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3/9/07, 5:11 pm EST

Assignment Eight Finalist: Emily McIntosh on Machinima

Think you can do better? Prove it, by entering our contest. Win prizes and get your work published. We’ll announce week nine’s assignment Monday, 12:00 p.m. EST.

Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.


Machinima

by Emily McIntosh
Age: 18

Google Video. YouTube. Yahoo!Video. Internet streamed entertainment is quickly overtaking TV as the source of daily entertainment for Americans. This massive demand for internet-streamed content is bound to create new outlets for creativity. It seems completely natural that internet movies would team up with the powerhouse gaming industry to create an entirely new form of video- Machinima.

Although it sounds like a creature from a bad sci-fi flick, Machinima has invaded the internet and vocabulary of teens as well as tech-savvy adults. Machinima uses real video game footage combined with voiceovers to create a comedy cartoon-like show. Some Machinima chooses to take the serious route, but by far the most-watched videos rely on humor. These videos, which range from about two to ten minutes in length, are posted to the web and then viewed and downloaded like crazy. “I can’t get enough of them. They’re funnier every time I watch them,” said high school senior Andrew Taylor. And he is not alone. The gaming website RoosterTeeth.com saw an enormous spike in the site visits as their Machinima series “Red vs. Blue” (based on the game Halo) gained popularity. RoosterTeeth is also responsible for episodes of “P.A.N.I.C.S.”, using the video game Fear for the PC. Other popular Machinima series include “A Clone Apart”, and “The Codex”, and new Machinima-based sites appear daily. There even exists an Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences, who holds awards ceremonies for accomplished Machinima artists. Pratt, KS district technology director Bob Lee said, “I’m truly amazed at the time consumed by the students of Pratt High School by watching this series.” Whether Machinima constitutes a waste of time or not, Americans should look forward to seeing an entirely new form of cinema in the digital age.

-- Rolling Stone

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Comments

lee lipton | 4/27/2007, 10:36 am EST

call 917 887 3246

urfavcos | 3/15/2007, 2:18 am EST

I loved the article. I thought it was well-written and very informative. I’m so proud of you! I definately think there may be a future in journalism for you! Congrats!

Seth | 3/13/2007, 7:50 pm EST

Informative! I know plenty of people (myself included) who have laughed over these snippets. MTV had those video mods where it set video games to music - a close cousin.
As for the writing, at first it came off like a high school assignment to me, but who am I to talk as I’m a freshman in college, but I read it again and I like the flow. Congrats!

cameroongirl | 3/13/2007, 4:58 pm EST

good job lil’cos. c’est tres bien fait! je suis tres heureux et j’ai fiere de toi! bonne chance…and continue silly girl!

Linda | 3/12/2007, 2:32 pm EST

Well written my friend! You could very well have a future in journalism. Interesting, Yes I think so. ;)

nothing special | 3/11/2007, 5:25 am EST

i’m probably going to be the only somewhat negative comment to this article, but oh well.

this article was, yes, “well-written” and, yes, “informative”, but was it really interesting? not exactly.

i felt like i was either reading a formulated news story from my old high school newspaper (not entertainment) or a very short essay for an english class.

this piece is well-structured, but it doesn’t have have any LIFE in it. the quotes are dry and predictable, and the lead - well, while it was “good”, its structure has been over-used.

i can’t imagine seeing this article running in rolling stone, but props, really, for the clean structure and big dose of facts.

b3antown | 3/10/2007, 11:05 pm EST

Great article. Entertaining for followers of Machinima, but also gives a great explanation of the style itself for all readers. Fantastic idea for a story, as Machinima is a genre on the rise.

Redwriter | 3/10/2007, 8:25 pm EST

Super article . . . the wonderful thought process and wordsmithing from the youngest finalist forbodes of great things to come. Thanks for the insight!

TheRedLightLounge | 3/10/2007, 3:01 pm EST

Dear Emily McIntosh
I would like to congratulate you on the composition of such an informative and well written article and the ranking of Bad Ass status for getting in Rolling Stone.

Krackerman | 3/10/2007, 8:40 am EST

A well-written and informative article on the ever-morphing world of digital entertainment. It’s interesting to note that the quotes were from the Midwest. It used to be that newly-emerging technologies and trends took months, even years, to catch on and find their way from the coasts to the inner regions of the country. Just another indication how the Internet has made the world a smaller, more accessible place. Good article!

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