Discussion: Matrix Machinima Contest

Sounds like we are all cranking. I got about 2 minutes of raw footage set up and paced right out of 3:45. Still need a few sounds, but I get the feeling that will come last. Any of you find a repository of CoH sound FX like explosions and powers?

I've never done a bit of demoediting in my life before, and I have the structure for 2 of my 6 scenes down now. By structure, I have the things spawning and mostly moving where they should. Now comes the fun part of moving the camera around.

(Aside: Had a lot of fun playing with the values in the PYR command, I now want make a video of a scrapper running on the walls to flank a bad guy...)

As I've still got much learning in a trial by fire type of way, and I need to figure out how to a) record these demos b) edit and splice them and c) add sounds, it's still debatable on if I'll even have an entry, even if it'll be an entry the judges look at and ignore for you more talented folk, but hey, it's something.

Since at present, so far as I know, the only way to access raw sounds is to PIGG dive (a major no-no), my recommended tactic is if you're going to get attack sounds for individual attacks, ask someone to go into the Arena with you, try to get one that's appropriate for the sound you want (office map, city map, warehouse, ship, whatever), and stand there and attack each other - one attack at a time.

Word of advice, if you let the demo repeat itself, usually the second time around (and all subsequent repeats), the music doesn't actually repeat, so it's just the ambient sound (wind, cars, whatever) and the attack effects.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

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Since at present, so far as I know, the only way to access raw sounds is to PIGG dive (a major no-no), my recommended tactic is if you're going to get attack sounds for individual attacks, ask someone to go into the Arena with you, try to get one that's appropriate for the sound you want (office map, city map, warehouse, ship, whatever), and stand there and attack each other - one attack at a time.

Word of advice, if you let the demo repeat itself, usually the second time around (and all subsequent repeats), the music doesn't actually repeat, so it's just the ambient sound (wind, cars, whatever) and the attack effects.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, by sound I meant my voice over/recorded stuff through my mic. I have no intention to use any of the in game sounds fx at this point, as that is a concept that utterly blows my tiny little mind.

Oh, my bad.

I've decided this video of mine won't have voiceover work (unless I get some radical concept that changes my mind). This one is just music.

And I got no work done last night I was too sore after working out for the first time in forever. Now today my limbs feel like they weigh a ton, so when I get home, I will relax my sitting in front of my computer and doing nothing more strenuous than typing and moving around my mouse. Which means more video stuff.

BTW - don't assume you're automatically going to lose. You never know when the newcomers will blow the veterans out of the water with something uber-nifty.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Well, I'll lose if I don't get it done and can't enter. If I can leap that hurdle, then I stand a chance...

...but to be serious, I'm more doing this for everything but the prizes. I want there to be more than a few entries, to help get CoH's name out there a bit more, so I'm throwing my hat into the ring.

I've wanted to learn how to do this for a while, and this is also a good excuse to force myself how to do this. I have a hybrid, so the car is of no interest to me (Sorry Toyota), and I barely have enough time to play the few games I do have, so none of the systems hold any excitement for me. If I were to win, they'd all be Child's Play donations, to be honest...

...part of me really hopes I don't win, as I'm sure there are people out there who could use any and all those prizes more than I. My win is just learning how to do this.

Pez, you mentioned that you didn't know how to record the demos. For that you'll need something like Fraps. Check the topic on demorecording tools for others. I use Fraps (bought version so it doesn't have that "Fraps" bug at the top) and it works well. It can also capture whatever sounds are generated by the playback, like powers, background noises, etc.

As for editing, Windows Movie Maker comes free with Windows and will work reasonably well. That's where you'll merge in your sounds and any titles you want also. Non-linear video editing is really fun, once you get the hang of it.

BTW, I discovered a nice trick recently. If you have a scene you want to play in slow-motion, most video editors will stretch out the timing on a clip, but then it gets jerky. I launched the demo playback at a really high frame rate (I used 120 fps, but my machine isn't exactly a speed demon so YMMV). The high framerate slowed down the playback and what I got was smooth and slow.

Re: voiceovers - My contest vid is heavy on dialogue and I've been lucky so far in getting actors who work for free and are willing to sign a performance release. My announcer is actually a professional radio announcer. I went to high school with him. I only have one actor left to record. I'm using RecordPad, BTW. Works great, especially if you map a couple of keys for the record/stop functions. The best thing about RecordPad (other than the 14-day free trial!)is that when you stop recording, it automatically saves the recording. That makes recording sessions go a lot faster. Click - go - click, lather, rinse, repeat.

