Machinima

A typical Brawl Machinima scene.

Machinima has become an important aspect in the Super Smash Bros. community. With the introduction of Super Smash Bros. Melee's Camera Mode, and eventually Replays in Brawl, many amateur Machinima directors (Machinimators) have begun to post their work on video-sharing websites such as YouTube.com or Machinima.com. Machinima productions can be recognized for their wide variety, crossing many different genres such as action, comedy, adventure or a combination of these.

Production

Pre-production

Machinima Production typically can only begin with the acquiring of a capture device of some form, usually a capture card, AV camera input, or DVD recorder. Many Machinimators choose to plan their Machinima out - normally these are the higher quality productions. Scripts, storyboards, screenplay and other professional techniques are common among the amateur Machinima community.

Filming

Filming is often done making use of Replays. Scenes are acted out in a typical Brawl, and recorded through a capture device in Replay mode. However, due to technical limitations, many hack codes are available designed specifically for Machinima use, for instance codes to remove HUD and tags or to remove offscreen indicators, as well as improved camera codes.

Most high-quality Machinima avoid moving the camera around, as it can lead to tackiness. Instead, clean camera cuts are used in editing, which can be achieved with Replays by recording the same scene twice from different angles and editing them together.

Editing

Most commonly, Super Smash Bros. Machinima makes use of voice actors, usually decided through auditions or other connections to the Machinimator. Editing is done on an editing software, often Sony Vegas but some choose alternatives such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. Music is a common factor, though recently few Machinima use copyrighted music, opting for the music used in the game itself to avoid legal issues. Most Machinimators hope for the highest quality, and many are being exported in 16:9 widescreen HD format.

Distribution

The most common form of distribution is uploading the video to YouTube.com. Machinima.com is another possibility, being a site designed specifically for high-quality Machinima. YouTube usually give the option of viewing the video in a faster, lower-quality mode or a slower, high-quality mode.

Community

The Super Smash Bros. Machinima community is a fast expanding one. Many Machinimators are friends with one another, discussing their Machinima and generally chatting over message systems such as Skype or Microsoft Messenger. Many of the more famous Machinimators are closely integrated into the community, with their more notable works.

The community grows not only with Machinimators themselves, but also with voice actors and general fans. Even those who do not produce Machinima have found themselves talking among the famous and recognized, and voicing in some very high-quality productions. Though auditions are often held, voice actors are commonly found over voice-chat systems such as Skype.

Machinaimators and Machinimas