Is Machinima only for gamers?

Ben_S wrote:

Maybe the biggest problem at the moment with machinima (and particularly Moviestorm) is that creating it requires the same sort of well spec'd (IE expensive) hardware that would be used by gamers.

Thus it is far more accessible to gamers, who already have such hardware, than to other people whose previous PC requirement was that it should support Office, email and web access.

Ben, the new computer we bought just a couple of months ago cost under $1000 and it has a 20 inche flat screen monitor and a Geforce card. In fact I think it was just a little over $800. That is not an expensive machine. It works beautifully with Moviestorm, has 300 gig harddrive and 3 gigs of ram. And you can buy it making payments. This is not out of the range for anyone really. And if you build a box yourself or upgrade one it can be even cheaper.

And of course the audience doesn't have to have that good a machine to view the movies. It is the audience I am looking for. Here we are all filmmakers so we aren't that big an audience. But I do see your point. I wonder if research has been done that shows any demographics worldwide of who are gamers and who would have a better machine. I suspect that most are men, the majority are probably asian. I also wonder how that compares to independent filmmakers. I suspect there are a lot of female independent filmmakers worldwide. Why? Because it is so hard for women to make it in the mainstream film industry. All the arts are still male dominated. Gaming is male dominated, otherwise you wouldn't see game companies making so many war and action games.

But we have two different types of people using computers - gamers and people who just use the internet and are interested in watching films and shows on the internet. And I also don't believe that one should assume that all women make romance movies. I don't make romance movies. I don't even watch romantic movies. I make movies that are a combination of comedy, mystery, drama, social and political comment with a bit of romance.

But also that is the great thing about internet exposure. You don't have to depend upon one group to get your films watched. It isn't necessary to have a million people view your film. It is enough if 1000 people view it. Then you make decisions - for my part, do I keep tellling these stories the way I do or should I make an action/thriller gun slinging movie with lots of bad ass characters and steriotype women. I can do it. I can write anything. Do I want to spend my time doing this just to get my movies watched? Actually I don't. I can, but I don't want to do that.

It is just like with art where I could have made a lot of pretty art fair pictures that would have made money. I didn't do that then either. It is kind of do you remain true to your self or do you become a business?

Hugh Hancock has just posted a blog entry on a very similar topic.

johnnie wrote:

Hugh Hancock has just posted a blog entry on a very similar topic.

I just read the whole thing - the blog. Very good. However, did you realize that on YOU TUBE you can just push the view button thousands of times (or have other people do it to) to raise the count? YEP it is true. So don't be so worried or envious of all those people whose videos on You Tube get so many viewers. I can't say this here (oops a bit ribald) but my husband says "Don't worry about computer geeks and gamers, the are just a bunch of pimply faced 13 year olds - doing something unmentionable - with their keyboards."

To comment more on Hugh's blog - the problem the people making those movies from Halo or other games is that all they are doing is putting more money in the pockets of a game design company, not their own. They don't design or own anything they make with those games. I do know that Unreal Tournament II has released it's editing tools and will sell licenses to those wanting to make films from it. Other than that, all of them are very propriatary on the rights of their product. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am not going to waste my valuable time making films with a product that I never will own or benefit from or really be able to distribute on my own for a game company that isn't paying MY mortgage. But I am the daughter of two artists who taught us to never do number paintings and always do our own original work.

For me, I know exactly why I am doing this. I have NEVER compromised myself in my life and it has been a long one. And I have been successful and happy and I've made some really good art. Those filmmakers who want to do this, who want to make a lot of money, it is your choice. I just know what is right for me. I will continue to make the movies I make and I will get them promoted and I will get viewers too.

Nomad, I loved your movie. If you want to go the game route to gain fame, do it, but remember you still have an audience around and someone who appreciates your work. Oh by the way, I also love Yeats, Keats and Blake.

lucindamc123 wrote:

"Don't worry about computer geeks and gamers, the are just a bunch of pimply faced 13 year olds - doing something unmentionable - with their keyboards."

...I resent that comment. Like if we didnt have enough generalization already.

Ok, I'm genuinely curious here.

Why did the blog post that Johnnie references make you (and apparently quite a few other people) think that my message was "abandon everything that isn't a game!"?

I've re-read it a few times, and I don't really get where that's coming from.

Lionheart wrote:

lucindamc123 wrote:

"Don't worry about computer geeks and gamers, the are just a bunch of pimply faced 13 year olds - doing something unmentionable - with their keyboards."

...I resent that comment. Like if we didnt have enough generalization already.

You need to get a better sense of humor. I have teenagers at home myself.

Well Hugh, I did get the idea that you thought the major audience and reception was gamers here on the internet. But if you take a look at TV and see some of the top rated shows, the general ENTERTAINMENT audience is very different. Especially with summer reruns coming on and a possible actors strike here in the US in June, more and more people might turn to the internet for entertainment. We never know what the future holds in this medium. Anyone who could predict that would be really rich. Ask anyone who has ever created or tried to sell a script to a studio. Look at all the movies and shows that are developed that flop. There isn't any kind of rule you can apply to figure out what a fickle audience is going to like. And it is the same in this venue.

It isn't like selling any other kind of product. For instance, I sell on Ebay. I did my research and found out what sells and since my interest and knowledge just happened to be with vintage clothing and costumes, I did very well with it.

Would anyone else like to do some research on this subject? I am going to but I don't know if I will find anything that will be useful.