2005 MACHINIMA FILM FESTIVAL Saturday, November 12, 2005 11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Schedule of Events *Tickets are no longer avaliable online, you can now only purchase tickets at the Museum. Machinima, derived from the words "machine" and "cinema," is the process of making animated movies using the software engines and imagery of video games. It combines aspects of computer animation, game development, puppetry, graffiti, fan fiction, and improvisational theater into an evolving, innovative moving image art form that represents the latest frontier of electronic popular culture. The 2005 Machinima Film Festival will include screenings of current award-winning work, discussions with leading machinimators, new technology demonstrations, and panel discussions which examine machinima's wider cultural, legal, and aesthetic ramifications. Begun in the mid-1990s as a way for game players to memorialize their exploits within the groundbreaking multiplayer video game Quake, machinima has evolved into a low-budget digital filmmaking technique with both home-grown and commercial production software, a widening community of makers, an awards program, and now, a film festival. Machinima has even spawned a blockbuster hit: Red vs. Blue, an ongoing absurdist epic in which the armored warriors of the video game Halo take time out from their fistfights to muse about philosophical issues and cultural trivia. Highlights of the festival include a live game engine-based performance by an improvisational comedy team, a presentation from the creators of Red vs. Blue, and an hour-long showcase of award winning festival submissions. Festival selections and the nominees for the 2005 Machinima Film Festival awards will be announced on October 24 at www.machinima.org. The 2005 Machinima Film Festival is co-presented by the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences, and sponsored by nVidia Corporation and Independent Film Channel (IFC). Admission to the festival is $10 for adults, $7.50 for students, and $5 for children and includes admission to the Museum. Tickets are no longer avaliable online, but maybe purchased at the door. Museum members are admitted to all events free of charge. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS RIKLIS THEATER (MAIN PROGRAM) 11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Introduction to Machinima Academy of Machininma Arts and Sciences Executive Director Paul Marino will present an illustrated overview of machinima. 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Panel Discussion: 'Impact and Influence: Machinima and Digital Culture' From its roots in game culture, machinima has evolved to its current mainstream trajectory, providing not only a new platform of creative expression, but also affecting game culture itself. Panelists include Beth Coleman (MIT Compartivie Media Studies), Michael Nitsche (Georgia Institute of Technology School of Literature, Communications, and Culture), Alex Coletti (Producer, MTV Video Mods), and Damian Lacedaemeon (This Spartain Life). 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Screening: The 2005 Machinima Film Festival Show Reel Highlights from this year's festival submissions, including clips from the winners of the 2005 Machinima Awards, will be shown. 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Machinimator Forum While machinima filmmaking inherits some qualities of its cinematic parents, it contains its own unique production approaches and issues. The machinmators's forum provides a platform to discuss these issues as well as provide the audience with some insight into machinima's distinct creative processes. Machinima teams such as the Rooster Teeth and the ILL Clan will participate. 4:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Machinima Tech: Valve Presents Face Poser and Its Source SDK Valve Software, the studio behind the innovative games Half-Life and Half-Life 2, will demonstrate new software tools built for Half-Life 2. One such application, Face Poser, allows makers to create complex multilayered facial expressions in real time, and was used to create some machinima works such as A Few Good G-Men and Still Seeing Breen. 5:45 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Machinima Live Performances Embracing the real-time aspect of machinima, two teams will perform live machinima pieces before an audience. The ILL Clan will present a live performance infused with a blend of machinima and comedy improv. The Not-Ready-For-Real-Time Players (Ken Perlin, Jon Lippincott, Jon Meyer, and Paul Marino) will present a brand-new performance piece, combining programming talents and unique input interfaces. NAM JUNE PAIK ROOM 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Discussion: Machinima Round-Up Machinimators from around the world will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work with fellow makers. 12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Screening: Festival Selections Part I 1:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: 'Who are we now? Machinima's Identity Crisis' During the last couple of years, strides in traditional animation have closed the gap between offline rendering and machinima production. Will machinima still stand on its own or be absorbed by the larger world of animation? Panelists will review 3D animation and machinima in its current state as well as what the future may hold. Moderator: Paul Marino. Panelists: Hugh Hancock, Frank Dellario, Friedrich Kirschner. 3:15 p.m.-4:-00 p.m. Screening: Festival Selections Part II 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Screening: The 2005 Machinima Film Festival Show Reel (Encore) Highlights from this year's festival submissions, including clips from the winners of the 2005 Machinima Awards, will be shown. 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Screening: Red vs. Blue, Season 1 WILLIAM FOX GALLERY 11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Machinima Art Program As part of the Museum's interactive exhibition Digital Play, the rear area of the William Fox Gallery will feature a continuous, looping presentation of artworks that incorporate real-time footage from video games. MUSEUM LOBBY 11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Machinima Software Demonstration Hands-on demonstrations from Fountainhead Entertainment (machinimation software) and nVidia will take place in the Museum lobby throughout the day. PLEASE NOTE: Advance ticketing is for a festival pass ONLY. Seating at individual programs is subject to availability and will be handled on a first-come, first served basis. Festival pass holders may pick up tickets for individual programs in the Riklis Theater in person at the Museum beginning at 11am on November 12th.  For programs in the Nam June Paik Video Viewing Room, please note that festival pass holders will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.