"New Magic" [Video]

angrysprite

“New Magic”

...or “Never embarrass a student wizard!”

YouTube: http://youtu.be/bZ3DEWct39Q

For anyone curious, here’s how I went about it:

This one took a LOT of work (about 90 hours or so).

I knew I needed a movie set so I could have controlled environments and my answer was the Foundry to create a movie studio set. If you want to use it for your own Demo Record machinima (or just explore it) - search Foundry Review for “Demo Record Movie Studio” - NOTE: This Foundry quest *cannot* be completed, you cannot claim any rewards, etc. This is intentional. To exit you must use the Exit button in your mini-map, then abandon the quest from your Journal when you’re done.

Once I had my movie set ready, I used Demo Record to get all the shots I needed, many being in the main Cryptic zones (you’ll recognize them). In the movie they aren’t displayed in order as I wanted to give the impression of a long journey, including over a mountain to the other side. The only missing shot is the Mount Vendor: there are no good horses there and in hindsight, I should have just placed one in the Studio to get a shot of it. So people unfamiliar with Neverwinter will not realize what the negotiation is about (unaffordable horse mounts).
-shrugs-

Once I had all my recordings (about 60 or 70) I went into Demo Record playback mode and created a dizzying array of camera paths to capture all the action I wanted. This required testing, tweaking, retesting, retweaking countless times.

Once all that was done I used Demo Record Rendering to output to image sequences for good clean imagery. It was about 19GB of screenshot data.

I copied all this over to my Mac and used Apple Motion to convert all the image sequences into full video (I use Apple ProRes 422 CODEC) - then pulled it all into Final Cut Pro. I finished editing the video part in about eight hours.

However, there was no sound whatsoever. So I pulled all the sound effects I could muster to add the proper abiance (these sounds are not the primary and only add environment). Hence, there are no sounds from the game at all. It's all 100% sound effects library stuff.

Once the video was basically completed with all the environment sounds (and some silent areas) the fun part was creating the music soundtrack, which helps tell the story. This is actually a lot more difficult than you may realize as just the right music must be chosen and each theme must also mesh well with the themes before and after it.

After all that (!) I finally pressed out my shiny High Definition version and then plopped a copy up to YouTube for you to enjoy.

All sounds and Music are fully licensed, except for the “Mail” sound, which is now public domain, and you’ll know it when you hear it.

I hope you enjoy seeing what Demo Record can do!

valwryn

Nicely Done!
I too am halfway with my own video with a little more intensity. It takes alot of work setting up every scene. Where's Chris Nolan when ya need him.

melodywhr

nice job!

would be nice if you could pull the audio from demo record file.

angrysprite

Thanks!

Demo Record output to image sequence is really old-chool style of turning 3D CGI into video (and still used today in the "industry", including big silver-screen blockbusters). One way to get the Neverwinter in-game sound is to do a playback in Demo Record, and capture the game sounds it generates.

But then there's a lot of work to sync all that up with your final edit (syncing the sound with the proper clips used after cutting away the unwanted footage). I'm not sure if that's more or less work that just creating the audio track entirely from scratch (I've always created my own audio ever since I started in this biz).

As for the goof-up of not making the Mount Vendor sequence very clear (only Neverwinter players will understand that part, and even then it's not clear enough) I figure I'll go back and redo that portion in a week or so, then updated the OP with the link to the updated version. (I hate when I goof-up something like that). Goshdarnit.

I'm itching to do another one, but I'm drawing a blank for story ideas. Does anyone have any ideas?

It would need to be "Mr. bean" style: where the story can be told visually without the need for any dialogue. Including you Foundry Authors - tell me the story of your quest, I'll go play it and make a trailer for you (if it's a good one, that is)> Hahahahah

Please, comment with your ideas! I need source material!

valwryn

You can always play a guard in the House of Horrors museum. What could possibly go wrong,......... at night,.........during a thunderstorm. :rolleyes:

angrysprite

valwryn wrote: »

You can always play a guard in the House of Horrors museum. What could possibly go wrong,......... at night,.........during a thunderstorm. :rolleyes:

Holy smackers, Batman, that's the ticket!
<font color="orange">HAMSTER</font>... now my mind is going haywire at dizzying speed envisioning shots and possibilities, you evil, evil person, you! LOL Great idea! A spin on that movie "Night at the Museum" (or whatever it's called) - what great fun!

