If any of you that are following me have seen (maybe here, or over on thesims3.com) I have made my second machinima the other day. I'm very proud of the video, especially since it's only my second attempt at making a video after I made my first video (Yes! by Chad Brock) which looked...well, horrible compared to how the second one looks. I love the song "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane and for weeks had been plotting a storyline, I even hinted at one point on another site that I was thinking of making a machinima to this song. I really wanted the video to look as good as I envisioned it, and in order to do that I knew I would have to learn the tricks of the game to make a good video.
The first thing I learned was about camera placement. I knew how to "tab" and get the good camera, but didn't know about the ctrl +5-9 pre-set camera angles you could add. This was so cool and helpful since I do not have a steady hand, and to get the camera back in a certain position to make it appear like a sim is vanishing or suddenly appearing....and with a baby climbing on me, I needed all the steadiness help I could get. I tried doing my video...it was chopping and lagged in certain places. I thought "well, not much I can do about it right now...my processor seems to need to upgraded". I really thought it was my computer causing the choppiness of my video. I then found the trick to make smooth camera movements and how to show your video in HD. This meant I would have to manipulate the file. I'll admit, I was nervous about doing that. I read very closely how to do it, saved the original file, changed the existing file, and fired up my game. Fingers crossed the game wouldn't suddenly be corrupted and crash, or worse, corrupt to the point I lose
all my saved games/houses/sims. To my surprise, the game started up fine. I tested the video camera and panicked a little. The record moved so slowly and what seemed choppy. Oh no. I stopped the video and went to find the saved recording in my file. I played it expecting to see exactly what I had seen in the game--lagging and choppiness. Much to my delight....it was smooth, crisp and perfect. Exactly what I wanted. It then clicked....it moves slowly so you can control the camera more precisely at the times you want to move it. I played with it a few more times...grinning like an idiot the entire time. I figured out how to make my videos look like I had seen others do.
I finished the video and watch the generated preview. It was leaving stuff out, cutting scenes short. Oh no. I messed around with them for a while with no luck. I sighed heavily and decided that I would have to deal with it the way it was since I figured it was due to my crappy video editing program. After it compressed,saved and uploaded to youtube I went online to watch my video. I was not expecting what I saw. Everything was there. All the fad in's and out's, all the actions I thought it had cut out. It was then that I realized the preview was just that...a quick view of what the movie would look like. I was tickled pink with the result. I watched it several times before showing it on thesims3.com forums. I wasn't expecting a lot of views, or many comments, but what I really didn't expect was how much the people who did respond would like it as much as I do.
I've got a new high. A new "project" to do in my game now. Machinima's. I'm thinking of my next one. I got the song, I'm figuring out the plot, and trying to figure out how to get a certain action to work in the video. Hopefully I will learn a few more things, and it will be even better looking than "Together Forever". So, from here on out...be prepared to see my lots, simmies, and machinima's. :D
