Okay, so this is basically shameless crowd-sourcing. But when you don’t know what to do, you don’t know what to do. Maybe someone out there has a good idea…

Quick note regarding Overcast: Due to some personal issues this week out of my control, and mounting pre-festival work commitments, I’ve decided to just let last week’s absence of episode serve as a day off for the show, and we’ll resume regular schedule next Friday. On Sept. 5, Ricky’s SIGGRAPH show will debut, along with a special announcement regarding things to come. Two weeks after that, Ricky and I are looking to give Antics v4 a thorough exam.

Have a great weekend!

Whether you’re of an Anymation philosophy or not, sometimes a special effect you’re looking to pull off is best served by compositing rather than by trying to accomplish it within your engine. And there is no better nor more affordable source for this chroma-ready effects footage than Detonation Films. Whether your needs be violent (blood, explosions, carnage, etc.) or non-violent (rain, snow, etc.), you’ll find some amazing footage here, all primed and composite-ready.

They give away a significant number of items for free, and even their HD resolution stuff is reasonably priced compared to larger commercial stock footage outlets. These guys’ target audience is definitely the indie filmmaker, but the quality is superb and professional.

It’s one of those finds that I almost hesitate to share before I’ve had opportunity to wow someone with it in my own films… but it’s just too good to keep quiet.

Check out their email list, which keeps you posted on all new releases and also entitles you to some freebies you can’t get anywhere else.

Examining how a live action object was integrated into the style of Radiohead: Bodysnatchers.

Intro music is “Impulse” by Processor, from their album “Are You For Real?”, available at Magnatune.com

You can see the ongoing ZS Dissect Lab series online in this Vimeo album or in this YouTube playlist.

Yeah, pardon the mess. I can’t help myself.

See also: Pendulum’s AlterEgo

1. Motionographer: “Is it really all stop motion?” - Some of the most mind-blowing stop motion animation you will ever see.
2. Mike Jones: The art of pulling focus - Brilliant, as usual.
3. IDEATION by Jeremiah Dickey - A wonderful short film adaptation of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
4. Adobe’s FLV Bitrate Calculator - Thanks, Mike Jones.
5. GoAnimate - Web 2.0 animation, easy as pie!
6. Voiceover Talent at Studio Center - Search engine of voiceover talent demos
7. AJ Schnack’s Festival Advice for Filmmakers - Good stuff, particularly if you’re looking to get involved in the general film festival world
8. 2008 Metaverse Tour Video - 50 virtual worlds in 7 minutes (thanks, Kerria @ The Ill Clan)

Click here for archive of OverByte posts.

This year I am honored to be part of the organizational team behind a very exciting event coming this November, precisely one week after the AMAS festival in New York. For several years now, Ingrid Moon has been conducting The Machinima Roadshow, last year making a stop at Festival Arcadia in Montreal. This time around, Arcadia has expressed interest in having machinima move from auxilliary to a full on showcase before the festival’s expected 20,000+ attendees.

We sure hope you can attend and enjoy a weekend with us. Whether you can attend or not, please check out the following call for entries. We’re looking to screen and showcase some really great machinima from all around the world. Films selected for screening or jury prize consideration will be seen by thousands on a gigantic screen with a great sound system, it’s a wonderful opportunity to get your work shown to a large live audience.

International Machinima Expo Call For Entries
July 29, 2008

The International Machinima Expo (MachinExpo) is now accepting submissions for its 1st annual showcase which will feature the best work by emerging and established machinima directors. Part of Festival Arcadia in Montreal, Quebec, the event takes place from November 7-9, 2008 at Place Bonaventure in downtown Montreal before an audience expected to exceed 20,000.

Sponsored in part by Machiniplex.com, the expo is organized by Ingrid Moon of The Machinima Roadshow as well as three other veteran machinima producers: Ricky Grove, Damien Valentine, and Phil Rice.

MachinExpo will feature workshops, panel discussions, live film premieres, and several hours of screening of machinima films from all around the world. A jury of professionals from the entertainment and video game industries will select five (5) films for a Jury Prize, with a special 6th film awarded a Special Jury Prize honoring one exceptional Canadian machinima film. There are no category / genre restrictions on submissions, and there is no entry fee. Deadline for submissions is October 6, 2008.

For more information, including submission guidelines and instructions, please visit www.machinima-expo.com, or contact expo2008@machiniplex.net.