Machinima and More

Machinima, a term becoming more and more common place. It refers to the use of a simulation environment, like that of a video game (Halo for instance), to create a short video animation. The idea started with early video game mods, however it has risen into a complete and valid art form, and an excellent source of promotion. Red vs Blue, by Rooster Teeth Productions, is a perfect example of exactly how useful they can be. The entire series can been seen as one huge promotion for Microsoft's sci-fi shooter Halo. In fact it was such an effective means of promotion that Microsoft actually funded the production group, and took into account Machinima design while making the sequel.

A similar trend can be seen in other forms of internet video. Will It Blend? another popular viral video source is also using the internet in a new way. Instead of creating an inane late night infomercial to promote their extra strength blender, they instead created a series of cheap internet videos in which they prove the shredding strength of the device by blending unreasonable objects (rakes, plungers, iphones). They were easily more successful then they could ever have been on television.

Podcasting as well, has become another major viral source. In fact it is getting to the point that it is likely that we will see infomercials and classic ads dying out in favor of these new media. After all, why pay for an extended TV spot at an odd hour, when you can upload shorter, cheaper, and more effective ads right on You Tube. The same with Games, you could make some expensive prime time ads, or you could hire some bored programmers and a couple of writers to make a few cheap amusing videos. It will be interesting to see how television reacts to this coming trend.