And Now For Something Completely Machinima

51:48

S6 E244 Father Frags Best: Phil Rice Revisits a Quake...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/10/01

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

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23:43

S6 E243 Frozen in Battle: TMC’s MechWarrior Dioramas...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/09/17

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

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25:34

S6 E242 Pirate Beats and Precision Editing: JT...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/09/10

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

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31:40

S6 E241 Machinima News Omnibus (Sept 2026)

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/09/03

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

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38:44

S6 E240 Political Machinima, PTSD and America’s Army...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/08/27

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

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39:19

S6 E239 MUELEN: Horror Beyond Los Santos (Aug 2026)

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/08/20

In this episode, we discuss MUELEN, a GTA V machinima written and directed by Troy Hamilton and created by Greenhouse Light Show. The film was runner-up in the Machinimay 2026 competition and stands out for its slow, atmospheric approach to horror.Rather than relying on action or spectacle, MUELEN tells a mysterious story about grief, trauma and a man struggling to understand what has happened around him. The film gradually blurs memory, reality and the supernatural, leaving the audience to

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38:45

S6 E238 The Art of the Duel (Aug 2026)

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/08/13

This week we take a fascinating detour into the world of Star Wars fan filmmaking by looking at a project that recreates a deleted lightsaber duel between Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku from Revenge of the Sith, reimagined entirely in the visual style of The Clone Wars. Although the completed animation lasts barely thirty seconds, we quickly discover that the real achievement lies in the filmmaker's six-minute breakdown of the creative process. Rather than producing a straightforward

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34:12

S6 E237 Machinima News Omnibus (Aug 2026)

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/08/06

This week, the discussion centres on several significant developments across the machinima community, from community news and preservation of machinima history to new creative tools and the future of filmmaking platforms. The strongest recurring theme is how classic machinima practices are re-emerging through contemporary game engines and software, suggesting a renewed interest in machinima as a creative medium.The episode opens with a tribute to Mike Joyce, longtime collaborator of Kate

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31:35

S6 E236 Severance Through Portal: Reimagining...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/07/30

Featured Film: Severance Opening Titles Recreated in Portal by Brian KissigThis episode explores an exceptional reinterpretation of the title sequence from Severance, recreated using Portal assets in Unreal Engine and Cinema 4D. Rather than simply assessing the technical achievement, the discussion develops into a broader conversation about adaptation, symbolism, machinima as an artistic practice, and the relationship between filmmaking and game-making.Phil introduces the film as a

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17:33

S6 E235 The Wild World of TikTok Machinima (July 2026)

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/07/16

This week, Phil takes the crew on an unexpected tour through the strange and rapidly evolving world of TikTok, presenting a curated compilation of game-inspired videos that blur the boundaries between machinima, gameplay, performance and digital art. Rather than searching for polished cinematic productions, the discussion explores the platform's distinctive culture of short-form creative expression, where humour, experimentation and disposable entertainment coexist with moments of genuine

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30:05

S6 E234 The Rise of Independent Horror Creators (July...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/07/09

This episode explores how independent horror filmmaking is reshaping the future of machinima and virtual production. Ricky reflects on his experience at StokerCon, discussing the remarkable quality and originality of contemporary short horror films, the growing influence of YouTube creators such as the makers of Backrooms and Obsession, and why horror remains one of the most effective genres for expressing contemporary anxieties. The panel considers what these developments mean for

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45:01

S6 E233 Stolen Bodies, Stolen Identities: Cyberpunk...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/07/02

In this episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, Tracy Harwood, Phil Rice and Damien Valentine examine Stolen, a 30-minute GTA V machinima by Dark Frame Films (Kevin Fernandez, aka Shepherd41). Set in a near-future world where consciousness can be transferred between bodies through the mysterious "Rebirth Project," the film follows former soldier John Bell on a relentless quest to recover his daughter's stolen body and restore her consciousness.The discussion explores the