Imagonnahavtadoit!

akromatik

aaaaaand it's going on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/NeverWinterGame/posts/746556575384871?stream_ref=10

grogthemagnif

Very well done.

angrysprite

Thank you Grogthemagnif!

@Akromatic: That's funny because I'm not a Facebooker! LOL - But thank you! The only payment I get (and hope for) is the audience and the more the merrier. I love sharing these things.

dandare

Well... You got some angrysprite (considering forum activity: You've done awe-inspiring good job at that )

I must admit that video looks good. And I have no doubt in time it took to be made ^^; . It's fun on how many tools we have to play with around NW beside NW itself (even more fun considering people have time to put something good in them as you did). And here I play with ink and pencil only... *sigh*

Sincerely Yours~ Angry Neko Elf

angrysprite

d21e4 wrote: »

And here I play with ink and pencil only... *sigh*

Sincerely Yours~ Angry Neko Elf

Thank you for your comments!

I still have and use a film camera (though film is getting harder to find) because no matter how good digital cameras are and keep getting, they still just don't compare to the dynamic range a good, slow (100 ISO) film has. New music recorded in digital format will never (to me) sound as good as music recorded in the old analog tape format (in the music studio recording sessions).

And the same is true for good old fashioned canvas (paper, etc.) and paint (ink, etc..) It does't matter what each are made of.

And here's what I'm getting at: genuine artistic ability. I have been a professional photographer and movie-maker for years. I care deeply about my craft and I'm proud of my work. And the reason I'd rather work "old school method" and create all my own audio is because simply recording the game sounds is the easy-way out. Does that make any sense? Not because it would be wrong or a "cheat", far from that: it would be 'easy'. And we can't be having that now, can we? Hahahah! As a fellow artiste, I *know* you know what I mean!

It 's the same way the Photoshop and other computer image editors are a shortcut to the old-school Darkroom.

And why you always will have a fan in me when you do paper and ink; there are no shortcuts to be had (except for my own preferred favorite: tracing onion paper, but I divulge -cough-). It's all 100% effort and skill. So, dear Angry Neko Elf: I place your and others who practice your artistic tools of choice well above all the others (including my own). And I do mean that.

Like, srsly.

***

Side note: Elves are cool, neko's are cooler and Angry is the bestest attitude EVAR!

I don't know about your preferred use, but "angry" doesn't always mean 'furious' or 'enraged', it can also mean "passionate" and "lively', which is how I prefer to apply it in my handle.

-wink, wink, nod, nod-

dandare

angrysprite wrote: »

Thank you for your comments!

Side note: Elves are cool, neko's are cooler and Angry is the bestest attitude EVAR!

*blush*

angrysprite wrote: »

I don't know about your preferred use, but "angry" doesn't always mean 'furious' or 'enraged', it can also mean "passionate" and "lively', which is how I prefer to apply it in my handle.

-wink, wink, nod, nod-

Yep, yep. Just about it. It's around the corner of Minsc 'angry' attitude. It's fun~, cause buttkickin' evil and doing artsy things in both cases is same time exhausting and extremely enjoyable XD

Also I know what you're talking about! I must admit I do and can use by now digital media which I use now for coloring but.... initial design MUST be done 'by hand' for me. Probably due to my inspirations being on both west and east a traditional artists at the time (including good old Black Isle artists).

By no means I deny people going full digital nor I would say it's in illustration arts any easier (ok, one exception is: when U make a mistake... tradart is merciless then ). I'm good friend of many and many of those are like a side teachers to me due to my will to expand my skill

It's real fun to meet a bird of feather on tradart topic angrysprite, and I'll be looking forward to seeing more from you.

Somehow relieved ~ Angry Neko Elf

PS: Check my corner pls! I put hours ago a little contest for Baldurs Gate series fans hoping to scoop some (big BG fan here... wanna talk bout it's lore with someone a bit XD)