; I am more than that. I am a Spartan and the best one on this Earth!
So you?re a Spartan?a Spartan? I?ll never turn myself in!
I guess I have no choice
I?d rather die in the most horrific way possible!
Who honestly talks like that? For one thing if the leader is wearing power armor, why is he boasting about it? It?s clearly evident that the Spartan is wearing power armor as well. Boasting about the quantity of his power armor makes no sense as he is wearing a Hayabusa helmet with Recon chest plate and Mark VI shoulder pads. There were several guards with CQB Helmets and the Spartan is wearing Recon helmet with EVA chest plate. The quantity makes no difference; if he had boasted about the quality of his armor, then that would?ve made more sense. It could?ve provided more insight as to his wealth being able to afford high quality power armor and in turn creating a more tense moment. Also, how do we know the Spartan is the ?best one on this Earth?? Is he the last one? Is he ranked or is he simply spilling out nonsense?
The machinima is not sure of what it wants to be and in turn causes the viewer to have an odd mix of emotions. Is one supposed to laugh at how cliché the storyline is or was that the point? The ?organization? is also a realization that causes one to be confused; a fish organization? Between Elites and Humans? Are fishes going extinct and are very valuable nutritional assets? That seems highly unlikely; unless the two were using fishes as a mean to smuggle drugs or an illegal substance, there is no reason as to why they should be killed. For that matter, how does a man in charge of a fish organization get enough money to afford power armor?
Overall the story is nonsensical yet it?s nothing terrible, as it seems to try to tell a good story, which I can give the writer a break for trying.
Cinematography/Editing:
This is where the machinima shines; the video oozes style. From the opening scenery shots to the final shot, one can tell that the director put a lot of hard work into making each shot look beautiful. The lighting effects create a dark, moody atmosphere while the cinematography compliments it wonderfully. Other than a few moments where the camera slows down or speeds up too quickly, the cinematography is great. Certain aspects of the editing are hit or miss; the helmet camera effect was well done however the dark lighting caused the words on screen to be barely readable. Another instance of hard to read text is during the credits where I had to squint and raise the brightness of my computer as high as it could go to read what it said. The quality of the video dropped at some points for odd reasons and the blood splatter effect was not well done. The editing was great but far from perfect.
Voice Acting:
I?ll start off by saying these actors shouldn?t quit their day jobs; they?re not good by any means but are they horrible? No. They?re bland and at times they can be decent but that?s as high as they?ll go. The main character?s VA played the role as if he was a college student; he seemed too laid back and cocky. I ended up getting an Ash Ketchum vibe from him during his scene with the leader and was worried he would break out singing ?I want to be the very best?. The Director was alright but it felt forced, rather than a natural speaking tone, which causes a few cringing moments. The last voice actor who played the Leader went way over the top. He seemed to me as if he was a villain out of a Saturday morning cartoon such as Saturday Morning Watchmen. Boasting about his success until he?s defeated about thirty seconds later. I wanted to hear a ?wah-wah? effect after his death. The voice acting was meh but nothing that you can?t get through.
Should this be a machinima to sit down and watch? Yes. It?s not perfect or amazing but it is enjoyable for what it is; if you enjoy noir films especially those made in the 80s, then you'll most likely enjoy this video.
Overall Score:
6/10
I hope you guys enjoyed this review; I have never done a review before, so any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.
Anyway, while scrolling through Machinima's YT channel, I caught a glimpse of a machinima video called Not Another Day by iNocturne. I never heard of the director and since the video was done in Halo 3, which is not done often since the release of Halo: Reach, I decided to give it a chance. What I got in return surprised me quite a bit for both good and bad reasons. Is this a video you should sit down and watch or one to pass up?
Story:
I was curious as to how a video could have an intricate or cohesive plot within a span of 9 minutes without any continuing video or story. This is the machinima?s weakest point; that?s not to say it was terrible but rather that it?s the aspect of the video that is lacking behind all the rest. Revolving around an unnamed Spartan, the story focuses on his mission to ?assassinate? two suspicious characters that are in charge of a fish organization. Sound odd? Just wait. The Spartan arrives at the docks where the HQ is located and is able to successfully enter the facility with no problem. Arriving at the leader?s main room, he kills both the elite and human in charge of the operation as planned and is disgruntled over the fact that he has yet to receive his payment for previous and current missions.
