For most of you who aren't aware, I'm not starting on the GMod Idiot Box: Episode 10 yet. I've been wanting to work on a different video project that I was rather excited to do, mainly because it was story based again. Basically, it's going to be another Machinima brought up by GMod with a full story involving TF2 characters and an extremely strange, unknown force screwing up the game world. I was going to get started on it immediately until Machinima.com sent another e-mail wondering if I was going to get off my ass and actually submit something to them for once. Well, okay, they didn't put it rudely, but rude is great for shortening.
It's true that yes, while I was ignorant, I signed the offered contract and only recently after, discovered nobody bothered to actually watch my videos and tell me what I couldn't do anymore until I researched it myself. Thankfully though, the TF2 project (which I've yet to come up with a name for) could very well fall within all the proper regulations of a Machinima.com video ... sort of. There are two problems I'm facing right now, though ...
The first is, Machinima.com requires that I use a 16:9 aspect video format. People no doubt know by now that none of my videos have 16:9, but a 4:3 instead. Reason being is because I'm still using a CRT monitor. It's not because I can't afford a widescreen display or anything, it's that I honestly don't care that much about a widescreen display for computers enough to spend over $100 on one. The CRT has done me mighty fine and unlike game consoles, PCs allow you to switch your aspect ratio at will so you don't have black bars at the top and bottom forced upon you. Of course, even with a widescreen display, you ever notice how some movies still have the black bars at the top and bottom? Kind of defeats the whole fucking purpose, doesn't it? But I digress, the CRT does everything I need it to. Sure it's not very portable or wide, but the colors and lighting are perfect for atmospheric games and just overall use AND I got this monitor free from a friend who's attachment to widescreen monitors got the better of him. Now I know what you're thinking, "That's okay, you can set a 16:9 aspect ratio in your editor and just zoom in on the image to fill the sides of the screen!" That's another problem. I do everything I can to make GMod record at 60 FPS so I can get a nice fancy motion blur effect in Vegas. To do this, I have GMod's aspect ratio at 1024 x 768 and I tell Fraps to record at half-size. If I were to zoom in at all, the video would look like pixelated hell and completely defeat the purpose of waiting for the uber high quality version to download. Anyway, I personally don't see the appeal of getting "uber sweet" quality on YouTube. Maybe a DVD or Blu-ray player, but YouTube? I dunno. Anyway, I'm still trying to figure out a way around this widescreen thing to make sure it still looks good, even if it means recording at 30 FPS and losing the motion blur. A widescreen monitor will fix a large portion of the problem, but I'm not willing to shell out the bucks to make my free time hobby look better. Maybe if this was a job, that would be another story.
The second problem is, at one point in the video, I had my heart set on using a particular song. The song is "Such Great Heights - The Postal Service." Machinima.com still has quite a policy against the use of mainstream music and insist you either make your own music or use a small list of music that doesn't seem to work in any situation ... that or the Newgrounds audio portal. I did send an e-mail to "The Postal Service" requesting permission to use the song in the video, but I haven't heard back from them yet. I'm not saying Machinima.com is wrong for enforcing this policy, it's completely understandable ... but it sure is damn inconvenient nonetheless.
Still, with these two factors in mind, I still feel kind of bad that I haven't submitted anything to Machinima.com because of "signers remorse" if you will. The guys there have been really nice and understanding and their rules will only be getting in the way of one creative aspect of the video. I'm also rather curious to see how that will go if I submit it there. If I do, I'll post a video on my channel with a link to it for easy access. If it doesn't make it there, well, then it'll just go right back to my channel as originally intended.
So in conclusion, I'm kind of battling with red tape right now and hopefully it won't be a process that will go on much longer. Once the decision is made, the production can begin and I'll update the decision on this blog post. Peace!
UPDATE: Good news and bad
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When will The Un-named TF2 Story come out? Not exacli, but in a wide view. A month or sooner?
ReplyDeleteThis is why many people dont use machinama.com because theres many restrictions and problems that can fill a bottemless pit. but hey if you can fix these problems thats good for us and you. but if you cant well totally understand.
ReplyDeleteI know if i had a deal with machinima.com to make machinima id make sure that the music i had was from the PUNK-O-Matic game and maybe some shit on new grounds but if im making a machinma tht wont be on Machinima.com id make sure that i used kik ass montage music song id use is Live to Win by paul Stanley of KISS abnd Montage from Team america
ReplyDeleteYou should just ignore Machinima.com. If you want to upload a video to machinima to make them happy, upload a video linking to your YouTube video, that way you can use all the music you want, and you don't have to worry about the Machinima people giving you "Signer's Remorse".
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing Machinima is the first clear way you could turn a profit from your videos. Too bad there's all this b.s. in the way. As yourself if you really wish to work with them and remember you'll always have other options.
ReplyDeleteBeing a veteran of Sony Vegas, I know that you can change the playback funtion to widescreen by going to File>Properties and selecting NTSC DV Widescreen under Pixel Aspect Ratio
ReplyDeleteAlso using Gmod myself a little bit, I've recorded vids in widescreen using Fraps on a non-widescreen monitor. It may call for some tweaking, but hear me out.
On your homepage/desktop, right click your wallpaper and choose Properties. Click on Settings and click the blue box with a "1" in it. This blue box represents your monitor. Drag the screen resolution bar until you see a widescreen setting of your choosing. Then click apply. Your screen will look streched out, but its perfectly normal and can be changed back.
Try to tweak your resolution in Gmod under Options>Video. I highly recommend that you switch from "Full Screen" to "Play in a window". Then, choose 16:9 or 16:10 and tweak the quality.
Now you have both a widescreen format and a widescreen playback mode. Fraps should successufuly record in widescreen regardless of your non-widescreen monitor.
All these steps may take some changing to get it perfect, but widescreen recording is more accessible than you think.
Best luck on your future machinimas, and I really hope this helped, Dasboschitt.
Why are you on Machinima in the first place? The way I see it, this is just a hobby, hobby's are generally relaxing. This is not relaxing. So wiggle your way out of the contract and free yourself.
ReplyDeleteI hope you never get to publish another video again, ahem fuck you
ReplyDeleteperhaps, you should set a paypal account up so people can give you money to buy a better monitor.
ReplyDeletealong with a better computer so you can record at 1080p
Ah, heck. Try and find a loophole, it's machinima we're talking about, they can't be THAT smart to make a loop hole free contract.
ReplyDeleteThat or you could wait it out, I suppose, whatever works for you.
Oh, and the TF2 series idea actually sounds pretty sweet.
You don't have to actually make the footage 16:9, just stretch it out in sony vegas by unchecking "fit to aspect ratio" or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you put a video on machinima.com its gona be a succes, and about the quality...
ReplyDeletecome on, have you seen machinima videos... the mostly part are really stupid and with horrible quality...
thats a fact
Sorry for the bad english i am from.... some where that is not USA
Either way if you dont put it up on machinima you'll still have a Large audience. Besides its their loss, do what YOU think its right. Your loyal fans will be right behind your decisions.
ReplyDeleteTry to not to get stressed about it, its your hobby have a great time doing your hobby!
-Eairle
I'm pretty sure DasBoSchitt is dead.
ReplyDeleteTeam Fortress 2 is now becoming more games day by day. It is a free to play games but you need to have its items,keys or hats. To get Free TF2 Items, visit now gamersnab.com. This is the site where you get it by completing easy offers or survey. Best of luck.
ReplyDelete