I have found that, with the resolution I record at, the Fraps watermark does not mean a thing. So small and everything is at the bottom so I just move the video up and make sure it is not visible.

All my attempts at demo editing have failed so I am just doing all the camera stuff when I am going to record it.

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like we are all cranking. I got about 2 minutes of raw footage set up and paced right out of 3:45. Still need a few sounds, but I get the feeling that will come last. Any of you find a repository of CoH sound FX like explosions and powers?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ash, I went into my options and turned off the music in the audio section then found a nice quite place in Dark Astoria and fired off the effects I liked the sound on. Then I exported the sounds in After Effect and trimmed and tweeked them in Sound Forge.

It wasn't a super quick process but it produced some pretty clean sounds.

Todd

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All my attempts at demo editing have failed so I am just doing all the camera stuff when I am going to record it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You might want to just use Balshor's editor to drop the Z position of the camera. It gives you better framing since the camera is usually aimed slightly over your character. Dropping the camera's Z gets rid of all that dead space above your toon.

Just select the CAM in the object list on the left, then click "Add Filter for Reference(s)". Next click "Translate POS" and enter -2 (or maybe -1) into the "Up/Down (Z) offset" and then hit the "Be Doin' It" button (Okay). As always, save to a different filename just in case. It is reversable (just enter a positive value).

That one change can make a world of difference in your recordings.

Happy editing!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like we are all cranking. I got about 2 minutes of raw footage set up and paced right out of 3:45. Still need a few sounds, but I get the feeling that will come last. Any of you find a repository of CoH sound FX like explosions and powers?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ash, I went into my options and turned off the music in the audio section then found a nice quite place in Dark Astoria and fired off the effects I liked the sound on. Then I exported the sounds in After Effect and trimmed and tweeked them in Sound Forge.

It wasn't a super quick process but it produced some pretty clean sounds.

Todd

[/ QUOTE ]

I wish I had After Effects and Sound Forge. :-/ But The concept is a good one, I may be able to make the first half work

Ok all, I'm gonna ask here cause I seem to have a real problem getting an 'official' response from GT.

Is anyone else using different voice actors (or other voice actors other than yourself to be specific), so that all the voices don't sound the same?

Thanks,
Todd

I'm using several voice actors. I'm obtaining performance releases from each of them so that I own 100% of the rights to the production and their contributions to it.

I've fired off an email to the Contest Oracle to confirm that they understand that this is legal and fully in compliance with their contest rules (I'm not asking - I'm telling).

I've also asked if there is any notation that I can add to assure their aren't any misunderstandings when I submit.

I'll update here when I get an answer.

Thanks, cause I can't seem to get a response.



Todd

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Is anyone else using different voice actors (or other voice actors other than yourself to be specific), so that all the voices don't sound the same?

[/ QUOTE ]

You could use a sound editing program to raise or lower the pitch of your own voice so they sound different but still natural. I use Cool Edit Pro for that (it was bought by Adobe and renamed Adobe Audition a few years ago but I still use the old version to avoid software bloat)

Ack - The only thing worse for a piece of software than being bought by Adobe is being bought by Corel...

I like my adobe software.

Adobe Audition is actually changed the Soundbooth in CS3.

I have Four Voice actors in my piece so far, and three in game actors. I'll have a lot of people to thank when this is done.

I use Sound Forge, personally - mainly because I quite enjoy the Sony suite (Movie Studio, Sound Forge, and Acid Pro). You learn one, you can use them all.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Why is it that everytime CoX has a contest, it results in me playing waaaaaay less CoX than I would be if they weren't having a contest?

I think I'm missing the whole marketing spin on this thing

Ahhh...I'll play again someday I just know it.

Todd

Nah, you're not missing *their* intent. I mean, you're still paying for the game aren't you? {grin}

Ugh, getting the power sounds is still a major problem. Fraps won't record the sound correctly for some reason, does anyone know of another program I can use to capture the in-game sound?

WeGame's records the sounds just fine - except they tend to be one second off in timing, at least for me. Or you could hunt them down in the....

%#()$!)!##@
NO CARRIER

Oink oink files, indeed. No, I'd like to stay legit. I'll try the WeGame program, thanks.

Woohoo! Had a 2-hour session with my final voice actor tonight. Now I just have to cull through 260+ takes to find the best one for each line...

Have any of y'all had this problem: I originally wrote some lines that just weren't in my actors' comfort zone. Try as they might, they just couldn't deliver convincing performances of those attitudes or emotions. So, I ended up rewriting the roles slightly to play to their strengths. I actually think I ended up with better material when all was said and done.