The problem with Not Another Day?s story is that it is unclear of what its identity is. It tries to find the line between humor and 1980?s neo-noir films. The dialogue is laughable and I?m not sure whether it was to be intentional or unintentional. One of the conversations between the leader and the Spartan goes as follows:
Do you think you can bring me down? Look at all the power armor I?m wearing! I have no idea what you?re talking about! Must be some some pathetic cop-talk!
I?m not a cop; I am more than that. I am a Spartan and the best one on this Earth!
So you?re a Spartan?a Spartan? I?ll never turn myself in!
I guess I have no choice
I?d rather die in the most horrific way possible!
Who honestly talks like that? For one thing if the leader is wearing power armor, why is he boasting about it? It?s clearly evident that the Spartan is wearing power armor as well. Boasting about the quantity of his power armor makes no sense as he is wearing a Hayabusa helmet with Recon chest plate and Mark VI shoulder pads. There were several guards with CQB Helmets and the Spartan is wearing Recon helmet with EVA chest plate. The quantity makes no difference; if he had boasted about the quality of his armor, then that would?ve made more sense. It could?ve provided more insight as to his wealth being able to afford high quality power armor and in turn creating a more tense moment. Also, how do we know the Spartan is the ?best one on this Earth?? Is he the last one? Is he ranked or is he simply spilling out nonsense?
The machinima is not sure of what it wants to be and in turn causes the viewer to have an odd mix of emotions. Is one supposed to laugh at how cliché the storyline is or was that the point? The ?organization? is also a realization that causes one to be confused; a fish organization? Between Elites and Humans? Are fishes going extinct and are very valuable nutritional assets? That seems highly unlikely; unless the two were using fishes as a mean to smuggle drugs or an illegal substance, there is no reason as to why they should be killed. For that matter, how does a man in charge of a fish organization get enough money to afford power armor?
Overall the story is nonsensical yet it?s nothing terrible, as it seems to try to tell a good story, which I can give the writer a break for trying.
Cinematography/Editing:
This is where the machinima shines; the video oozes style. From the opening scenery shots to the final shot, one can tell that the director put a lot of hard work into making each shot look beautiful. The lighting effects create a dark, moody atmosphere while the cinematography compliments it wonderfully. Other than a few moments where the camera slows down or speeds up too quickly, the cinematography is great. Certain aspects of the editing are hit or miss; the helmet camera effect was well done however the dark lighting caused the words on screen to be barely readable. Another instance of hard to read text is during the credits where I had to squint and raise the brightness of my computer as high as it could go to read what it said. The quality of the video dropped at some points for odd reasons and the blood splatter effect was not well done. The editing was great but far from perfect.
Voice Acting:
I?ll start off by saying these actors shouldn?t quit their day jobs; they?re not good by any means but are they horrible? No. They?re bland and at times they can be decent but that?s as high as they?ll go. The main character?s VA played the role as if he was a college student; he seemed too laid back and cocky. I ended up getting an Ash Ketchum vibe from him during his scene with the leader and was worried he would break out singing ?I want to be the very best?. The Director was alright but it felt forced, rather than a natural speaking tone, which causes a few cringing moments. The last voice actor who played the Leader went way over the top. He seemed to me as if he was a villain out of a Saturday morning cartoon such as Saturday Morning Watchmen. Boasting about his success until he?s defeated about thirty seconds later. I wanted to hear a ?wah-wah? effect after his death. The voice acting was meh but nothing that you can?t get through.
Should this be a machinima to sit down and watch? Yes. It?s not perfect or amazing but it is enjoyable for what it is; if you enjoy noir films especially those made in the 80s, then you'll most likely enjoy this video.
Overall Score:
6/10
I hope you guys enjoyed this review; I have never done a review before, so any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.