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62:46

S6 E232 Machinima News Omnibus: AI Ghosts, Game...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/06/25

In this news-focused episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood and Damien Valentine dive into the latest developments in gaming, machinima, AI, and virtual production. The discussion ranges from the ethics of digitally resurrecting iconic figures like Stan Lee, through major announcements from Summer Game Fest, to upcoming machinima competitions and the evolving role of AI in creative practice. Along the way, the team debates the future of social media,

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47:13

S6 E231 An Astounding Tale from Outer Space – Clones,...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/06/18

This week on And Now For Something Completely Machinima, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood and Damien Valentine dive into Michael Is Very Vintage’s hilarious Garry’s Mod space comedy An Astounding Tale from Outer Space. What begins as a simple spaceship emergency quickly spirals into absurdity when an incompetent captain decides that cloning himself is a better solution than actually fixing the problem.The team explores the film’s brilliant use of slapstick comedy, satirical storytelling, inventive

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37:40

S6 E230 Exploring “Dysfunction” – A Haunting Second...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/06/11

What happens when machinima stops telling a story… and instead pulls you inside a fractured mind?In this episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, hosts Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, and Damien Valentine dive deep into “Dysfunction” by Iono Allen—a powerful, unsettling machinima film created in Second Life.This isn’t your typical machinima. There’s no clear beginning, middle, or end—just a visceral, abstract experience of psychological breakdown, sensory overload, and emotional

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37:16

S6 E229 Wracu Review: Blender Brilliance,...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/06/04

In this episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, hosts Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, and Tracy Harwood dive deep into “Wracu”, a stunning student film by Chase McGill.Created in Blender as a final project at University of Southern California, this cinematic short blends epic fantasy, motion capture, and orchestral scoring into a powerful (and divisive!) storytelling experience.But is it just visually impressive… or truly great storytelling? 🤔🔥 What We Cover in This EpisodeA

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37:36

S6 E228 Star Wars Battlefront 2 Machinima Breakdown |...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/05/28

In this episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, hosts Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, and Tracy Harwood dive into a stunning fan-made cinematic created inside Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game).We explore how machinima creators are pushing the limits of game engines, modding tools, and cinematic language to produce high-quality storytelling—despite technical limitations like no built-in camera controls. From Cloud City aesthetics to editing techniques and Star Wars

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32:36

S6 E227 Automation Situation 2 | AI, Satire & the...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/05/21

In this episode, we dive into Automation Situation 2: Too Little, Too Late by Guillaume H @thegiom — a haunting, AI-driven short film presented as a 1930s educational reel. Is this clever satire… or a chilling glimpse of our future with AI? We explore how this unsettling film blends retro aesthetics, machinima-style workflows, and AI-generated imagery to question human agency, automation, and the emotional cost of technological progress. ⏱ Key Moments & Timestamps 01:00 – What is

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30:38

S6 E226 The Egg (Andy Weir) | Machinima, Philosophy &...

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/05/14

In this episode of Now For Something Completely Machinima, we dive into a fascinating review of The Egg — a thought-provoking short story by Andy Weir, brought to life through machinima animation by Anima Technica.With Project Hail Mary dominating conversations, we explore how this earlier work connects to Weir’s storytelling style — blending philosophy, theology, and surprising humour.🎙️ Featuring Damien Valentine, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, and voice acting insights from Ricky Grove, this

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63:36

S6 E225 Machinima News Omnibus (May 2026)

And Now For Something Completely Machinima ·

2026/05/07

In this episode of And Now For Something Completely Machinima, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood, and Damien Valentine dive into the latest news in machinima, virtual production, AI creative tools, game cinematics, and real-time animation.They discuss the explosive hype around Kane Parsons’ The Backrooms movie, new Starfield expansions and what they could mean for Starfield machinima, the release of Fortnite Star Wars assets for fan-made experiences, and useful production updates including DaVinci

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